Inter-University Research Institute Corporation

National Institutes for the Humanities

Research Institute for Humanity and Nature

Res ear c h I ns ti t u t e f o r H u m a n i t y a n d N a t u r e 2 0 0 9

Message from the Director-General
At RIHN we believe that the global environmental problems humankind faces today are finally
rooted in human cultures. As a consequence, RIHN’s mission is to conduct integrative andcooperative research into the interactions between human and biophysical systems, and tosuggest how harmonious human-environmental relations can be established or enhanced. Bothtasks demand conceptual and methodological innovation and flexibility across fields of knowledge.
TACHIMOTO Narifumi
RIHN Research projects usually last 5 years, involve scholars from a wide range of academic
Director-Generaldisciplines, and are supported by cooperative agreements with universities and institutes at home
Research Institute for
Humanity and Natureand abroad. This fixed-term project structure and internationalist orientation allow RIHN to bring an
Office of Administration
uncommon range of specialists, methodologies and resources to bear on a particular research
AKIMICHI Tomoya
Deputy Director-General,question, while also advancing the field of global environmental studies.
Planning and Coordination
SATO Yo-ichiro
Deputy Director-General, ResearchApril 2009

Characteristics of RIHN
1 Integration

RIHN is developing a new, integrated approach to global environmental issues that involves bringing together knowledge and expertise froma variety of disciplines, including natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, engineering, land and food sciences, and medical sciences.

2 International Networking
3 Leadership
4 Fluidity

RIHN carries out its research projects in close coordination with both international and domestic research organizations.
A number of non-Japanese researchers are involved in each research project.

Staff members at RIHN are expected to play leading roles in global environmental programs through cooperation with national andinternational research institutes and researchers.

RIHN’s project-based structure and tenure system facilitate interaction with researchers from other institutions.

Research Projects in Fiscal 2009（as of April 1, 2009）
RIHN solicits, hosts and funds integrative, cooperative research projects that advance one of five principal RIHN research domains:
Circulation, Diversity, Resources, Ecohistory and Ecosophy. There are several stages of internal and external review as a proposal
advances from Incubation Study (IS) phase, through Pre-Research (PR), to Full Research (FR). The results of Completed Research(CR) projects are also assessed, including their contribution to public environmental dialogue and to future RIHN research.
CIRCULATION
FR 5th year
Human Activities in Northeastern Asia and Their Impact on the Biological Productivity in North Pacific Ocean (Leader: SHIRAIWA Takayuki)
FR 4th year
Human Impacts on Urban Subsurface Environments (Leader: TANIGUCHI Makoto)FR 3rd year
Effects of Environmental Change on the Interactions between Pathogens and Humans (Leader: KAWABATA Zen'ichiro)
FR 1st year
Global Warming and the Human-Nature Dimension in Siberia: Social Adaptation to Changes in Freshwater and Terrestrial Ecosystems(Leader: INOUE Gen)

DIVERSITY
FR 4th year
A New Cultural and Historical Exploration into Human-Nature Relationships in the Japanese Archipelago (Leader: YUMOTO Takakazu)
FR 2nd year
Human Life, Aging, and Disease in High-Altitude Environments: Physio-medical, Ecological and Cultural Adaptation in "Highland Civilizations"(Leader: OKUMIYA Kiyohito)

FR 2nd yearCollapse and Restoration of Ecosystem Networks with Human Activity (Leader: YAMAMURA Norio)RESOURCES
FR 3rd year
Historical Interactions between Multi-Cultural Societies and the Natural Environment in a Semi-Arid Region in Central Eurasia(Leader: KUBOTA Jumpei)

FR 2nd year
FR 1st year

Environmental Changes and Infectious Diseases in Tropical Asia (Leader: MOJI Kazuhiko)
A Study of Human Subsistence Ecosystems in Arab Societies: To Combat Livelihood Degradation for the Post-Oil Era (Leader: NAWATA Hiroshi)

ECOHISTORY
FR 4th year
Agriculture and Environment Interactions in Eurasia: Past, Present and Future — A ten-thousand-year history (Leader: SATO Yo-Ichiro)
FR 3rd year
Environmental Change and the Indus Civilization (Leader: OSADA Toshiki)
FR 3rd year
Neolithisation and Modernisation: Landscape History on East Asian Inland Seas (Leader: UCHIYAMA Junzo)
ECOSOPHY
FR 3rd year
Vulnerability and Resilience of Social-Ecological Systems (Leader: UMETSU Chieko)
Office of Administration

PR
FS

Mega City Impact Upon the Global Environment: Investigating Its Mechanism and Proposing Urban Sphere Models (Leader: MURAMATSU Shin)

FSFS
FS
FSInteraction of Human Activity and Nature in Changjiang Basin, China (FS Proposer: TANAKA Hiroki)

Environmental History of Nomads and Farmers in Central Asia (FS Proposer: UNO Takao)
Ecosystem and Social Sustainability in the Coastal Area, Southeast Asia (ESSCA-SEA) (FS Proposer: ISHIKAWA Satoshi)
Developments, Environmental Changes, and Flowing Local Populations: Their Interactions and the People's Adaptive Strategies (FS Proposer: SUDA Kazuhiro)
Genetic Pollution of Farming Ecosystem Caused by the Rapid Expansion of Cultivation for New Energy Crops in the Tropical Asia (FS Proposer: SATO Masashi)Center for Coordination, Promotion, and Communication (CCPC)The CCPC guides and supports the overall RIHN research trajectory, and coordinates its interaction in varied academic and public fora.

