On Wednesday 9 March, Kyoto University's Tokyo Office hosted the first installment of its 21th public lecture series, "Mega Earthquakes: What Will Happen and How We Prepare", organized as part of its Tokyo de Manabu Kyoto no Chi ("Ingesting Kyoto University's Knowledge -- in Tokyo ") program.
The lecture was delivered by Professor Yasuhiro Hayashi of the Graduate School of Engineering under the title of "Preparing Cities and Buildings for Major Earthquakes".
Prof Hayashi traced Japan's earthquake history and described the safety measures now in place in the country's cities and buildings.
He also illustrated the features of some of the past and anticipated major earthquakes, the former including the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and the latter, those predicted to strike Tokyo and along the Nankai Trough.
Other topics covered included structures of buildings and how they can be damaged by earthquakes, and the history of building design regulations, including the Building Standards Act.
In conclusion, Prof Hayashi emphasized that in order to prepare for earthquakes, we must each develop a habit of learning and thinking for ourselves as well as the ability to assess risks and anticipate what might happen next.
Prof Hayashi
Lecture venue
