Social, economic and political nature of Kobe

Question 1

why was Kobe so unprepared

Answer 1

It hadn’t had a an earthquake for 400 years and as a rich country it many of it’s residents were complacent

Question 2

what was the issue with Kobe’s infrastructure

Answer 2

The house were built with weak timber frames and heavy roof tiles.
This was to protect again typhoons.
In the earthquake the tiles crushed the houses leading to 80% of deaths.