Abstract
Recently in Japan bridge specifications have been revised toward performance-based design, and various innovative earthquake-resistant countermeasures have been proposed after the tragedy of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. A report on the state of the art of recent Japanese contributions in earthquake engineering is given, including buckling-restrained bracings, unbonded bracings, online network pseudo-dynamic testing, base isolation, aseismic controls, and international earthquake mitigation projects in the Asia-Pacific region, in addition to the recent revision of the Japanese specifications on roadway bridges.