2 summers ago there were a couple of great shows at some Tokyo Museums about Tokyo's Urban Metabolism[0]. Not only are homes quickly replaced as you have stated

2 summers ago there were a couple of great shows at some Tokyo Museums about Tokyo's Urban Metabolism[0]. Not only are homes quickly replaced as you have stated, but the neighborhood structure, created by the commercial buildings on the main roadways and the small homes on the interior, forms a firebreak. With earthquakes, fire is the greatest threat after the shaking stops. 0: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolism_(architecture) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolism_(architecture)