As the average price of new condominiums in Tokyo tops 100 million yen, secondhand apartments have become popular. But purchasing a used condo unit comes with pitfalls. Many such buildings only meet old earthquake resistance standards. As megaquakes are forecast to hit Japan within 30 years, seismic reinforcement is vital, not just for individuals but for society as a whole. However, efforts to implement seismic retrofitting are slow, and lots of vulnerable buildings still remain. We take a look at the reasons why and introduce some countermeasures.