Expert’s Eyes

　I continue to strive for making the public realize that if occur the Nankai megathrust earthquakes, Tokyo metropolitan earthquake, or flooding of storm surge in Tokyo bay, Osaka bay or Ise bay, it can be the national crisis and can trigger the decline of Japan. I will explain by using my research results that to prevent this, the Japanese government must establish the Ministry of Disaster Reduction and Local Disaster Reduction Agency which can conduct the Disaster Resilience as the daily disaster reduction.

Special Information

　Received the Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction (equivalent to the Nobel Prize in disaster prevention field) which was established in the United Nations in 1986, the only winner in our country (2008). Currently, he is active at home and overseas, concurrently serving as the Director of Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution established triggered by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995. “Book to understand future disaster prevention and reduction” published as an Iwanami Junior New Book in 2008 and reprinted eight times until now is widely read as an introduction to disaster prevention.

Brief Personal History

Mar. 1969:
Graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University (Bachelor of Engineering) Mar. 1971:
Completed the Master’s Course in Civil Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University (Master of Engineering) Mar. 1974:
Completed the Doctoral Course in Civil Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University Apr. 1974:
Assistant Profesor, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University Nov. 1976:
Received Ph. D. in Engineering from Kyoto University Nov. 1976:
Associate Professor of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University Oct. 1981:
Studied at Washington University (visiting researcher) Aug. 1992:
Studied at Princeton University as a Fulbright Scholarship senior researcher Apr. 1993:
Professor of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University Apr. 1996:
Director of the Research Center for Disaster Reduction Systems, Disaster Prevention Research Institute Kyoto University Apr. 2002:
Director of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Association, Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution (additional post) Apr. 2005:
Director of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University Apr. 2009:
Professor of the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Engineering, Kansai University Apr. 2010:
Dean and Professor of the Faculty of Societal Safety Sciences, Kansai University Aug. 2012:
Director of the Societal Safety Sciences Center, Kansai University Apr. 2016:
Chair Professor of the Faculty of Societal Safety Sciences, Kansai University

Award history

1991:
Japan Society for Natural Disaster Science, Academic award 1992:
Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Award for article 2002:
Hyogo prefecture, Commended for distinguished contribution to disaster prevention 2006:
Commended by the Minister of State for Disaster Management for distinguished contribution to disaster prevention 2007:
United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction (first time in Japan) 2009:
Commended by the Prime Minister for distinguished contribution to disaster prevention 2010:
Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Publishing culture award 2010:
Hyogo prefecture, Social award 2011:
Wakayama prefecture, Commended for distinguished contribution to disaster prevention 2014:
Hyogo prefecture, Commended for the service (contribution to enhancing prefectural strength) 2016: Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Achievement award 2017: Academia prize 2018: Received the Kobe Shimbun Peace Prize 2022：Japan River Association,Commended for Person of River Merits 2023：National Association of Sea Coast,Commended for Person of Sea Coast Merits