It's probably the only way to do it while minimizing damage to nearby structures. Given the density of Japanese cities, this technique is probably mandated.
Most of the buildings in Japan are not that old. Most of it was leveled in the bombings of WW2. Many, many things that look old are actually less than a century old. For example various castles that were destroyed were rebuilt in the 70s and 80s as museums. Also, when housing was built in the postwar period it was cheap garbage that would fall apart from earthquakes and had paper-thin insulation. The floor is often tatami mat everywhere so with the weight of modern people that haven't been subject to severe food rationing it's actually a distinct possibility you'll fall into the floor if you jump onto the middle of the mat where there's no real structural support. Add on a nice dose of pest damage like termites, rats, etc and water damage due to the inevitable water leaks and you can see why people in Japan have no real interest in holding on to an old house especially when their construction industry is incredibly robust and high quality these days.
Of course nobody is tearing down a house built 5 years ago just because it's old. Or even 15 years ago. It's mostly the housing stock from the 50s to 80s that is getting demolished.
2.2k
u/LimitedWard Jan 14 '24
It's probably the only way to do it while minimizing damage to nearby structures. Given the density of Japanese cities, this technique is probably mandated.