1923

After examining structures that survived the San Francisco Earthquake, Japanese decision-makers stressed the needs for new earthquake-resistant technologies and construction methods. They aimed to connect architecture and seismology, emphasizing the importance of their collaboration in future construction (Clancey, 2006, p.213). In the aftermath of the disaster, scholars argued that it was the fire, not the earthquake that destroyed most of Tokyo. These ideas developed into a proposal to combine wooden aseismic construction with mass production. As a result, modern architects began to replace Japanese carpenters (daiku). Despite the lack of urban planning in traditional Japanese cities, the Reconstruction Agency made planning-oriented efforts in the rebuilding process after the Great Kanto Earthquake known as "land readjustment" (Akimoto, 2012). Regardless of these innovations, Japanese building professionals did not completely abandon their customary methods, but found new ways to connect traditional and modern practices.

1945

In the aftermath of Japan's surrender, Japanese scientific research was in a state of suspense under US Occupation Forces. The US Occupation helped Japan conduct research into the late effects of radiation on Atomic Bomb victims via the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC). However, the ABCC was intended for purely scientific purposes, not medical treatment for the victims of the atomic bomb. In terms of technology, twelve years after the end of the Occupation, Japan introduced the first Tōkaidō Shinkansen, connecting Tokyo to Kyoto. Sogo Shinji, then President of Japan National Railways, insisted on pursuing the Shinkansen project instead of air and highway transportation like the United States. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen commenced on October 1, 1964, just before the opening of the Tokyo Summer Olympics on October 24 of that same year.

1995

After the 1995 Kobe earthquake, the inclusion of shock-absorbing rubber began to be more prominently implemented in larger buildings' foundations. Prior to 1995, only two buildings were equipped with this technology; by 1998 that number had risen to more than 30. For future planning the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation conceptualized an emergency transportation network for rescue vehicles, firefighting crews, and other essential groups; city planners created open spaces and public parks to act as firebreaks and temporary evacuation centers; and a crisis-management center was constructed to relay disaster information to government officials, where an emergency team would be called upon to respond immediately.

2011

During 3.11, social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Google's People Finder were used extensively throughout the world. In addition to those posting current statuses about the situation of the disaster, many attempted to use social media as a way to find out about the status regarding relatives and friends in disaster-zones. In addition, these sites were used as a means of outreach from the government of disaster-stricken areas in terms of aid and relief efforts. In the aftermath, many people believed that the government was not informing the public on the status of the Fukushima radiation crisis. In turn, people decided to conduct their own research and measurements, which they then posted on social media websites. There, people could express their feelings and opinions towards the situation and participate in online activism, which eventually manifested into physical protests. media, eventually manifesting into physical protests.