********************************************************************************************IISEE Newsletter No.88 December 21, 2012********************************************************************************************++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Contents+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1. At the end of the year 2012
2. Parting Message from Dr. Saito
3. The first IISEE Seminar will be held
4. Study Trip Report of Niigata Prefecture and Tohoku region (by S & E-courses)++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++============================================================================[1] At the end of the year 2012
Thanks to all of you, we could celebrate 50th anniversary of the establishment of IISEE. We heldinternational memorial symposiums in February and June of this year and issued a commemorative
publication titled “Ayumi of IISEE (in Japanese)” with CD in English. We will continue to advance,collaborating with GRIPS, JICA and UNESCO. New earthquake and tsunami disaster management
is in progress at the affected areas in Tohoku where reconstruction has just started. IISEE tries toprovide new knowledge and technologies to make the most of these hard lessons. We will very muchappreciate your continuous understanding and support in the future.
Please find the attached file of a greeting card from IISEE.
Shoichi ANDODirector, IISEEAll staff members of IISEE------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[2] Parting Message from Dr. Saito
I retired from Building Research Institute in this October and working as a Professor at Toyohashi
University of Technology from November. It was a wonderful experience for me working in IISEE asa chief research engineer and meeting with excellent participants around the world through thetraining course. Improving seismic safety of buildings is important work to save lives regardless ofthe country. I will continue to carry out research activities related to seismic assessment of buildings.
Also, taking advantage of the experience of IISEE, I would like to educate university students tohave an international perspective. My best wishes for future growth and prosperity of IISEE.
Taiki SAITO
Professor, Toyohashi University of Technology (tsaito@ace.tut.ac.jp)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[3] The first IISEE Seminar will be held
IISEE are pleased to inform you that we will newly organize “IISEE Seminar”, aiming at exchanging
information and deepening cooperation in IISEE, between the fields of seismology, earthquake
engineering and tsunami. Up-to-date topics will be introduced by researchers, lecturers andex-participants of the International Training in Seismology and Earthquake Engineering who doresearch in and across these fields. The first IISEE Seminar will be held as follows:
Date and Time: 9:10-10:10, Monday, December 25, 2012
Speaker: Prof. Takashi Furumura(Center for Integrated Disaster Information Research (CIDIR), Interfaculty Initiative in Information
Studies / Earthquake Research Institute, the University of Tokyo)
Topic: Computer Simulation of Seismic Wave and Tsunami
Other Seminars:
March 5, 2013: Dr. Masumi Yamada (Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University)
Being arranged:+Dr. Chimed Odonbaatar (Research Center Astronomy and Geophysics Mongolian Academy ofSciences)+Prof. Francisco Jose Chavez Garcia (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico)+Dr. Pulido Nelson (National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[4] Study Trip Report of Niigata Prefecture and Tohoku region (by S & E-courses)
Participants of Seismology course and Earthquake Engineering course visited Niigata Prefectureand Miyagi Prefecture (November 13 to 16). English reports of Study Trip by participants of S andE-courses are as follows.
Ms. GALSTYAN Nazeli / Armenia (Earthquake Engineering Course)
For us Tohoku Study Trip was one of the best ways not only in fact to verify our theoreticalknowledge about 2011 Tohoku Earthquake but also chance to understand Japanese culture how tomake a reconstruction plan after disasters without panic and follow it with full optimism. How toovercome the challenge to have a harmonic country with nature and peace even in case of big
disasters. After this trip I felt me more responsible to do my best to have a deep knowledge of EE.
Since that is only way to overcome the main goal of EE “Save the human life!” I am thankful for thisStudy Trip to IISEE.

Mr.KHADKA Bir Bahadur / Nepal (Earthquake Engineering Course)
The study trip on from 13 to 16 Nov. 2012 was really beneficial in many ways. In the one hand weobserved most of the affected areas due to Earthquakes and Tsunami that occurred 2004 and 2011,
and in the other hand we got a lot of knowledge to mitigate and manage the effects of suchdisaster .The reconstruction plan, procedures, peoples’ participation, immediate response of thegovernment, involvement of private sectors, buildings having base isolation system etc. wereimpressed me very much because we don’t have such kind of coordination and skill. In fact, that visit
was in the area of focus of my study period to advance my understanding of EQ/Tsunami and theoutput will be instrumental to apply such techniques in my country.
Mr. NYAGO Joseph / Uganda (Seismology course)
My recent visit to Nagoaka and Tohoku regions is one of the remarkable experiences during my stayin Japan. I had a great opportunity to witness some of the live scenes in disaster hit areas of thecountry caused by 2004 M6.8 Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake and 2011, M9.0 Offshore Pacificearthquake and its devastating tsunami. Besides sightseeing, I came to realize and acknowledge
Japanese determination, confidence and dedication towards management of disasters, throughmaking use of effective recovery practices and techniques to revive the devastated areas. I therefore
emphasize that natural disasters will never warn once they are to strike. This further contributes tomy understanding that for a developing country, whose economy can easily get crippled due to suchsevere disasters, it is high time to embark on managing disasters through formulation of effective
disaster recovery and mitigation policies and techniques which can easily cope up with the local
conditions.
Mr. Rajabi BANIANI Sepehr / Iran (Seismology course)
These days study trips play an important role for participants and students, all around the world. In
the case of Geohazards and earthquakes, this method helps us to know moreabout causes anddamages related to these hazards. I had this chance to visit Nagaoka and Tohoku regions. Nagaoka
was hit by an earthquake in 2004 and it caused some damage to the city and especially mountainous
places. However, the important matter is how people came together and rebuilt their city. The same
situation had happened in Tohoku but the difference is that there was a huge tsunami which hit thecoastal cities. This trip had a great outcome, as I learned a lot about Geohazards and the importanceof management in and after natural hazards in order to rebuild the city effectively and immediately.
This trip was a great experience to improve our system inside of my home country.
Toshiaki YOKOI
Chief Research Scientist, IISEEKoichi MORITA
Chief Research Engineer, IISEE

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