IISEE Newsletter
November 27 2014
Number 115

In This Issue• 10th Joint Meeting ofUJNR Panel onEarthquake Research• Reports on Tohoku
Study Trip
• In Memoriam• Snapshots of Tohoku
Study Trip

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10th Joint Meeting of UJNR Panel on Earthquake
Research – Sendai, Miyagi, JapanBy Dr. Takumi Hayashida & Dr. Bunichiro Shibazaki of IISEE

We attended the 10th Joint Meeting of UJNR (The United States/Japan
Cooperative Program in Natural Resources) Panel on Earthquake Research,which was held in Sendai on 14th-16th October. The meeting is held every twoyears in Japan and the U.S., alternately. Lively discussions were conducted on
current topics in seismology, seismic and tsunami hazard assessment, andongoing research projects for the first twodays of scientific sessions (48 presentations
in seven sessions).

Field Trip (the site ofNakahama Elementary School)

Dr. Shibazaki gave a presentation entitled“Rheological structure of the northeasternJapan arc and its viscoelastic deformationafter the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake” andDr. Hayashida gave a presentation entitled“Investigation of seismic velocity structure
model beneath bay area using continuous
short-period microtremor data.”

At the end of the sessions, the meeting
adopted a resolution calling for further scientific cooperation between Japan andthe U.S. On the third day we had a field trip along the Sendai Bay coastline toobserve tsunami damage and landform deformation caused by the 2011
Tohoku-oki earthquake.

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Reports on Tohoku Study Trip

(1) Ms. Baigalimaa GANBAT (Mongolia, Seismology Course)
We visited the Tohoku region, and the purpose of the study trip was to knowand acquire the lessons learned from the 2011 Great Tohoku, and 2004
Chuetsu Earthquakes. I heard before from lectures, news and video about 2011
Great Tohoku Earthquake. Nevertheless, through study trip to Onagawa andNatori regions, I realized more how much damage
caused from tsunami, earthquake and terrible force ofthe tsunami, when looked by real eyes. In the Miyagi
Reconstruction Agency, they presented us with how thereconstruction and recovery process ongoing.
In the Earthquake Disaster Archive Center andYamakoshi Memorial Hall of Nagaoka city, we learned
about disaster using the map iPad, modeled in the formof earthquake and movie of 2004 Chuestsu Earthquake.

Earthquakes
The 2011 off the Pacificcoast of Tohoku
Earthquake
Reports of Recent
Earthquakes
Utsu Catalog
Earthquake Catalog

Yamakoshi village was heavy damaged by the heavy snow and landslides after
the earthquake. Landslide blocked the river and flooded houses caused byblockage of river. It is very important for each country that such wise people
and future generations are educated about the disaster.
Through study trip I learned about experience from earthquake and tsunami
disaster, reconstruction and recovery, also gained knowledge about quick
response, well cooperation between Japan’s governments and new technologyof base isolated building in high seismic activity region.
*Tohoku study trip was from November 3rd (Mon) to 7th (Fri).

(2) Mr. Johnlery Pino DEXIMO (Philippines, Seismology Course)
On November 3-7, 2014, two study sites with different situations, in Miyagi andNiigata prefectures, were visited by Seismology and Earthquake Engineeringcourses. We visited the areas around Onagawa Town, Natori City, Tohoku
University (Miyagi) including Nagaoka City and Yamakoshi District (Niigata).

Call for Papers
IISEE Bulletin is now
accepting submissionsof papers for the seismol og y, ea rt h qu ake
engineering, andtsunami. Developing
countries are targeted,but are n ot limited.
Your original papers
will be reviewed by theeditorial members andsome experts.
NO submission fee isneed.
Try to challenge!!

The objective was to learn about their great effort towards rehabilitation andreconstruction on the damaged effects of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquakethat made the buildings and houses swept away andoverturned by huge tsunami. On the other hand, the2004 Great Chuetsu Earthquake happened in a
mountainous area of Niigata Prefecture where most of
the damaged residential houses and infrastructures
were due to landslides and debris flow.
It was very informative and remarkable experience for
us to understand how to manage and mitigate suchnatural disaster. It is important that proper land use
planning, strengthening of buildings, and recovery techniques should take into
consideration to revitalize the devastated area.
With this great experience, I learned that the concept of sustainability isessential to develop communities safe from earthquakes, tsunamis and otherrelated hazards. I also learned that, when making disaster mitigation plans anddecisions, it should depend not only on scientific theory but also on our realexperiences.

