The above video shows highrises swaying in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo as a result of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake which struck the country early this morning (our time).
As the US Army Corp of Engineers pointed out in a Tweet:
RT @tomsawyerenr @martyn_williams: Amazing video of Tokyo buildings do what they’re designed to do: http://youtu.be/JhJzdtzl6KY #jpquake
New England District
CorpsNewEngland
The buildings are designed to do this in a quake. I’m sure that makes it no less scary to the people inside the buildings.
American Red Cross Japanese Earthquake page
Yep. Buildings in geographically active zones are built to flex and roll with the activity. Unlike those built here that are rigid.
However get up to the higher levels of the Hancock Tower in Boston and you can feel that sucker swaying in the wind a little bit too. It’s disconcerting at first but you get used to it.