Japan's Architecture Built To Withstand Earthquakes

09:07

March 11, 2011

A worker cleans the floor at Tokyo's Shinagawa station where an object fell after a magnitude 8.9 earthquake slammed Japan's eastern coast on Friday March 11, 2011. The quake jolted Japan's eastern coast Friday, unleashing a 13-foot (4-meter) tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland. (AP) — A worker cleans the floor at Tokyo's Shinagawa station where an object fell after a magnitude 8.9 earthquake slammed Japan's eastern coast. (AP)

President Obama assured Japan that the U.S. “stands ready to help,” as the country recovers from the largest earthquake in its history that caused widespread destruction and fatalities. Many experts believe the damage could have been worse, if not for the advanced structure of the buildings in Japan.

We speak with Stephanie Mahin, director of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center at the University of California at Berkeley.

We also get an update from Osaka, Japan from New York Times contributor Daniel Krieger, and we hear from Masumi Kotaoka, who is from Sendai, the city closest to the epicenter, she works at the Japanese Association of Greater Boston.

This segment aired on March 11, 2011.