Why Japanese Walls Are Made of Paper

Why Japanese Walls Are Made of Paper Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on the planet. Thousands of tremors hit the islands every single year. And yet, for over a thousand years, the Japanese have deliberately built the walls of their homes out of paper. Not because they lacked stronger materials. Not because they could not afford stone or brick. But because paper walls breathe with the humidity, flex with the seasons, let light glow instead of glare, and most importantly, cannot crush a human body when the ground shakes. This is the story of why the thinnest wall in the world turned out to be the wisest.