[RickOShay]

I have been living in Japan for a total of more than 6 years now, and one thing I have always wondered and never gotten a solid answer to is why do most Japanese houses not have basements?

The only thing I can think of is it has something to do with earthquake safety or possibly city drainage systems, but I am not really sure if that is true. Does anybody know for sure? Or heard other theories/answers? You would think in a country with such limited space every opportunity to expand would be put to use.