A performance-based seismic design method for reinforced concrete building structures being developed in Japan is outlined. Technical and scientific background of the performance-based design philosophy as well as recently developed seismic design guidelines are is presented, in which maximum displacement response to design earthquake motion is used as the limit-state design criteria. A method of estimating dynamic response displacement of the structures based on static nonlinear analysis is described. A theoretical estimation of nonlinear dynamic response considering the characteristics of energy input to the system is described in detail, which may be used as the standard method in the new performance-based code. A desing philosophy not only satisfying the criteria but also evaluating seismic capacity of the structures is also introduced.