TOKYO/OSAKA -- The strong earthquake that rocked Japan on Jan. 1 destroyed homes that had been thought to meet stringent seismic standards, with some scientists laying the blame on hundreds of smaller quakes that hit the region in the preceding years.
Natural disasters
Japan earthquake swarm may have damaged homes bit by bit, scientists say
Stress accumulated from past tremors could have weakened even resilient buildings
The city of Suzu was one of the locations hit hardest by the Jan. 1 earthquake. © Kyodo
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