: Shinjuku City Official Website > Foreign Language Top Page > Preparing for Emergencies and Disasters > Safety Checks for Cliff-side Buildings and Buildings with Retaining Walls, Basements or Semi-Basements

Safety Checks for Cliff-side Buildings and Buildings with Retaining Walls, Basements or Semi-Basements

Typhoons and torrential rains can cause major damage to cliffs and other locations. If you live in housing near a cliff or that has a retaining wall, basement or semi-basement, you should conduct inspections on a regular basis and prepare countermeasures in case of a disaster.
Shinjuku City offers subsidies to owners of retaining walls, etc. to cover the cost of renovation and construction.
Please call for more information.

Inquiries	Structure and Fixtures Section, Construction Guidance Division (Main Bldg. 8F) Tel: 03-5273-3745, Fax: 03-3209-9227 (in Japanese)

Avoid the basement and take refuge in a safer place, because:

In the basement, you will not be able to see conditions outside
If the area is flooded, the electricity will short out
If the pressure of water flooding in is high enough, you may not be able to open the door
When the ground level is flooded, waters will come pouring in all at once

Inspect the cliffs and walls around your home

Is water leaking from the retaining wall or over the top of the retaining wall?
Are the tree roots or vines affecting the structural integrity of the retaining wall?
Are parts of the retaining wall bulging out?
Are there cracks in the retaining wall or along the seams of block walls?
Is there a drain hole (drain pipe)?
Is the ground sinking?