Event Report

An Agreement of Cooperation Concluded with Kagoshima City

An Agreement of Cooperation was signed between the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University, and the Kagoshima City on 7 October 2025. The agreement aims to promote mutual cooperation; and the exchange of personnel, human, intellectual, and material resources in various fields such as disaster prevention research, disaster prevention education, and disaster response.

Research Reports

Publication of Paper on “Less Is More: Short-Term Window Calibration Improves Seasonal Shoreline Prediction in Modeling”

A collaborative research team consisting of Professor Nobuhito Mori of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University; Senior Researcher Xinyu Chen, and Group Leader Masayuki Banno, both from the Port and Airport Research Institute, Yokosuka, Japan has announced a groundbreaking method for predicting seasonal changes in shorelines. It demonstrates that training with short-term data (just two years) significantly improves prediction accuracy compared to the conventional approach of optimizing numerical models using long-term data. The “finding demonstrate that short-window calibration substantially enhances model capability for capturing wave-driven seasonal shoreline changes, offering a practical solution for coastal risk assessment using limited observational data. This approach is particularly valuable given increasing availability of satellite-derived shoreline data and the need for accurate seasonal predictions under changing climate conditions.” (excerpt from Abstract)

Media Coverage

Published Article on “A new statistical method of rapid event attribution for probability of extreme events: applications to heatwave events in Japan”

An article on “A new statistical method of rapid event attribution for probability of extreme events: applications to heatwave events in Japan” by Associate Professor Tomohiro Tanaka, Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University, in collaboration with Project Assistant Professor Chiaki Takahashi and Associate Professor Yukiko Imada of the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, the University of Tokyo, and Director Hiroaki Kawase of the Meteorological Research Institute, Japan Meteorological Agency, was published. In the abstract they “confirmed that this approach can successfully estimate the probability of several past extreme temperature events in Japan under the factual and counterfactual climate conditions which is comparable to the estimation of conventional LE method. This new rapid EA method will be applicable to other types of extreme events and to events all over the world.”

Media Coverage

Article on Ultra-Dense Observation of Earthquakes without the Use of Seismometers: The Mechanism of Earthquakes in Southern Kyoto Prefecture Captured by Fiber-Optic Sensing Technology

A research group consisting of doctoral student Yuki Funabiki at the Graduate School of Science, and Prof. Masatoshi Miyazawa at the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University, captured an earthquake that occurred in Southern Kyoto Prefecture using data from a novel fiber-optic sensing technique called distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), demonstrating the effectiveness of next-generation earthquake observation.
For further details, refer to the full article – Estimating Focal Mechanism of Small Earthquakes Using S/P Amplitude Ratios of Distributed Acoustic Sensing Records published online in the International academic Journal Geophysical Research Letters on 3 May 2025.

International Exchange

Opening ceremony for the on-site satellite laboratory “International Laboratory for Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Prevention Studies” (iLETs) held at the National University of El Salvador

The opening ceremony for the on-site satellite laboratory “International Laboratory for Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Prevention Studies” (iLETs) was held at the National University of El Salvador on 12 may 2025. It will be positioned as a satellite laboratory of iLETs which opened at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 2024, and will conduct research activities in collaboration with the SATREPS (Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development) under Disaster Prevention and Mitigation for “Compound Disaster Risk Reduction associated with Large Earthquakes and Tsunamis” ​​ implemented in Mexico and El Salvador.

Media Coverage

Article Published on Mitigating Disasters Caused by Heavy Rainfall in Urban Areas

A research group led by Kenta Irie, and Prof. Tetsuya Takemi of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University, aimed to mitigate disasters caused by heavy rain in urban areas. They revealed through computer simulations using a supercomputer that reducing the amount of heat emitted from buildings and the ground in urban areas is an effective way in controlling cumulonimbus clouds that develop rapidly in summer afternoons which can cause local heavy precipitation and flooding, particularly in urban areas.
Results of this research “Effects of modifying surface sensible heat flux on summertime local precipitation in urban areas of Osaka, Japan” were published online in the international academic journal “Theoretical and Applied Climatology” on 12 May 2025.

International Exchange

Signing of General Memorandum for Academic Cooperation and Exchange with BRGM

DPRI and BRGM (French Geological Survey) signed a General Memorandum for Academic Cooperation and Exchange. On February 26th, 2025, a signing ceremony was held with attendance of DPRI Director Tomoharu Hori and BRGM President and COE Catherine Lagneau.
DPRI and BRGM have been collaborating since 2009 on research such as seismic source rupture process, propagation and amplification characteristics of ground motions, estimation of building response, and damage estimation of lifelines. A Memorandum of Understanding was first signed in 2013 and extended in 2018, to continue a fruitful 10-year cooperation and exchange. This time, with BRGM under a new executive structure and preparing to be re-accredited as a research institution in France, the two institutes have signed a new academic exchange agreement.

International Exchange

Signing of An Agreement of Cooperation with Hazama Ando Corporation

The Kyoto University Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI-KU) signed a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Hazama Ando Corporation headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo with the aim of developing disaster prevention and mitigation technologies and using them in the field. The Agreement was signed by Mr. Kazuhiko Kuniya, Representative Director and President on 25 December 2024.
In light of changes in the social environment, such as population decline and the shift to a decarbonized society, the collaboration under this agreement aims to promote the development of technologies to deal with natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, and fires, and to contribute to sustainable national resilience and regional revitalization by ensuring that these technologies are effectively utilized in local and on-site areas.

Research

Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI)

This page captures the DPRI research activities at a glance.
　GADRI WebSite Link: [　https://gadri.net　] 　One outcome was the establishment of the "Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI)." GADRI is a forum for sharing knowledge and promoting collaboration on topics related to disaster risk reduction and resilience to disasters.

Research

Disaster Prevention Research Institute Research launches site for "Our research activities at a glance" (Japanese only)

This page captures the DPRI research activities at a glance.
The site is easily navigated, though only in Japanese, and expressed in easy to understand words.
Come and visit us!