(3) Mr. Nelson Alejandro QUINTANILLA PINTO (El Salvador, Earthquake
Engineering Course)
The Study Trip to Niigata and Miyagi Prefectures was very interesting. We
learned how the current status of the reconstruction is and how they manage toact fast after the earthquake and tsunami of 2011 in Miyagi Prefecture; welearned about the importance of having a regional plan
to manage the emergency response, recovery andrestoration. I learned the importance of highways inthis kind of disasters, because they are a very importantmeans of communication between the cities affected; if
the flows of the highways are interrupted, it is a priority
to rehabilitate them to send the necessary assistance tothe affected areas.
We also learned from the people in Nagaoka City, which is affected by theChuetsu Earthquake of 2004, I was very impressed by the courage of thepeople to rebuild the city and return back to their normal life, they are an
example to follow!
I’m very grateful with all the people that share this knowledge with us.

(4) Mr. Harish Chandra LAMICHHANE (Nepal, Earthquake EngineeringCourse)First of all, I would like to thank IISEE/BRI management for arranging visit inappropriate area.

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We visited Miyagi and Niigata Prefectures. There were all students ofEarthquake Engineering and Seismology groups. In Miyagi we visited the area
devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake 2011 inOnagawa town and Natori city. We also visited MiyagiTohoku
Regional
ReconstructionAgencyandDevelopment Bureau. I learnt a lot there from thelecture about disaster management. Our journey bybullet train (Sinkansen) was memorable.
In Niigata I observed damages created by Chuetsu
Earthquake 2004. There I visited the land slide sitewhich occurred due to that earthquake. The unity ofcommunity of Yamakoshi village which is shown during and after theearthquake is also a lesson to be learnt. I got a good chance to know thetradition and culture of Japanese society. Quick restoration of housing is anexample for all countries. I saw Carp farm and Alpaca farm in Yamakoshi
district. I was really impressed by this observation visit, and we can replicate
this type of activities in our country.

(5) Mr. Urip Setiyono (Indonesia, Tsunami Disaster Mitigation Course)
No one hopes that disaster comes to them, including people in Japan. Great
East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on 11 March 2011 was a nightmare
especially for people who lived in the Eastern coast of Japan. Mega tsunami
destroyed what Japan had built to protect the people
from tsunami, such as green belt Pine Tree Forest atTakata-matsubara, seawalls at Taro area, Kamaishi Portand other regions. But, Japan never gives up on facing
those kinds of problems.
We could see a reconstruction process in the affectedarea showing significant results since being launchedalmost 3 years ago. Three kilometers of conveyor tospeed up the reconstruction process in Rikuzen-takata
City was one of successful examples of Japan converting the sadness to great
positive energy to be more innovative and stronger for the future challenge.
We hope those will become lessons to be learned for all. Never stop to learnbecause disasters never sleep.
*Tohoku study trip was from November 4th (Tue) to 8th (Sat).

In Memoriam: Dr. Hideaki Kishida (Japan)
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It was with profound sorrow that we received the sad news of the passing awayof Dr. Hideaki Kishida, Professor Emeritus of Tokyo Institute of Technology on
November 16, 2014.
He was a renowned expert in geotechnical engineering and once a researchengineer of IISEE from 1964 to 1965. Dr. Kishida had been a member of theIISEE Curriculum Committee from 1970s to 1990s and supported us. We wouldlike to extend the sincerest sympathy from all of us at IISEE to his family.

✐Snapshots of Tohoku Study Trip

at Kesennuma
Belt Conveyor for sediments from themountain side to raise the urban area’s
ground level (total extension length: 3km)in Onagawa Town
Tohoku Regional Bureau of Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

TV Interview

at Nagaoka Earthquake
Disaster Archive Centerin front of the welcome message by Aore Nagaoka