In Japan, architects are defined as "kenchikushi", that is, architects and building engineers. According to Japanese law, only experts called "kenchikushi" make the projects and earthquake resistance calculations of the buildings where people will live. Also:
Although civil engineers make calculations in large infrastructure projects such as roads, tunnels, and dams, kenchikushi experts have their say here too. Moreover…
With the start of construction, these responsible people check, without any tolerance, whether the building is built in accordance with the specifications and standards, as a sacred duty. For example:
Year, 2019.
Tokyo-based Japanese construction company "Leopalace21" decided to inspect nearly 40 thousand apartments it built in the country after it was revealed that the sound and fireproof properties of the wall between two rooms in the apartments it built did not meet the standards. It made a loss of 72.1 billion yen.
That's how it is; Earthquakes do not kill, buildings do not collapse!
The definition of Kenchikushi came into force in 1950 with the 'Kenchikushi law'. The profession is a national certification defined by law. To become a Kenchikushi, graduating from the faculty of architecture is not enough. In order to design a building, your level of knowledge should be measured both in writing and in drawings. The exams are difficult and the pass percentages are very low. There is a requirement to take the exam only after gaining experience by working under someone with a certificate.
They do not only the design of the structure but also all the calculations including static and dynamic analysis. In Japan, an architect who has graduated from university cannot sign as responsible. There is a requirement to be a kenchikushi for signature. Only 33 percent of those who took this exam in 2022 passed. Not everyone in the country has the authority to sign, and not everyone who wants can build a building.
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The meaning of kenchikushi in Japanese
https://www.jaeic.or.jp/english/jaeic-pamphlet_e201306.pdf