Earthquake Risk and Our Work
"Giving new life to homes that once had no choice but demolition."
Why we are passionate about seismic reinforcement, and what the future of housing should look like.
Earthquake Risk in the Greater Tokyo Area
In Japan, earthquakes are never someone else's problem. Concern is growing daily over the "Tokyo Inland Earthquake," predicted to occur within the next 30 years, and the "Nankai Trough Megathrust Earthquake," which is expected to cause immense damage — both could strike at any moment. Whether your home can become a shelter that protects your family's lives when disaster strikes depends greatly on how well you prepare in advance.
What It Takes to "Keep a Building Standing Long-Term"
When people hear about making the most of an existing home, many picture "interior and exterior renovation" — updating the plumbing or wallpaper. But the most serious issue facing existing homes is the "seismic performance" of the building's frame. No matter how beautiful the surface looks, without the strength to withstand an earthquake, a building cannot truly be kept standing for the long term, nor can you continue living there with peace of mind.
The Turning Point for the Conventional Existing-Home Industry
The Cost Wall
Rising new-build costs due to soaring construction materials and labor costs
Enormous Time and Effort
Requires both "detailed consultations (effort)" and "large-scale construction (time)"
Demolishing Memories Too
The physical act of "demolishing the house" destroys even the "memories" within it
The "New Choice" Needed Now
Economic Rationality
A significant reduction in cost burden compared to rebuilding new
Time Rationality
Shorter construction periods reduce the time and mental burden of temporary housing
Passing On Attachment
Preserves the memories and character of a home you've lived in for years
Making the existing-home industry's structure simpler.
Kanameishi consolidates the points of contact for design, construction, and loans into one, removing the anxiety and burden from our clients.
In the New-Build Industry
A home builder or construction company serves as the single point of contact, arranging everything from design and construction to the bank's loan screening.
In the Existing-Home Industry
Clients themselves must deal separately with "multiple expert points of contact" — a design office for design, a construction company for the work, and a bank for loan screening.
Kanameishi's Role
Kanameishi acts as the single point of contact for the "troublesome exchanges" unique to existing-home construction, drastically reducing the time and effort burden on our clients.
Building Age Can Mean the Difference Between Life and Death
A building's strength differs clearly depending on the "seismic standard" in force when it was built.
According to a seismic diagnosis survey of 29,974 wooden houses conducted by the Japan Wooden House Seismic Reinforcement Contractors Cooperative,
more than 90% of buildings whose construction started before May 2000 were found to have "insufficient seismic performance."
Old Seismic Standard *Before May 1981
High risk of collapse
New Seismic Standard
Some risk of collapse
2000 Standard *From June 2000
Survival rate significantly increased
Causes and Risks of Disaster-Related Deaths
In the Kumamoto earthquake, "disaster-related deaths" caused by the subsequent evacuation life and environmental changes were overwhelmingly more numerous than deaths from the earthquake itself.
Especially for the elderly and those with underlying conditions, life in evacuation shelters places a huge burden on both mind and body.
*"Disaster-related death": Death caused by the worsening of chronic illness due to the stress of evacuation life, or economy-class syndrome from sleeping in a car, etc.
The Benefits of Sheltering at Home
What we should aim for is "a building that suffers no fatal damage even when an earthquake occurs, allowing residents to keep living at home afterward with peace of mind."
Being able to continue living in the home you know best is the single most effective countermeasure against disaster-related death.
Proven by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake: Homes with Seismic Reinforcement Had "0% Collapse/Destruction"
A major earthquake could strike at any moment. When it does, will your current home protect your family's lives?
Damage survey data from the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake clearly demonstrates the importance of "advance preparation" for your home.
Among wooden buildings still under the old seismic standard, about 20% suffered "collapse/destruction," and including "major damage," about 40% of homes suffered severe damage. Only 12.5% of homes were undamaged.
On the other hand, what happened to buildings under the same old seismic standard that had received "seismic reinforcement" beforehand? The result: "collapse/destruction" was 0%. Furthermore, about 34% of them were "undamaged," a clear and proven effect.
Joint Venture with "evoltz," a Top Runner in Earthquake Countermeasures
Our greatest strength, and the decisive difference from other companies, is that we are a joint venture in partnership with "Evoltz Corporation (evoltz)," a company with years of proven results in earthquake-related business and vibration control technology. We are not merely a new entrant to this field. We have as our backbone the vast earthquake data, structural analysis evidence, and solid industry track record that evoltz has accumulated over the years.
We promise the reassurance of the "Kanameishi" standard from seismic diagnosis all the way through construction.
A Top Runner in Earthquake Countermeasures
20 Years Dedicated to Earthquake Countermeasures
Senhaku Sangyo, the parent company of evoltz, launched its vibration control division in 2008 and began in-house development of vibration control devices. evoltz has inherited that DNA, becoming a manufacturer dedicated solely to earthquake countermeasures for 20 years.
Backed by Thorough Quality Control
Overwhelming Quality and a Proven Track Record
To protect the peace of mind of a 60-year design service life, thorough quality control is carried out from inspection in Germany to precise hand assembly in Japan, achieving 99.99% quality across more than 150,000 units manufactured.
In the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake
"Zero Buildings Collapsed, Totally Destroyed, or Half-Destroyed"
In the Noto Peninsula Earthquake that struck in January 2024, all 573 buildings equipped with evoltz in the Ishikawa and Toyama areas achieved "zero collapse, total destruction, or half destruction" (*based on disaster-damage classification assessments).
Seismic reinforcement work is not limited to the physical benefit of simply "building a house that can withstand earthquakes."
In today's used-home market, it is highly valued from many different angles.
A New Standard in the Real Estate Market: "Quantitative Asset Value" Backed by Data
The biggest reason buyers of used homes hesitate is "anxiety" about the unseen parts of the building. However, for a property that has undergone seismic reinforcement work, the professional technical checks buyers care about — "seismic diagnosis," "building condition survey (inspection)," and "termite inspection" — have already been completed. By presenting these results as objective certificates, we can offer buyers the greatest value of all: "well-founded peace of mind." This peace of mind becomes a major differentiator from other properties, and it also becomes a powerful advantage when you eventually sell your home — making it "less subject to price negotiation, and more likely to sell faster and on favorable terms."
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