As people begin to feel that they can no longer trust their streets to be safe, they have discovered that even the roofs over their heads may also not be secure.
Architect Hidetsugu Aneha's confession in mid-November that he fabricated earthquake-resistance data for condominium complexes and hotels sent shock waves across the nation.
"No one thought anyone in this industry would ever do such a thing," said Takeshi Inoue, a 43-year-old architect who heads an office in Yokohama. "Architects and structural engineers have a social responsibility to design safe buildings."