International Symposium

Community Survival and Historical Culturein the Era of Massive Disasters
Perspectives from Local Historical Materials Studies
Date March 2nd (Sat) - March 3rd (Sun) ,2024

Venue Convention Hall, Integrated Research Center of Kobe University(7-1-48 Minatojima-minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan)

The Symposium will be held in a hybrid format (on-site + zoom).
Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation is available.

March 2nd (Saturday)

March 3rd (Sunday)

13:00‒13:10
Opening Remarks & Purpose

10:00‒10:45
The Imperative of Utilizing Digital: Harnessing
Information Technology for the Preservation of Historical
Resources and Envisioning Its Future
GOTO Makoto (National Museum of Japanese History)

OKUMURA Hiroshi (Executive Vice President, KobeUniversity)

13:10‒14:10
Local Archives as Cultural Heritage: Current European
Practices and Challenges
Gábor Sonkoly (Eötvös Loránd University)
14:10‒15:05
Civic Society Formation and Local Historical Materials
Studies: Practical Research Projects during Major Natural
Disasters in JapanOKUMURA Hiroshi
15:20‒15:40
Symbol of Recovery from the Torrential Rain in WesternJapan: New Trends in the Inheritance of Local Historical
Heritage
EBESU Hikaru (Ehime University)
15:40‒16:00
Current Trends and Possibilities for the Succession ofLocal Materials
AMANO Masashi (National Museum of Japanese History)
16:00 ‒16:40
Disasters and human life: New developments in researchon disaster and local history
IMAZU Katsunori (Okayama University)
16:50‒17:50 Discussion
Moderator MATSUSHITA Masakazu (Kobe University)
18:00 Networking Event(Participation fee : ￥6000)

10:45‒11:45
Digital Public History: The Challenges of Real-Time History
in Times of Crises
Andreas Fickers (Director of C2DH, The University ofLuxembourg)

11:45‒12:15
Emergency Report: The 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake
Cultural Heritage Rescue
KOZUMA Yosei (Director of Cultural Heritage Disaster
Risk Management Center)

13:15‒15:00 General Discussion
Moderator MIMURA Shoji (National Defence Academy)
Closing Remarks IMAZU Katsunori

Registration (Registration fee : Free)

Please send an e-mail to the Symposium Secretariat.
Please indicate in your e-mail whether you would like toparticipate online or on site.
【E-mail : kato-akie@people.kobe-u.ac.jp】
Symposium organizer
JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research Specially Promoted Research“From Local Historical Material Studies to Regional Historical Culture:
Creation of a New Research Field for Resilient Local Communities in a
Country of Natural Disasters” Group (PI: OKUMURA Hiroshi,Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University)

PURPOSE
Our society is facing continuous massive natural disasters.

large-scale community records compilation projects, and in

Earthquakes, tsunamis, windstorms, floods, and volcanic

historical materials network movements in municipalities.

eruptions; they have dramatically increased since 2000,

Researchers have progressed practical research on suchcausing extensive damage globally, one of the most recentthemes, discussing the significance and challenges of such

examples being the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on 1st

new activities with a focus on individual regions, but there

January this year. Now, in the era of great natural disasters,

is a need to ask broader questions while comparing them

the inheritance of local history and culture, a vital part ofwith global cases.

resilient communities, is in a crisis.
In this symposium, Prof. Sonkoly Gábor, who has engaged
Since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake (1995),

in European cultural heritage preservation policies, willpractical research on preserving and inheriting disasterdiscuss current European projects for localhistory materials has accumulated. Within this context,historical/cultural heritage. Next, building on research andresearchers established Local Historical Materials Studies

practices thus far, Prof. OKUMURA Hiroshi will(LHMS) as a new research domain targeting the entire

comprehensively report how local history/culture andprocess in which community residents and researchers

LHMS contribute to consolidating local communities incollaboratively study the history and culture of theirJapan. Meanwhile, researchers and residents' preservation

community and the historical materials involved. The JSPSand inheritance of historical materials have progressed in

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research Special Promotion

various ways. Prof. EBESU Hikaru will report on caseResearch, "Creation of Regional Historical Culture forstudies on water-damaged materials rescue activities by

Regional Continuity in a Disaster-Afflicted Archipelago

historical materials networks. Prof. AMANO Masashi will

Centered on Regional Historical Materials Studies", hasreport on new methods for treating damaged materials.

delved further into LHMS, studying the history of localProf. IMAZU Katsunori will discuss presenting a historicalcommunities, including disaster history from ancient times

image closely tied to disaster resilience and incorporating

to the present, by sharing research findings beyond

disaster culture, the primary agents of which arehistoriography among the members. Furthermore,communities and their residents.

researchers and residents themselves have advanced the
local historical materials (LHM) data infrastructure

Research and projects regarding LHM inheritance haveconstruction that enables access to and utilization of themuch to do with Public History. Thus, we need to discussmaterials, exploring the LHM digitalization and its

how Japanese historiography influences the public in theutilization.

context of global research trends on Public History.
Digitalization made LHM accessible to everyone or any

The roles and challenges of the inheritance and utilization

research. What does this mean for the communities

of local historical culture by residents and researchers shareconcerned and others? Prof. GOTO Makoto will report oncommonalities with those in Europe. A roundtable at thekhirin, the LHM data infrastructure, describing its operation

International Congress of Historical Sciences in Augustand relation with the locals. Prof. Andreas Fickers will2022 showed that practical research in LHMS and historical

report on the current practices and challenges of local

culture is on the same track as global research trends.

history in the digital age.

Now we can see new developments in disaster history

We aim to share the outcomes and challenges of the local

materials preservation activities led by the locals, inhistorical culture creation and engage in lively discussions.