Japan SocietyofEngineering Geology

Since1958

2018

Japan National Group of IAEG

IAEG-JAPAN(The International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment)Chairman Greeting
The Japan Society of Engineering Geology (JSEG) was established in 1958 and it has
a goal to facilitate exchange of knowledge and technology among the researchersand professionals of engineering geology. JSEG also aims to pursue the interdisciplinary
and comprehensive research as well as technological development along with thespecific contribution to the development of science, technology, and culture. Now, JSEG
has about 2000 members, which makes the society one of the major academic
societies of earth science in Japan.
JSEG hosted the first Asian Regional Conference on dam geology in 1997 to developand encourage engineering geology in the Asian region. In 1995, two years before thefirst Conference, the Kobe Earthquake (Mw 6.9) destructed Kobe city and took the lives Chairman of theof more than 6,000 people. During the last twenty years people in Asia have undergone IAEG Japan National Groupthe 1999 Chichi Earthquake in Taiwan, the 2001 Gujarat earthquake in India, the 2004
Masahiro Chigira
Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami in Indian Ocean, the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake inPakistan and India, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China, the 2011 Tohoku Earthquakeand Tsunami in Japan and the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake in Nepal. As Asia lies in the Asian Monsoon Zone,typhoons, cyclones and torrent rainfalls have triggered massive floods and landslides every year. Therefore,
Geo-disaster Risk Reduction is a very challenging task for engineering geologist in the Asian region.
JSEG also acts as the IAEG Japan National Group and it hosted the 10th Asian Regional Conference in2015. Through this conference, JSEG provided opportunities to the academic researchers, engineers andengineering geologists to present and share the state-of-the-art views in the field of applied geology andGeohazard. The 21th century is regarded as a period of rising Asia, but Geo-disasters should not be thebarriers for sustainable development in Asia. We expect more contributions of engineering geologists in thefield of Geo-Disaster Risk Reduction.

Mt. Fuji, view from northShiraito fall, south west of Mt. Fuji

Red leaves in Kamakura,west of Tokyo

About JSEG
Japan society of Engineering Geology (JSEG) was established in 1958 to achieve the following objectives.
・Progress of the research for engineering geology that relate to various exploitation and construction
・Improvement and development of technology
・Communication between members
Now JSEG has the members more than 2000 from industrial, academic, and governmental organizations,and is the leading society of engineering geology in Japan.
1992 Council meeting was invited at Kyoto together with IGC.
1997 The first Asian Symposium(Regional Conference) of Engineering Geology was held in Tokyo.
2008 JSEG celebrated 50th anniversary at Yokohama.
2015 Memorial 10th Asian Regional Conference in Kyoto.

Record of the movement
Of the Tanna active fault, 1932

General topographic viewaround Japan

60th Anniversary Symposium of JSEG
The theme of this symposium will be “Disaster experiences during recent 10 years and message tofuture generation”.
Increasing number of natural disasters caused by earthquake, extreme heavy rain, and volcanism etc.
occurred in recent ten years in Japan. JSEG has gained the knowledge and technology of disasterprevention, caution and forecast, through disaster investigation for Hiroshima debris flow in 2014,
Kumamoto earthquake in 2016 and Northern Kyusyu debris flow in 2017. We will discuss our future
action and role according to recent activities and research results of JSEG members. We will invite
Dr. Toshiaki Kawada (Kyoto Univ.) and Dr. Ranjan Kumar Dahal (Tribhuvan Univ. Nepal) for special
lectures and have one day excursion for disaster prevention of big Tokyo city.
---------------------------------------------------------------Symposium: 29th June 2018 (FRI)
Field Tour: 30th June 2018 (SAT)----------------------------------------------------------------【Symposium】
Date：29th June 2018 (FRI)
Program：
13:00 – 13:05 Opening Speech
13:05 – 13:10 Guest Speech (Japan Geotechnical Consultants Association)
13:10 – 14:00 Special Lecture
Ideal situation of countermeasures against national disasters required in Japan
Yoshiaki Kawata (Kansai Univ.)
14:00 – 14:50 Special Lecture
What did Nepal learn after the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake from engineering and geologicalperspectives?
Ranjan Kumar Dahal (Tribhuvan Univ.,Nepal)
14:50 – 15:20 Break & Poster presentation
15:20 – 15:40 Presentation
History of groundwater utilization and underground environment in Tokyo
Groundwater research group: Akinobu Miyakoshi (AIST)
15:40 – 16:00 Presentation
Achievements and lessons learned from the disaster investigation after the inauguration ofdisaster geological research group, and its future tasks
Disaster geological research group: Takashi Inokuchi (NIED)
16:00 – 16:20 Presentation
Situation and problems of disaster responses in major geological disasters in the last 10 years
that caused damage to civil engineering structures
Civil engineering research group: Yasuto Sasaki (PWRI)
16:20 – 16:40 Presentation
Topography interpretation using high precision topography information and its utilization fordisaster prevention
Applied geomorphology research group: Toshihiko Shimokawa (Kankyo chisitu)
16:40 – 17:00 Presentation
Symbiosis of disaster prevention education and geo merit
Environmental geology research group: Atsuko Kiyosaki (Cross-Engineering)
17:00 – 17:10 Break
17:10 – 18:00 Panel Discussion
Coordinator: Shuichi Hasegawa (Kagawa Univ.)
Panelists:
Akinobu Miyakosi, Takashi Inokuchi, Yasuto Sasaki, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Atsuko Kiyosaki