[AKIMICHI Tomoya, Director
WATANABE Tsugihiro, Head, Division of Coordination / NAKANO Takanori, Head, Division of Promotion / ABE Ken-ichi, Head, Division of Communication]

Facilities
Located on the northern outskirts of Kyoto City, RIHN’s principal building—a low horizontal arc nestled at the base of forested hills—contains research,meeting, laboratory and administrative spaces. The building’s open-plan layout allows flexible workspaces and facilitates communication between project
researchers. It blends elegant features of traditional Japanese architecture, such as interior gardens and secluded spaces, with late technology lighting andenergy management systems. The RIHN House accommodates short-term visitors as well as research fellows on extended stays.

Seminar Rooms

Lecture Hall

Administrative Offices

Administrative Offices

Seminar Rooms

This complex houses the offices of the DirectorGeneral and the Administrative Director, as well as
those of the General Affairs, Finance and Research
Cooperation sections.

Designed for flexibility with movable partitions,these facilities can accommodate a variety of types
and sizes of events from small-audience seminars
to large-scale events with around 150 participants.

National Institutes for the Humanities
Kansai Branch Office

Lecture Hall
Project Room

Project Room

Main Building 2FThis hall holds about 120 people and is equippedwith a mobile stage and an audio booth forsimultaneous translation.

Library
Center for Coordination,
Promotion, and Communication

Project Room

Library
As of March 2009, the library's holdings include
approximately 16,000 volumes of books and around
120 journal titles.

Project Room

Project Room

Main Building 1F
Project Rooms
The spacious first floor of the building accommodates
all project areas and the Center for Coordination,
Promotion, and Communication (CCPC). Its open-planlayout encourages free circulation by, and discussion
between, researchers.

Office of Administration

Laboratories

RIHN House

Main Building BF
Laboratories
RIHN has facilities for conducting a range of experimental
activities, including isotope, DNA and chemical analysis,
as well as separate clean and refrigerated rooms.

A small complex of one-, two- and three-bedroom
apartments is available for short- and long-termguests. Shared kitchen and lounge space is alsoavailable, and provides opportunity for guests andRIHN staff to gather informally.

Organization

Inter-University Research Institute Corporation, National Institutes for the Humanities

National Museum of Japanese History

Auditors
Administrative Office

National Institute of Japanese Literature
Board of Directors

President

Main Events

International Research Center for Japanese Studies

Advisory Board

Research Institute for Humanity and Nature

Administrative Council

National Museum of Ethnology

Academic Senate●RIHN 8th Forum
Project Evaluation Committee

Human Well-being and the Environment: Designing
Global Ecohealth
Date: 5 July, 2009
Kyoto International Conference Center

DirectorGeneral●RIHN Public Seminars

Division of Coordination

Deputy Director-General,
ResearchResearch Department

Deputy Director-General,
Planning and Coordination

Center for Coordination,
Promotion and Communication(CCPC)

Division of Communication

Administrative OfficeFinance Section

Eight public seminars will be held in Fiscal 2009.

Division of Promotion

General Affairs Section
Planning Unit

●RIHN 4th International Symposium
The Dilemma of Boundaries: Toward a new conceptof catchment
Date: 20-22 October, 2009
RIHN Lecture Hall

Accounting and Research Service Unit

Executive Board

Research Cooperation Section
Board of Advisors

CCPC Support Unit

Research Institute for Humanity and Nature■Access
By City Subway
From Kyoto Station, take the Karasuma Line to Kokusaikaikan Station (the last station), and transfer to Kyoto Bus.

Kyoto Bus
Chikyuken-mae
bus stop

Nikenchaya

line
to Osaka

Kyoto station

JR Tokaido line

457-4 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8047
Te l : +81-75-707-2100
F a x : +81-75-707-2106
URL : http://www.chikyu.ac.jp

ailw
ayKu
rama
Eizan
R

Myomanji卍

Grand Prince
Hotel Kyoto●▲

Karasumaachiyan ▼agi

卍Entsuji

Sanjokeihan

to Central Kyoto

Shijo St.

Hankyu Railway
Kyoto lineto DemHokuryo
High school

Kawaramachi
to TokyoResearch Institutefor Humanity andNatureKokusaikaikan

City Subw
ayKarasuma line

Osaka Bay(Osaka-wan)
Kansai International Airport

Karasumaoike

Kurama Kaido

Kobe Airport

Sanjo St.

City Subway Tozai line

Kyoto-Seikadai-mae station
Kyoto Seika
University
Eizan Railway Kurama line
IwakuraKino

Kyoto Sangyo
University

Shirakawa St.

Nara

Demachiyanagi

Keihan Railway

Osaka International Airport
Kobe

Kawaramachi St.

Imadegawa St.

Karasuma St.

Kyoto

City Subway
Karasuma line

Kitaoji St.

Horikawa St.

Lake Biwa(Biwa-ko)

40▲

Kokusaikaikan

Kitayama St.

Research Institute for
Humanity and Nature

Osakarama

Nikenchaya station
Rakuhoku
Hospital●By Eizan Railway
From Demachiyanagi Station in Kyoto City, take the Kurama line.
Exit at Nikenchaya Station. RIHN is a 10 minute walk to the South.

Office of Administration

to Ku

By Kyoto Bus
From Kokusaikaikan Station, take bus No. 40 or 50 to Chikyuken-mae.
RIHN is at the base of the hill to your left.

▼ACCESS MAP▲