■ NILIM conducted field surveys on the earthquake off the coast of Sumatra and the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
■ Natural disasters in Japan in 2004 and measures taken by the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management■ Demonstrating the Free Mobility Assistance System at Expo 2005 Aichi Japan■ Symposium held at the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction■ TECHNICAL NOTE of National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (May-June, 2004)■ "2005 Annual Report of NILIM" is now on our website (in Japanese only, for the time being)

No.13June 2005News LetterISSN 0389-4150■ NILIM conducted field surveys on the earthquake off the coast of Sumatra
and the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
Earthquake Disaster Prevention Division / Planning Division
We offer our sincere condolences to all affected by theearthquake off the coast of Sumatra and the tsunami in
the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. Development ofdisaster prevention technologies is one of the principal
objectives of the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (NILIM). The Institute has conducted field surveys on the earthquake and tsunami disasters, published information through its web pages, andstarted intensive studies on measures against tsunami inApril 2004.
Field surveys
Seven survey teams consisting of 15 persons in total
have been sent (as of March 31, 2005) from NILIM toThailand, Indonesia, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka, in order to investigate ways of assisting countries affected by
the earthquake and tsunami, clarify the mechanisms ofthe disasters, and identify effective disaster prevention
measures. Among seven teams, two were sent as a part of
the Japan Disaster Relief Teams and a governmental delegation for investigating the earthquake and tsunami disasters respectively.
The governmental delegation was led by Director General Hamaguchi of NILIM. The surveys were conducted fromMarch 13 to March 21, 2005 (Photo 1). The delegation
aimed to understand the actual states of the affected
counties in order to provide restoration assistance and investigate effective measures for preventing earthquake
and tsunami damages. The delegation consisted of 33
members from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure andTransport, Cabinet Office, and ministries related to disaster prevention, including four from NILIM besides the Director General, and visited Thailand and Sri Lanka.

The delegation collected information on tsunami damage and restoration policies from the federal and regional
governments of Thailand and Sri Lanka and their branch
offices, and surveyed the affected areas. Director General
Hamaguchi directed the information collection from theaffected countries and managed the discussions and information exchanges. The other members from NILIM surveyed damages to civil engineering structures, lifeline facilities, etc. and investigated methods of restoring them.
Summaries of the results were reported to Minister Murata, Minister of State for Disaster Management, by Director
General Hamaguchi on March 29. The report of the survey results will be published in Japanese and English.

Photo 1 Director General Hamaguchi of the NILIM listening to an explanation in
Khao Lak Thailand.

N I L I M

News Letter

Study on methods to assess tsunami damages andcountermeasures against tsunami
NILIM has been studying damages caused during tsunami since fiscal 2004 and is investigating methods forpreventing damages. The study aims to help administrators plan measures against tsunami, by enabling them to1) image possible damages to civil engineering structuresand resultant damages, 2) draw up a guideline for disaster prevention measures appropriate for possible damages
during tsunami, and 3) evaluate the effectiveness of themeasures to mitigate damages. Experiments are being
conducted to evaluate the external forces acting on structures during tsunami (Photo 2). The results of the experiment and the field surveys will be used to establish easy
methods for predicting damages during tsunami, and themethods will be proposed by the end of fiscal 2006.
Web site
NILIM set up a web site showing the various technological assistance that the Institute can provide to engineers
in Japan and other countries who are involved in restoration. The web site includes the results of the field sur-vey and studies conducted at the Institute on earthquakes and tsunami, and can also be accessed fromlinks on the portal sites of the seven research institute of
the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport(http://www.mlit.go.jp/sumaportal/index.htm), whichhave similar objectives. We hope the web site will be
helpful to those involved in the restoration.

