Japan is an archipelago with an arc-like shape and a landmass of approximately 380,000 km2. Its islands extend off the eastern coast of the Eurasian continent. With 4 main islands and about 7,000 small islands, Japan runs for about 3,000 km north to south. It has a mild oceanic climate and clearly demarcated seasons, with a comparatively heavy rainfall. Climate in Japan does, however, vary significantly, between north and south and between inland and coastal regions. Unlike most other countries, Japan features three climate zones cool, warm and subtropical within its territory, and has areas subject to heavy rain and areas that receive heavy snow. East Asia is frequently subject to typhoons, an average of 27 per year, 40% of which approach Japan. From time to time, these typhoons cause enormous damage. Located at the meeting place of four plates, Japan is also one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, with a highly active crust under its surrounding oceans and many active faults lying beneath its own surface. Japan is richly blessed with the beautiful natural environment provided by its four seasons and a diversity of landscapes. But it can also be subject to the harsher side of nature. Indeed, nature expresses itself in many different ways in Japan. Japanese people have been living in close harmony with nature since early times. We harvest the bounties of nature, often without stopping to think of the relationship that people have with the natural environment. Because of its geographical and climatic conditions, Japan is prone to natural disasters. Typhoons bringing with them heavy wind and rain hit Japan three times a year on average, and preparedness in this regard has been the most importance issue in Japanese housing. Half a century ago, in a search for superior wind resistance, the founder of Daiwa House Industry was inspired by the hollow structure of plant stems. This marked the birth of the prefabricated housing industry and the first steps of our Company in the prefabricated industry. In the fifty years since then, we have been consistently focused on developing new technologies to protect human life from natural threats. That focus has translated into a broad array of excellent construction methods, from prefabricated housing to the traditional wooden frame house and the two-by-four method. Our R&D initiatives still adhere to the original thinking left to us by our founder: recognize and respect the potential of nature and protect the lives of people by developing new technologies that enable strong structure and outstanding performance. Year Typhoon number Month Top wind speed (mph) Regions affected   2003 14 Sept. 165 Miyakojima Island(Okinawa) Torrential rain, Storm-force winds   10 Aug. 154 Whole country Torrential rain, Storm-force winds 2002 21 Oct. 118 Tokyo area, Northern Japan Storm-force winds   6* July 103 Boso peninsula Torrential rain, Storm-force winds 2001 16 Sept. 113 Okinawa Torrential rain   15 Sept. 95 Tokyo area Torrential rain   11 Aug. 85 Kii Peninsula Torrential rain *Together with seasonal rain front