In disaster-prone Japan, earthquake resistance is vital to prevent buildings from collapsing when a powerful temblor hits, and builders and seismic reinforcement providers have repeatedly given assurances about the safety of their structures.

So when quake damper producer KYB Corp. admitted in October to falsifying data for its products aimed at improving earthquake resistance and installed in nearly 1,000 buildings across Japan, questions emerged: Are our homes and office buildings really safe?

Here is a look at those and other questions concerning the data falsification scandal and ensuing safety issues.