In the last few years, Kochi Prefecture has been rapidly increasing its efforts to retrofit old wooden houses. Through a listening survey, this study aimed to clarify the reasons behind this spike in seismic retrofitting work. We found that the primary reasons could be traced to newly available and reasonably priced seismic retrofitting methods for older wooden houses that have recently become popular in the prefecture. These new methods have made it possible for house owners to feel much more confident that their homes and families would be able to endure earthquakes without suffering physically or incurring severe economic liabilities.
