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Design Before Disaster: Japan's Culture of Preparedness

Miho Mazereeuw

Arts, design, architecture & planning

Design Before Disaster: Japan's Culture of Preparedness

By Miho Mazereeuw, associate professor in the departments of Architecture and Urban Studies and Planning

University of Virginia Press · 2026

Few countries have faced as many environmental disasters as Japan, which has endured typhoons, cyclones, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. Japanese residents have responded to their precarious circumstances by developing a unique culture of disaster preparedness, equipping the island nation to plan for future emergencies and to greatly reduce their impact. Mazereeuw offers a detailed framework to design and prepare for anticipated disasters and describes effective interventions in urban landscape and architecture.

From Summer 2026 recommended reading from MIT (MIT News). Cover image via Google Books.