After being jolted awake this morning in Fukui (a little too close for comfort) I’m wondering where the safest place inside my house would be in an earthquake that could cause my house to collapse. I read someone‘s post that said since old Japanese houses collapse like a pancake, the top floor is best. I find that hard to believe but I’m far from an expert!
My house was built in the late 50’s so it’s an old, traditional wood house. For what it’s worth, it seems to have been made very well because the guy who built it was rich and spared no expense. That said – it’s still an old house and makes me wonder how it would fare in another quake or bigger than the one we got on New Year’s.
The house has two floors with the second floor only covering the middle of the house if that makes sense. That means the kitchen and bathroom, a few smaller rooms and the engawas are on their own while the middle rooms have a second floor above them. Usually we’re in one of the middle rooms or in the kitchen. When we got the alarm today we ran into the kitchen to duck under the table.
Do we want to be where there’s only a roof above us? Or better where the second floor is above us? Or better to BE on the second floor? I know that no matter where we are, we want to protect our heads.
But for anyone who knows about these traditional houses and their structural integrity- please shed some light! Thank you.
by FujiiyamaMama