Styrofoam dome houses built to withstand earthquakes in Japan
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Kumamoto in Japan was ripped apart by a magnitude 7.0 quake last year that caused many homes to collapse, but the dome house in Aso Farm Land, built with a rare earthquake-resistant design, managed to withstand a large earthquake last year. /Chinanews Photo

Kumamoto in Japan was ripped apart by a magnitude 7.0 quake last year that caused many homes to collapse, but the dome house in Aso Farm Land, built with a rare earthquake-resistant design, managed to withstand a large earthquake last year. /Chinanews Photo

At this health-themed national park on a volcano, 480 dome homes have been made of polystyrene foam. The spherical shape makes the house far less vulnerable to powerful typhoons and they are virtually earthquake proof. /Chinanews Photo

At this health-themed national park on a volcano, 480 dome homes have been made of polystyrene foam. The spherical shape makes the house far less vulnerable to powerful typhoons and they are virtually earthquake proof. /Chinanews Photo

Due to the cute spherical shapes and their high resistance to seismic activity, the dome houses appeal to many visitors. Even some of the dome houses have been painted to look like some cute things like Teletubbies and Kumamoto county’s mascot: Kumamoto Bear. /Chinanews Photo

Due to the cute spherical shapes and their high resistance to seismic activity, the dome houses appeal to many visitors. Even some of the dome houses have been painted to look like some cute things like Teletubbies and Kumamoto county’s mascot: Kumamoto Bear. /Chinanews Photo

The Dome houses were built using 175-millimeter thick slices, which have reduce energy usage in both heating and cooling. / /Chinanews Photo

The Dome houses were built using 175-millimeter thick slices, which have reduce energy usage in both heating and cooling. / /Chinanews Photo