About 80 percent of the deaths from the Kobe Earthquake were caused by the collapse of houses. As a first step for safety, have your house inspected for seismic integrity.

●If your house was built before 1981, it was built under the old seismic resistance standard and definitely needs to be inspected for seismic integrity. If your house was built after 1981, you should have it inspected for seismic integrity if it is poorly balanced, is built on inferior ground, or has cracks in the walls or foundations.
　
●Some local municipalities provide seismic inspects at no charge or grant subsidies. Ask your local municipality for details.