Earthquakes
Earthquakes are natural disasters that have a devastating impact on human lives and property. Thirty years have passed since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995. The immense damage made people keenly aware of the importance of disaster prevention and the fragility of society. Based on the lessons learned, there has been significant progress in earthquake research and disaster prevention measures, such as retrofitting buildings to make them more earthquake-resistant and developing evacuation plans. Drawing on the experience of that time, we will introduce the latest research from the University of Hyogo to protect lives, livelihoods, and the future.
Making disaster prevention your own.
Promoting disaster prevention awareness through communication
Mayumi Sakamoto
Professor, Graduate School of Disaster Resilience and Governance
My research aims to clarify people’s behavior, psychology, and social responses during disasters, focusing on “disaster risk communication.” In particular, I emphasize the importance of making disaster prevention an issue that the general public can relate to as something that concerns them personally. I believe disaster prevention is necessary in exceptional circumstances, but it is essential to incorporate it naturally and without strain into everyday life. For example, we are working to create a system that will raise disaster prevention awareness without burdening people by incorporating a disaster prevention perspective into local activities and everyday life.
The starting point of my research was the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which I experienced. I saw many people affected by the disaster and realized for the first time that it could happen to me, too. This experience was the starting point of my desire to create a system that would make disaster prevention an integral part of everyday life.
In my research, I help people to realize the importance of evacuation through analysis of evacuation behavior and disaster information transmission. Specifically, I work with residents and local governments to hold workshops using disaster prevention education programs and disaster prevention maps. These initiatives provide an opportunity for residents to naturally raise their awareness of disaster prevention.
I also actively approach local governments, including municipalities, and use the results of evacuation simulations to improve regional disaster prevention plans and implement disaster prevention drills at schools, leading to actual action. In this way, we aim to create disaster-resistant local communities involving both the public and private sectors.
In addition, I have recently been focusing on the concept of “phase-free.” By using everyday items that could be used for evacuation in the event of a disaster as convenient lifestyle goods in normal times, I can naturally link daily life and disaster response. I aim to disseminate this concept to society through workshops and books and to spread disaster prevention awareness naturally into daily life.
My goal is to minimize the damage caused by disasters and create a society where disaster prevention is integrated into everyday life. With the experience of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in mind, I will continue my research to protect people’s lives and build a disaster-resistant future.
Expanding Research
Imaging Earth’s subsurface structure for advanced earthquake predictions
Tada-nori Goto
Professor, Graduate School of Science
My research theme is imaging the Earth’s internal structure and its temporal variations without drillings. In particular, I have developed novel techniques using physical phenomena (geophysical explorations) to investigate the distribution and activities of subsurface active faults. For example, I am attempting to analyze the subsurface structure by using electromagnetic waves, including temporal changes (“four-dimensional exploration”). The technologies enable successful imaging around the epicenter of an earthquake, and will be used to predict seismic shaking and obtain basic information for the design and maintenance of infrastructure. However, research to date has merely helped to identify the major causes of disasters after they have occurred. By improving the accuracy of the investigations and understanding the detailed causes of disasters, I believe that we can prepare effective ways to mitigate damage during future disasters. Looking back on the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake 30 years ago, no researchers were able to predict the disaster even though groundwater anomalies and some precursors had been reported. Drawing on this experience, I am continuing to tackle various challenges toward developing "active fault diagnostic technology” with higher imaging accuracy for understanding various phenomena before, during, and after earthquakes, and also for accurately predicting disasters.
Preserving and strengthening the old wooden buildings
Naoya Shojo
Associate Professor, School of Human Science and Environmen
My research specialty is the seismic resistance of wooden buildings, covering both modern and historical objects. I mainly evaluate load-bearing walls, floors, and joints to ensure seismic performance. Through experiments and simulations, I verify the resistance and deformation behavior of shear walls against horizontal shaking caused by earthquakes, while also conducting a mechanical evaluation of the joints between pieces of wood. In addition, I am involved in developing a new building material, cross-laminated timber (CLT), in collaboration with the Hyogo Prefectural Forest and Forestry Technology Center. The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake led to advances in research on earthquake-resistant design, and seismic design methods and technology have improved dramatically. However, a method for accurately evaluating the earthquake resistance of old wooden buildings has yet to be established, and research is ongoing. I will continue to conduct research to develop highly accurate earthquake-resistant design methods and improve earthquake resistance, aiming to create earthquake-resistant wooden buildings.
Focus on Person
Connecting people across borders to create a future that is resilient to earthquakes
Connecting people across borders to create a future that is resilient to earthquakes
Shizuka Tachibana
2nd year master's program student, Graduate School of Disaster Resilience and Governance
Protecting historical buildings from natural disasters
I am researching standards for evaluating the seismic performance of Western-style wooden buildings in Hyogo Prefecture. Since Japan's seismic diagnosis is based on wooden houses, there are issues with applying it to the construction methods unique to Western-style buildings. I read and interpret diagrams and text in construction reports to identify the structure of the building at the time of construction, amd am investigating the range in which seismic diagnosis can be applied. My research aims to prevent damage to historical buildings from natural disasters and preserve them for the future. I intend to expand the scope of my research to include areas outside of the prefecture and even overseas and build a foundation for protecting more buildings.
Protecting historical buildings from natural disasters
Honoka Goto
4th year student, School of Human Science and Environmen