60th Anniversary Symposium of JSEG
【Field Tour – Relationship between living in modern Japan and geography and geology】
Date：30th June 2018 (SAT)
Route & Schedule：
8:30 – 10:00 (Town walk) Asakusa area
10:00 – 13:30 (Crouse) Sumida river & Water front (with Lunch)
14:00 – 16:00 Edo Tokyo Museum
Highlights：① Town walk in Asakusa area
Asakusa area has been prospering as a surrounding town ofSensoji Temple since 17th century. The land use is closely related
to topography and geology. Sensoji Temple is located on the rightside, not on the left side of the Sumida River. The left side is theflood area of the Sumida River. On the right, there are fine highlands by natural embankment. Sensoji Temple is located on a finehigh land. Settlement near Sensoji Temple in 17th – 19th century
Fig. 1 Field Tour route
was spreading on the fine high lands. These topographic features
are due to the geological structure. The basal depth of alluvial is different on the left and right sideof the Sumida River. The basal depth of alluvial on the left side is deeper than right side. Then, thethickness of alluvial clay layers differs on the left and right of the Sumida River. On the right side,
the thickness of clay layer is around 10m. On the other hand, the thickness is around 20m on the left
side. Due to the consolidation subsidence of the clay layer, the right side where Asakusa area islocated has slightly higher than the left.
In the Edo period (17th to 19th century), the low lands were wetlands and the fine high lands wereused as people’s living areas. Sensoji Temple which is an important religious facility is also locatedon fine high lands of natural embankment. As shown in figure 4, housings were lined up on the finehigh lands. The altitude of Mt. Matsuchi is the highest in Asakusa area (about 10 m). This is not an
artificial mountain made by dredged soil but natural ground. This can be confirmed on the town walk.
In town walk, the participants will walk imaging the relationship between altitude and land use in olddays.（Explainer: Dr. Kimura (AIST)）②Sumida river & water front cruise (See figure 1)
Most of the waterfront area is a landfill, part of Tsukuda-jima is the only natural ground. In thiscruise, the natural topography around Tsukuda-jima and the history of waterfront development will
be explained.
（Explainer: Dr. Kimura(AIST), Prof. Yamazaki (Tokyo Metropolitan Univ. emeritus prof.),Mr. Tsuchiya(Tokyo Metropolis)）③Edo-Tokyo Museum
Edo-Tokyo Museum exhibits the lives of people from the Edo period (17th century) to the presentday. In this museum, Prof. Yamazaki will explain about the history and topographical features ofTamagawa waterway.
Tamagawa waterway was built in 1653. This supplied water to Edo (Tokyo), taking water in Hamura
village where was 43 kilometers west from Edo. Although it is considerably away from Edo, Hamura
village was only water intake points to supply water by natural flowing down. Tamagawa waterway
used skillfully the slope of the plateau to supply water into the city of Edo. This waterway runs bychoosing a divide ridge, in order to supply water to rice fields on both sides of the divide ridge.
Thanks to this waterway, many rice fields were developed. Considering the situation at the time
without accurate altitude data, the planning and technical ability at that time was amazing.
In addition, the participants will see the exhibition about the damage of the Great Kanto Earthquakeoccurred in 1923. By the earthquake, more than 100,000 people died due to fire. Fire broke out
from wooden houses collapsed by the earthquake. The firefighting ability did not catch up, because
there were many fire points. Fire surrounded people, and many people died losing their escape way.
The earthquake progressed the fire prevention measures in Japan.
（Explainer: Prof. Yamazaki (Tokyo Metropolitan Univ. emeritus prof.)）60th Anniversary Symposium of JSEG

Fig. 1 Field Tour route

Mt. Matsuchi

Sensoji-Temple

Fig.2 Asakusa Area (altitude and town walk route)The cover explanation: color altitude inclination chart (ELSAMAP) around the Japanese Islands . Color altitude inclination
chart ELSAMAP is new geographical features expression technique for uniting "Change in the altitude" and "Change in theinclination". DEM used is SRTM3(Japanese Islands) and ETOP2(Surrounding of the Japanese Islands).
(KOKUSAI KOGYO Co.,LTD. offered)Japan Society of Engineering Geology
Headquaters Ochanomizu-Sakurai Bldg. 2-3-14,Kandasurugadai chiyoda-ku Tokyo. 101-0062,Japan

Phone: 03-3259-8232

Fax: 03-3259-8233

URL：http://www.jseg.or.jp/r_new/jsegeigo/index.htm