'Earthquake-detection technology investment pays off for Japan' - MIT
"This hits probably what I would consider the best prepared country in the world for earthquake preparedness," says Stephane Rondenay, a geophysicist at MIT.
"The Japanese learned a hard lesson in Kobe and were embarrassed by the level of damage, so they have tried to correct most of the known defects in the intervening years. But no matter what you do, you will have damage. There is uncertainty in earthquake engineering."