Housing Seismic Retrofitting Seminar (held June 29, 2026) 〜 For homes built before May 1981 under the “old seismic standards,” start with a seismic assessment. Subsidies and tax incentives are also available.

The 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake occurred on July 28, 2026.

After seeing reports of collapsed homes, some of you may have wondered whether your own home is safe.

Currently, the homes the authorities consider to be at particularly high risk of collapse in an earthquake are those built to the “old seismic standards” before May 1981.

Subsidies and tax incentives are available for seismic assessments and retrofits of these homes. A “Home Seismic Retrofitting Seminar,” explaining these programs, was held at the Kurashiki City Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Center on June 29, 2026.

This article introduces what was covered.

What is the “Home Seismic Retrofitting Seminar”?

The “Home Seismic Retrofitting Seminar” was co-hosted by Okayama Prefecture and municipalities in the prefecture, and was held for the first time in fiscal 2026. The schedule was as follows.

• Kurashiki venue: Monday, June 29, 2026
  Kurashiki City Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Center, 1st floor, Conference Room 152
• Okayama venue: Monday, July 6, 2026
  Minami Fureai Center, 3rd floor, Fureai Hall
• Tsuyama venue: Monday, July 13, 2026
  Tsuyama General Welfare Hall, 4th floor, Large Conference Room

Seminar content

The seminar proceeded in the following order.

1. Opening remarks
2. Subsidy programs and tax incentives in Okayama Prefecture
3. Seismic retrofitting of homes
4. Re-Birth 60 seismic retrofit interest subsidy program

The content was basically the same at all three venues in Okayama Prefecture.

Opening remarks

At the start of the seminar, Ms. Senda of the Okayama Prefecture Building Guidance Division spoke about recent earthquakes, including the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and an earthquake in Aomori Prefecture, and the growing disaster-preparedness awareness among prefectural residents.

The number of applications for seismic assessments in Okayama Prefecture has reached a record high of 659, partly due to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, but apparently only 10–20% of those homes go on to undergo retrofit work.

She said that to address this issue, the prefecture is expanding subsidies and proposing low-cost construction methods. In fiscal 2026, it also established a new seismic retrofit interest subsidy program using “Re-Birth 60” to help reduce the financial burden on residents.

Subsidy programs and tax incentives in Okayama Prefecture

Next, Ms. Kobayashi of the Okayama Prefecture Building Guidance Division explained the subsidy programs and tax incentives available in Okayama Prefecture.

In Okayama Prefecture, shaking of up to seismic intensity 6 upper is expected throughout both the southern and northern parts of the prefecture due to Nankai Trough and inland fault earthquakes. Homes built to the “old seismic standards” before May 1981 are considered to be at particularly high risk of collapse.

She introduced the following key support programs available in Okayama Prefecture to promote seismic retrofitting.

• Seismic assessments and reinforcement plans
  Available in all municipalities. Assessments can be conducted for an out-of-pocket cost of around ¥10,000, depending on the floor area.
• Seismic retrofit work
  For a full retrofit, subsidies are available covering up to 80% of the cost, with a maximum of ¥1.15 million (amounts vary by municipality).
  If a full retrofit is difficult, some municipalities also offer subsidies for “partial retrofits,” reinforcing only areas such as bedrooms, or for installing “seismic shelters and disaster-prevention beds.”

Other support programs introduced included an “agent receipt system,” which allows homeowners to pay only the amount remaining after the subsidy is deducted, reductions in income and property taxes for those who meet certain requirements, and deductions on earthquake insurance premiums.

Seismic retrofitting of homes

This was the main topic of the seminar.
Mr. Nakagiri, chair of the Okayama Prefecture Wooden Home Seismic Assessment Evaluation Committee, gave a talk on “seismic retrofitting of homes.”

From an expert’s perspective, he explained that the Nankai Trough earthquake is predicted to occur with a high probability (60–90% or more) within the next 30 years, and shared the following points about the purpose of seismic retrofitting and advice for homeowners.

• The true purpose of seismic retrofitting
  Seismic reinforcement does not mean a home will remain undamaged. The main goal is to ensure that “the home does not collapse or get crushed in the first major tremor,” giving residents time to evacuate safely after the shaking stops.
• Issues with the new seismic standards (up to 2000)
  Even homes built to the new seismic standards introduced after 1981 may have issues if built before 2000, as requirements such as the balance of wall placement were not clearly defined. Homeowners whose houses are around 40 years old were advised to consult an expert.
• Practical advice on construction
  “Low-cost construction methods,” which reinforce a home without tearing down walls or floors, can reduce costs and construction time, but may require reinforcement in more locations, so consultation with the designer is necessary.
  It was also explained that it is efficient to carry out seismic retrofitting at the same time as renovations such as roof replacement or exterior wall painting, and that the work can generally be done while residents continue living in the home, without moving to temporary accommodation.

Re-Birth 60 seismic retrofit interest subsidy program

Finally, Mr. Imamura of the Japan Housing Finance Agency explained the “Re-Birth 60 seismic retrofit interest subsidy program.”

The “Re-Birth 60 seismic retrofit interest subsidy program” was introduced in Okayama Prefecture in fiscal 2026 as a new financing option for older adults. Under the program, borrowers make monthly payments of “interest only,” and repay the principal in a lump sum after the applicant’s death, for example by selling the home used as collateral.

Under this program, the government subsidizes the monthly interest payments, so you can carry out seismic retrofit work with effectively no monthly payments.

However, there are the following eligibility requirements.

1. The applicant must be at least 70 years old (applications are accepted from age 60, but the interest subsidy begins at age 70).
2. The work must be a “full seismic retrofit of the home” (partial retrofits and shelter installations are not eligible).
3. You must apply for a subsidy from your municipality (Note: If you use this program together with a municipal subsidy, the subsidy amount will be halved).

However, there are some points to keep in mind.
Even though the program means “no monthly payments,” this does not mean that repayment of the loan is waived.

If the applicant dies, the loan is passed on to their heirs. However, a “non-recourse” option is available, meaning that heirs will not be asked to pay any remaining debt if the home sells for less than the loan amount. It was emphasized that this makes the program safe to use.

From the Writer

Even now, dedicated disaster recovery support activities are underway in areas affected by the Kumamoto Earthquake. Some people who took part in relief efforts during the July 2018 Heavy Rain Disaster are now helping there, while others who helped them at the time have themselves been affected.

Whenever a disaster occurs, we find ourselves asking, “What can I do?” It is also important to keep raising our disaster-preparedness awareness every day in preparation for the possibility that we ourselves may be affected.

If you are considering seismic retrofit work, why not make an inquiry and have a seismic assessment carried out?

Home Seismic Retrofitting Seminar (Kurashiki venue) details

Name	Home Seismic Retrofitting Seminar (Kurashiki venue)
Date	Monday, June 29, 2026 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Location	640 Nishinakashinden, Kurashiki City　Kurashiki City Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Center, 1st floor, Conference Room 152
Admission	Free
Website	Kurashiki City Official Website - Seismic Assessment and Retrofit Subsidy Program for Wooden Homes

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