Photo 2 Experiment for evaluating the wave force of tsunami acting on a bridge girder■ Natural disasters in Japan in 2004 and measures taken by the National Institutefor Land and Infrastructure Management
Research Center for Disaster Risk Management
In 2004, many floods, landslides and storm surges
occurred in Japan during storms caused by Baiu fronts
and typhoons that hit the country, which were as many as

10, the largest number since meteorological observations
began. Evacuation advice and orders were issued to over
1.6 million people in about 640 municipalities in total,

Table 1 Damages during natural disasters in 2004

EventTyphoon No. 6MonthNumberof deaths
andmissingInjured

Entirely
destroyed

Partially
destroyedhouseshousesDamagedhousesHousesﬂoodedabove
ﬂoor level

Housesinundated
below
ﬂoor level

Total

June

5118

12149

141

194

July

16

4

70

5,354

94

2,149

6,208

13,875

July

5

19

66

135

229

4,052

9,674

14,156

July to August

31912

15

65

218

2,420

2,730

Typhoon No. 15

August

10

22

17

23

212

695

2,339

3,286

Typhoon No. 16

August

17267

29

95

7,037

16,79929,76753,727

Typhoon No. 18

Sept.

45

1,301

109

848

42,183

1,598

6,762

51,500Typhoon No. 21Sept.

27

97

79

273

1,936

5,798

13,883

21,969Typhoon No. 22

Oct.

8167

167

244

4,495

1,247

3,592

9,745

Typhoon No. 23

Oct.

91

486

192

910

10,636

21,78340,38173,902

Chuetsu Earthquake

Oct.

40

4,574

2,867

11,122

92,609

267

2,500

3,609

19,021

159,645

Storm in Niigata andFukushima
Storm in Fukui
Typhoons
No. 10 & 11

Total

Note: Based on surveys by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Damages to buildings other than houses are excluded.
The damages by the Chuetsu Earthquake are as of January 12, 2005, 9:00 AM.

106,598
54,340115,067

360,682and 227 people died or were missing (61% of 194 people
whose age could be identified were at least 65 years old),the largest number since 1984. Especially many floods
occurred along small to medium-scale rivers where banks
were weak and low, and the flood water overflowed anddestroyed the banks. The number of landslides was thelargest since 1982. During Typhoon No. 16, a storm surge
flooded about 44,000 houses along the coast of the Inland
Sea of Japan. Japan was also hit by a large earthquake:an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 (tentative value) struck
the Chuetsu Region of Niigata Prefecture at 17:56 on
October 23, 2004 (the 2004 Niigata-ken ChuetsuEarthquake). In Kawaguchi-cho, which was near theepicenter, very strong motions of seismic intensity 7 on
the Japanese scale were recorded, and roads, water lines,power lines, and gas pipes and other life lines were cut inseveral places. Landslides occurred in mountainous
districts and isolated villages. At least 10 large natural

dams were formed, and people were temporarily evacuatedfrom the lower reaches.
The National Institute for Land and InfrastructureManagement sent researchers to identify the causes andprovide technical assistance to draw up and takeemergency measures and restoration projects, jointly with
the Public Works Research Institute, the Building
Research Institute, and the Port and Airport ResearchInstitute. A total of 61 researchers were sent from theInstitute in the two months after the Chuetsu Earthquake
to study earthquake damages.

■ Demonstrating the Free Mobility Assistance System at Expo 2005 Aichi Japan
Advanced Road Design and Safety Division
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
started the free mobility assistance project in March 2004
aiming to construct ubiquitous environments in which all
people can use information on routes, means of transportation, and destinations and other information needed toenable people to work and participate in social activities
anywhere at any time, as a part of its projects to create auniversal society.
The system to be constructed in this project transmits
information needed by users, such as safe and convenientroutes, means of transportation, information about thedestination and nearby areas, detours during emergencies, and means for dispatching SOS calls, by installingcommunication devices (IC tags, radios, infrared devices,etc.) that transmit positional information on information

Expo 2005 Aichi Japan is being held from March 25,2005, for six months, and is expected to attract many visitors from many countries. Information provision in various languages is being tested at Expo by asking the visitors to test the service. In the Nagakute area, radio markers, etc. have been installed along the Global Loop (about2.6 km long) to provide information about facilities in various languages, and information on barrier-free and otherfacilities is provided to the handicapped in the Seto area.

