There are ways to upgrade existing buildings that makes more sense in taller buildings than small houses, which of course is government subsidized, so taller buildings in Japan are often safer. Or at least safe for the first one. Some says the exoskeleton approach[1] is ugly as hell, I think it's cyberpunk.
It’s a fairly common sight in Joetsu, particularly for government buildings. This company shows a list of seismic retrofitting projects that it has done in Joetsu, for example:
1: https://dailyportalz.jp/kiji/170113198541