Transmitting Practical Disaster Prevention Studies from Tohoku to the World Information Transmitted by IRIDeS The institute holds periodic meetings for the purpose of transmitting information and achieving cooperation and integration. 1 Expanded general meeting ●IRIDeS Now Shares information inside IRIDeS. ●Information on the IRIDeS Friday Forum Shares information on the content of research activities. ●Great East Japan Earthquake Watcher Follows the various activities in disaster sites and inside and outside of Japan, and social movements. 2 IRIDeS Friday Forum This forum is held on the evening of the 4th Friday of each month as a place for periodic announcements and discussions for the purpose of sharing information related to the research and other activities conducted at IRIDeS and to foster cooperation and integration in research. For details, 020153.03 see the website (http://irides.tohoku.ac.jp/event/irides-forum.html). Information is also published on the IRIDeS website. ●Activity announcements http://www.irides.tohoku.ac.jp/topics/index.html ●Future plans http://shinrokuden.irides.tohoku.ac.jp/ A three year journey traveled together with disaster affected areas Evolving disaster prevention and reduction. Creating a society prepared for large-scale disasters. IRIDeS Report 03 Issued on March 7, 2015 Edited and issued by the Tohoku University Name: IRIDeS International Research Institute of Disaster Science Symbolizes the Iris sanguinea, Iris laevigata, and Iris ensata, For queries regarding this document, as well as hope and nobility contact the following: Meaning of the logo: Reverses the Chinese character for ●Phone: 022-752-2049 “disaster”, to symbolize the determination for overcoming ●E-mail: [email protected] Close Up disasters by promoting recovery and reconstruction, and (Ask for Shosuke Sato or Kiyoshi Ito) creating a society that can intelligently handle disasters. The 1 The regional role IRIDeS plays in reconstruction after key color of the institute is the color of the Iris sanguinea, Regarding the personal information included in this newsletter: Personal and comes from the logo of Tohoku University. This flower information is published with the consent of its owners solely for the purpose the Great East Japan Earthquake of this newsletter. It is strictly prohibited for third parties to use it for another symbolizes hope and nobility. purpose or reproduce it without permission. 2 Conveying the results of practical disaster prevention research to the world at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction New disaster prevention “About three years has passed since IRIDeS studies tailored to society was established. The new research building from the Tohoku The multi-purpose hall with a multi-dimensional visualization system. Symposiums and receptions disaster region. has been completed for further development are also held here. The Tohoku University International in practical disaster reduction research.” Research Institute of Disaster Science (hereinafter referred to as The new research building of IRIDeS was other's faces. “IRIDeS”) conducts research by completed in November 2014. This enables The building also features the latest gathering 37 fields of study in researchers that were spread out in various equipment. The multi-dimensional seven divisions that transcend campuses and research facilities to gather in visualization system installed in the the border between sciences and a single place to conduct efficient research. multi-purpose hall enables stereoscopic the arts. IRIDeS promotes The research building is a five story reinforced maps and tsunami and disaster simulations to “practical disaster prevention concrete building. The building incorporates be projected on a large 2.5 x 10 m screen. studies" that can be useful in measures to enable activities to be smoothly The ability to render stereoscopic video Interaction spaces to enable researchers to freely interact. society and people’s lives. IRIDeS conducted in times of a disaster, such as a deepens research on tsunami flood speed Each floor features sofas and tables, etc. aims to utilize its comprehensive seismic isolation system and 72-hour and flood areas, etc. There is also a knowledge to contribute to the emergency power generation equipment. The large-capacity server which enables tsunami recovery of disaster-affected areas entrance hall features an open ceiling up to simulation analysis to be quickly performed and building a society that can the second floor. High windows enable and more earthquake data to be stored than withstand disasters. people inside to enjoy natural wind and light. before. The opening features a wide balcony that is The building also enables IRIDeS to The stylish exterior with a brick-like façade. The building was built in a quiet location surrounded by designed to prevent direct sunlight from approach visitors. The space for conveying the greenery of Mt. Aobayama. entering. information to visitors features a large Hazard and Risk The building has the functionality required four-screen display. This display will be used Evaluation Research by a site that widely conveys the results of to show video on the latest efforts of IRIDeS, The large-capacity server room. Division research. The first and second floors feature a real-time observations, and the earthquake The environment of the room enables a large amount of information to be smoothly processed. Building disaster-resilient society space for conveying information to visitors, a records collected with the Michinoku by exploiting lessons from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster multi-purpose hall for 150 people, seminar Shinrokuden earthquake archive project. rooms, and lecture rooms. It can also hold IRIDeS also plans to use these systems to Human and Social national and international symposiums conduct tours where regional leaders and Response Research including those for publishing research results government officials are invited to see Division and conveying information on disaster research results. Researching the culture and history of prevention and reduction. Research Interaction between researchers has domestic and international disasters, laboratories are located on the second to fifth become increasingly active since the research disaster cognition, and disaster mitigation/ recovery measures floors. The common spaces of each floor building was completed. Cross-field research feature interaction spaces, and most of the is being conducted more than ever before and Regional and Urban research laboratories have glass walls. The IRIDeS is promoting research into practical The library space on the second floor. The library is open to the public and includes books and Many of the research laboratories have glass walls to Reconstruction new building places emphasis on an disaster prevention and conveying information video materials relating to earthquakes. promote communication between researchers. Research environment where researchers can see each to the world. Division Developing and researching various technologies to create communities where people can live with peace of mind Disaster Science able to come together in a single location. I believe that our activities for the UN Division Further progress in practical Research labs are mostly glass-walled World Conference on Disaster Risk and there are common spaces on each Reduction (hereinafter "the WCDRR") are Revealing the mechanisms behind disaster reduction studies based disasters to forecast hazards floor to provide a space for researchers also important. Almost 50,000 people to interact with each other. I hope this can from around the world will attend the at our new building promote interaction between different WCDRR. During the conference and its side Disaster Medical fields to enable researchers to actively events, we will have to widely convey how Science Division solve issues they encounter. IRIDeS has been able to gain knowledge We plan to use our new building as a on practical disaster prevention studies Multifaceted evaluation and enhanced preparedness for health and place where we can interact with various and how it has deepened its research. medical care during disasters people including people from disaster I am also looking forward to the Fumihiko Imamura areas. In our multi-purpose hall, people will participation of people living in Sendai Disaster Information Director of IRIDeS be able to see 3D video taken immediately and the Tohoku region, people in related Management and Professor of Tsunami Engineering Research after the Great East Japan Earthquake industries, and students. We will hopefully Public Collaboration at the Hazard and Risk Evaluation Research Division occurred and video of evacuation drills, be able to pursue planning together Division etc. We also plan to open up to the outside with a wide range of people in order to Enhancing the record of the earthquake and assisting urban reconstruction world by planning tours for visitors of the enrich discussions with a variety of institute, and have set up a project room perspectives. IRIDeS turns three years old in 2015. I am the border between sciences and the arts. that can be used by institutes in Japan Endowed Research proud of our achievements made possible In December 2014, our long-awaited new and overseas, and people related to Division during this time by conveying the results building was completed. With this new disaster prevention. I hope the new building of practical disaster