This paper provides a review on the development of structural monitoring in Japan, with an emphasis on the type, strategy, and utilization of monitoring systems. The review focuses on bridge and building structures using vibration-based techniques. Structural monitoring systems in Japan historically started with the objective of evaluating structural responses against extreme events. In the development of structural monitoring, monitoring systems and collected data were used to verify design assumptions, update specifications, and facilitate the efficacy of vibration control systems. Strategies and case studies on monitoring for the design verification of long-span bridges and tall buildings, the performance of seismic isolation systems in building and bridges, the verification of structural retrofit, the verification of structural control systems (passive, semiactive, and active), structural assessment, and damage detection are described. More recently, the application
of monitoring systems has been extended to facilitate efficient operation and effective maintenance through the rationalization of risk and asset management using monitoring data. This paper also summarizes the lessons learned and feedback obtained from case studies on the structural monitoring of bridges and buildings in Japan.