30% of Japanese live on land vulnerable to shaking

New research shows almost one-third of the Japanese population lives on land that is vulnerable to shaking in the event of an earthquake. A study group from the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention made the analysis. The researchers found that areas that are especially vulnerable to shaking account for 6 percent of Japan's total area. The areas include the Kanto Plain around Tokyo and plains surrounding other major cities -- Osaka, Nagoya, and Sapporo. The researchers say about 38 million people, or nearly one-third of the Japanese population, live in these areas. They say there is a high possibility of liquefaction, particularly in coastal regions and riverside districts created using landfill and sand. The study points to the need for extensive efforts to make buildings quake-proof and capable of withstanding liquefaction.