Free Mobility Assistance
System Verification Experiment

Visit Japan Campaign
Verification Experiment
In the Nagakute area,
guidance is provided in various
languages (English, French,Spanish, Chinese, Korean, etc.)
through radio markers, IC tags, etc.
1) Users:
visitors fromforeign countries
2) Place: along
the Global Loop
Radio marker(about 2.6 kmpowered bylong)solar battery3) Services:
Information is provided about
A visually handicapped
person navigating by
the locations of pavilions, rest
tactile paving blocks
rooms and restaurants and thecontents of the exhibitions in each pavilion invarious languages (English, French, Spanish,Chinese, Korean, etc.).
4) Devices used: micropower radio markers andseal tags

maps, signs, textured paving blocks, etc. and communicating with portable terminals carried by users (portablephones, etc.). The system is being verified through indoor
and outdoor tests and being improved based on the testresults.

In the Seto area, information to assist
pedestrians is provided through tactile
paving blocks installed with IC tags andmarkers equipped with solar batteries.

Seto AreaNagakute Area

1) Users:
handicapped,etc.
2) Place: fromthe entrance ofRadio marker
the Seto area to powered bysolar batterypavilions
A visually3) Services: Information ishandicapped
person navigating
provided about theby tactile paving
destinations through IC tags
blocksinstalled in tactile blocks andactive tags.
4) Devices used: tactile paving blocks
installed with IC tags, active tags, and seal
tags

Figure 1 Overview of the verification experiments at Expo 2005 Aichi Japan■ Symposium held at the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction
Flood Disaster Prevention Division
The United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction was held from January 18 to 22, 2005, in Kobe,
to decide new strategies of the United Nations to reduce
disasters. The Hyogo Declaration was adopted at the conference, confirming the importance of mitigating the riskof disasters.
Public forums open to the general public were also held
as part of the conference, including a symposium held by
the Flood Disaster Prevention Division of the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management on “Newpartnership between citizens & governments for flood resistant community”.

gave a speech entitled “Typhoon No. 23, the Flood Damageand Our Action”. Mr. Bruce Stewart from the Bureau ofMetrology, Australia gave a speech entitled “Flood control
measures in Australia - roles of community and government”. After the lectures, important points in mitigating
flood damages were discussed by all participants in abrain-storming manner. It was concluded in general that1) education on disaster prevention in local communities
and schools is important, 2) fast and reliable methods fortransmitting disaster information should be established,and 3) disaster experiences in the past should be accumulated and analyzed. The symposium ended in success, andthe results were reported the next day at an inter-government session of WCDR.

In the symposium, the mayor of Toyooka City, which
was affected by floods during Typhoon No. 23 in 2004,

Photo 3 Director-General Hamaguchi of the NILIM giving remarks at the opening ceremony■ TECHNICAL NOTE of National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management(May-June, 2004)
134

Operation Manual for Communication System for Town PlanningResearch Coordinator for Housing Information System

151

The HOPE (Housing with Proper Environment) Project, 1983-2003

Construction Economics Division

159

Draft Manual for the Application of Remote Sensing Technologies to Detect Facilites Damages

Earthquake Disaster Prevention Division

182

Report of the 2nd Evaluation Committee of NILIM in FY2003

Research Administration and Evaluation Division

183

Annual Report of Research Activities, Earthquake Disaster Prevention Division, 2003

Earthquake Disaster Prevention Division■ "2005 Annual Report of NILIM" is now on our website (in Japanese only, for the time being)
We publish "2005 Annual Report of NILIM" to show our research activities and accomplishments, and you can see its contents
on our website, www.nilim.go.jp. English version will be available in the future.

National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Asahi 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0804, Japan(Tachihara) Tachihara 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0802, Japan(Yokosuka) Nagase 3-1-1, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 239-0826, Japan
TEL:+81-29-864-2675 FAX:+81-29-864-4322

News Letter

No.13
June 2005w w w . n i l i m . g o . j p