How does Japan adapt to earthquakes?

(Baonghean.vn) - Japan is one of the countries most affected by earthquakes in the world. Recently, two consecutive earthquakes on the island of Kyushu have claimed the lives of 41 people, injured thousands and caused heavy property damage. To cope with earthquakes that can occur at any time, Japan has also taken many measures to adapt and minimize the damage caused by earthquakes.

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is considered the second largest city in the world in terms of natural disaster risk. Therefore, the Japanese government always sets strict requirements for high-rise buildings here.

87% of buildings in Tokyo are built to special standards to adapt to earthquakes. These houses are built with rubber foundations filled with a special liquid to absorb the impact of earthquakes.

The world's tallest tower, Tokyo Skytree, uses many earthquake-proof techniques learned from ancient Chinese temples.

A typical example is the Tokyo Skytree, the world's tallest tower built in 2012. With a height of 634m, this tower was designed by 100 engineers, architects and planners to be absolutely safe in the event of an earthquake.

In addition to the central shaft made of reinforced concrete buried 50m underground, the inner structure of Tokyo Skytree is built to imitate the shape of ancient wooden temples famous for their durability during earthquakes and typhoons.

On the outskirts of Tokyo, beneath a soccer field and skate park, there is a 6.5-kilometer-long, five-story underground drainage system that captures floodwater from tsunamis and typhoons, then safely discharges it into the Edo River.

According to CNN, this system cost 3 billion USD and 13 years to build. But it brings safety to the people here from natural hazards.

Regarding public transport projects, Japan also invests heavily in earthquake-proof solutions for railways, especially subways and high-speed trains - the pride of the Japanese people in the world.

When the historic 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit in 2011, Japan had 27 bullet trains in operation. Thanks to a massive network of earthquake sensors across the country, all trains were brought to an emergency stop just before the disaster struck. No one died or was injured while riding the trains during that earthquake.

Japan has invested $1 billion in earthquake warning systems. When an earthquake is detected, the gas supply will automatically shut off within 80 seconds. However, besides warning systems, human awareness and behavior during an earthquake are much more important.

Japanese rescue teams are professionally trained and always ready in case of an earthquake.

All Japanese people know by heart how to deal with an earthquake. If an earthquake suddenly occurs, you must not run and panic. If there are children in the house, the first thing to do is to find the children, then hide under the bed or something similar until the shaking stops.

Japan is still suffering from severe earthquake damage. However, Japan's earthquake prevention systems and measures are among the most advanced in the world, and even the United States must learn from Japan about earthquake-resistant construction.

The Japanese government is still trying to find new measures and upgrade old structures to better adapt to earthquakes.

Thanh Hien

(According to Gizmodo)