
Asahi: Quake 'strongholds' fail test
Only 47 percent of government buildings that are supposed to be extra resistant to quake damage would actually pass the temblor test, according to a survey by the Board of Audit. Those buildings, which should be 1.5 times more resistant to earthquakes than regular structures, include police bureaus, meteorological observatories and regional development bureaus...The survey released Tuesday also found that 79 percent of the nation's riverbanks have not undergone tests to determine whether they can withstand tsunami...Three meteorological observatories and four development bureaus do not even meet the standards required for regular buildings...more...