After the devastation left by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, part of Japan's rehabilitation effort is to build fire-resistant homes, especially in crowded districts that are more prone to fire, particularly after an earthquake.

The project, which has a span of 10 years to complete involves two plans executed simultaneously, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper. Thegovernment shouuld first demolish houses made of wood and replace them with fire-resistant materials. The government will then seek to widen roads and highways to prevent fires from spreading.

Government officials say the wooden houses will be converted to concrete apartment buildings, which allow for more spaces in between the buildings.

The metropolitan government of Tokyo encouraged the residents, especially those dwelling in communities glutted with wooden houses, to reconstruct their homes using the government subsidies. But the major challenge is financial as the areas susceptible to fire total to 16,000 hectares.

Ward and city offices will collaborate with the metropolitan government to determine the areas which will serve as models for the project. After its completion, residents will be relocated to the new buildings, AP reported.

Japan's Disaster Management Panel estimated that a 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Tokyo Bay would likely annihilate 470,000 houses. Of this figure, 350,000 would be burned.