prepare+for+quake

They could have placed the backup generators for those nuke plants up high within the skeleton/structure of the transmission towers. Beyond that, they could have set up their grid such that the plants could take outside power if needed. The same for the backbone services of the region such as gas stations and hospitals. http://www.quora.com/Japan-Earthquake-Tsunami-Nuclear-Disaster-March-11-2011/What-could-Japan-have-done-better-to-prepare-for-the-earthquake-and-tsunami

built a tsunami wall precautionary measures in nuclear reactors to prevent meltdowns shock absorbers in buildings materials used are hysterical.

Japan has a lot of money and resources, so they took good precautions, but were they good enough? Maybe they should've earthquake proofed all of their buildings.

adopted strict building codes  drilled their population  developed warning systems  constructed special defenses[]