Residential Earthquake Resistance Seminar (held on June 29, 2026) - Homes built under the "old earthquake resistance standards" before May 1981 should first undergo an earthquake resistance diagnosis. There are also subsidy programs and tax incentives available.

On July 28, 2026, the "Reiwa 8 Kumamoto Earthquake" occurred.

Seeing collapsed houses in the news, some may have wondered if their own homes are safe.

Currently, the government considers that the houses built under the old seismic standards before May 1981 (Showa 56) are particularly at high risk of collapse during an earthquake.

For these houses, subsidy programs and tax incentives for seismic diagnosis and retrofitting have been prepared, and a seminar titled "Housing Seismic Improvement Seminar" was held on June 29, 2026, at the Kurashiki City Disaster Management Center to explain the details.

This article introduces that content.

What is the "Housing Seismic Improvement Seminar"

The "Housing Seismic Improvement Seminar" is a seminar co-hosted by Okayama Prefecture and local municipalities, held for the first time in the fiscal year 2026. The schedule is as follows:

• Kurashiki Venue: June 29, 2026 (Monday)
  1st Floor, Room 152, Kurashiki City Disaster Management Center
• Okayama Venue: July 6, 2026 (Monday)
  3rd Floor, Fureai Hall, Minami Fureai Center
• Tsuyama Venue: July 13, 2026 (Monday)
  4th Floor, Large Conference Room, Tsuyama Comprehensive Welfare Center

Content of the Seminar

The seminar proceeded in the following order.

1. Opening Remarks
2. Subsidy Programs and Tax Incentives in Okayama Prefecture
3. About Housing Seismic Improvement
4. About the Re-Birth 60 Seismic Retrofit Interest Subsidy Program

All three venues in Okayama Prefecture basically covered the same content.

Opening Remarks

At the beginning of the seminar, Mr. Chida from the Okayama Prefecture Building Guidance Division mentioned recent earthquakes (the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and earthquakes in Aomori Prefecture) and spoke about the increasing disaster prevention awareness among the citizens.

The number of applications for seismic diagnosis in Okayama Prefecture has reached a record high (659 cases) due to the impact of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, but only about 10-20% of those actually proceed to renovation work.

To address this issue, the prefecture is working to expand subsidies and propose low-cost construction methods, and starting in the fiscal year 2026, a new "Re-Birth 60" seismic retrofit interest subsidy program has been established to reduce the financial burden on citizens.

Subsidy Programs and Tax Incentives in Okayama Prefecture

Next, Mr. Kobayashi from the Okayama Prefecture Building Guidance Division explained the subsidy programs and tax incentives in Okayama Prefecture.

In Okayama Prefecture, it is anticipated that a maximum seismic intensity of 6+ will occur due to the Nankai Trough earthquake and fault-type earthquakes, and houses built under the old seismic standards before May 1981 (Showa 56) are particularly at high risk of collapse.

To promote seismic improvement, the following points were introduced as support systems in Okayama Prefecture.

• Seismic Diagnosis and Reinforcement Planning
  Implemented in all municipalities, diagnosis can be conducted for a self-burden amount of about 10,000 yen (depending on the area).
• Seismic Retrofit Work
  For complete renovations, subsidies of up to 80% and a maximum subsidy limit of 1.15 million yen (varies by municipality) are available.
  If a complete renovation is difficult, there are also subsidies for "partial renovations" that reinforce only parts such as bedrooms, or for the installation of "seismic shelters and disaster beds" (implemented in some municipalities).

Additionally, other support includes a "proxy receipt system" where the owner only pays the amount after deducting the subsidy, tax reductions for income tax and fixed asset tax if certain conditions are met (tax incentives), and deductions for earthquake insurance premiums.

About Housing Seismic Improvement

This is the main content of the seminar.
Mr. Nakagiri, Chairman of the Okayama Prefecture Wooden House Seismic Diagnosis Evaluation Committee, gave a lecture on the theme of "Housing Seismic Improvement."

From an expert's perspective, it was introduced that the Nankai Trough earthquake is predicted to occur with a high probability (60-90% or more) within the next 30 years, and the following content was shared as the purpose and advice for seismic improvement.

• The True Purpose of Seismic Improvement
  Even if seismic reinforcement is carried out, it does not mean that the house will remain unscathed; the maximum goal is to ensure that "the house does not collapse or get crushed during the initial strong shaking," allowing time for safe evacuation after the shaking subsides.
• Issues with the New Seismic Standards (up to 2000)
  Even with the new seismic standards established after Showa 56, buildings constructed up to 2000 did not have clear regulations regarding wall configuration balance, so it is recommended that houses around 40 years old consult with an expert.
• Practical Advice for Construction
  Low-cost construction methods that reinforce without breaking walls or floors can reduce costs and construction time, but may increase the number of reinforcement points, so consultation with the designer is necessary.
  Additionally, it is efficient to carry out seismic retrofitting simultaneously with roof replacement or exterior painting renovations, and it was explained that construction can generally be done "while living" without moving to temporary housing.

About the Re-Birth 60 Seismic Retrofit Interest Subsidy Program

Finally, Mr. Imamura from the Housing Finance Agency explained the "Re-Birth 60 Seismic Retrofit Interest Subsidy Program."

The "Re-Birth 60 Seismic Retrofit Interest Subsidy Program" is a new funding method for the elderly introduced in Okayama Prefecture in the fiscal year 2026. The system allows for monthly payments of "interest only," with the principal repayment to be made in a lump sum after the applicant's death by selling the house (collateral property).

In this program, the government provides interest subsidies for the monthly interest portion, allowing for effective monthly payments of 0 yen for seismic retrofit work.

However, there are the following conditions for use.

1. The applicant must be 70 years or older (applications can be made from 60 years old, but interest subsidies begin at 70).
2. The work must be for "complete seismic retrofit" (partial retrofitting or shelter installation is not eligible).
3. Application for subsidies must be made to the municipality (if this program is used in conjunction with municipal subsidies, the subsidy amount will be halved).

However, there are also points to note.
Just because the effective "monthly payment is 0 yen" does not mean that the repayment of the loan is exempted.

In the event that the applicant passes away, the loan will be inherited by the heirs, but even if the sale price of the house is less than the loan amount, a "non-recourse" option is available, which means that the remaining debt will not be claimed from the heirs, emphasizing that it can be used with peace of mind.

Conclusion

Even now, diligent disaster recovery support activities are being carried out in the areas affected by the Kumamoto earthquake. Some of those involved in the support activities are colleagues who worked during the July 2018 heavy rain, while others are those who were helped at that time and are now affected.

Every time a disaster occurs, I think about "What can I do?" but it is also important to raise disaster prevention awareness daily in preparation for when one is affected.

If you are considering seismic improvement work, why not inquire and have a seismic diagnosis conducted?

Data on the Housing Seismic Improvement Seminar (Kurashiki Venue)

Name	Housing Seismic Improvement Seminar (Kurashiki Venue)
Date	June 29, 2026 (Monday) 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location	640 Nishinaka, Kurashiki City, 1st Floor, Room 152, Kurashiki City Disaster Management Center
Participation Fee (Tax Included)	Free
Website	Kurashiki City Official Website - About the Wooden House Seismic Diagnosis and Retrofit Subsidy Program

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