Earthquakes

Kobe’s Earthquake Museum-A Unique Must-See

| February 2, 2017

Kobe’s unique Earthquake Memorial Museum, which is part of the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution opened in 2002, gives you a unique opportunity to experience what an earthquake feels like and how terrible the aftermath can be. The museum includes: A large-screen theater with a multi-media documentary of realistic images of the 1995 Kobe earthquake and recovery efforts Interactive games about disaster prevention Realistic reproductions of the city and surrounding areas after the quake. Visitors to the museum can absorb vital information about disaster-prevention—definitely worthwhile for anyone living in Japan, one of most earthquake-prone countries in the world! The exhibits are extremely child-friendly and the bi-lingual staff is very …

Shake, Rattle and Roll—Earthquake Preparedness

| February 2, 2017

This month marks the 21st anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, in which 7,400 people died, prompting a nation-wide reassessment of building regulations. Since Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active countries, minor tremors can be felt an almost daily occurrence somewhere in Japan. Even more recently, Japan experienced significant earthquakes in Kumamoto in 2016 and in Fukushima in 2011. On the up side, the Great Hanshin earthquake was a wake-up call for Japan’s national preparedness authorities, and ever since Japan has been on a mission to improve building codes, earthquake preparedness, and disaster reduction. Structural Safety-Stringent Building Codes As a general rule, residential and commercial construction …

Dear Rica, Should I purchase earthquake insurance?

| February 2, 2017

Get Answers about Owning, Renting and Living in Greater Kobe. Please submit your comments to core8eight@gmail.com. Dear Rica, We want to buy a house in or near Kobe. But after all the devastation we have seen on TV after the Kumamoto earthquake last year, we realized we needed to learn a lot more about earthquake insurance in Japan. We do not even know if it exists or not or how much it costs. Mary B. Dear Mary, That is definitely a good question! In Japan, earthquake insurance is generally an optional insurance to fire insurance. This means that you need to get fire insurance first. This is true for homeowners and …