The 19th Kyoto University International Symposium: Health Concerns in the Wake of the Tohoku Triple Disaster was held at the Kyoto University Clock Tower Centennial Hall.
The symposium was attended by 327 participants from Japan and overseas. Focusing on health risks, it examined the process by which the Japanese people have endeavored to restore their lives in the wake of the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant triple disaster which struck the Tohoku region on March 11, 2011. Lectures by leading scholars from Harvard University, Kyoto University, and other institutions examined the topic from diverse academic perspectives, seeking to cross academic and geographical borders, and combine knowledge to contribute to disaster preparedness.
The symposium opened with an address by Prof. Emer. Hiroshi Matsumoto, president of Kyoto University. In his address, President Matsumoto stressed that although a year and four months have elapsed since the disasters occurred, there are still many who continue to suffer from their effects. He spoke of the importance of the continuing recovery efforts in Tohoku, and the unease caused by fears of future earthquakes predicted to occur in the Tokai region of Japan. He asserted that the question of how to respond to the Tohoku earthquake, the largest in recorded history, is a problem of global concern, as it involves global-scale issues such as energy resources, food issues, and cultural and lifestyle issues. President Matsumoto also highlighted that through collaborating with scholars from Harvard University, the symposium sought to share opinions and discussion from perspective a global perspective, emphasizing that the sharing of knowledge should not be confined to those in the academic community, but should also involve the general population.
The symposium comprised four sessions, chaired by Prof. Emer. Iwao Uchiama and Prof. Yuzuru Matsuoka of Kyoto University's Graduate School of Engineering. Session 1 featured keynote speeches by Prof. Shin-ichi Sakai, director of Kyoto University's Environment Preservation Research Center, who discussed disaster waste management issues relating to the Great East Japan Earthquake, and Dr. Richard D. Otto, chief medical officer of the Embassy of the United States in Japan, who spoke about the US Embassy’s response to the disasters. Session 2, titled Sanitation and Environmental Policy, focused on issues such as public health and water safety in relation to earthquake disasters. Session 3, Metals and Radioactive Materials, discussed risks relating to toxic metals in disaster waste materials and radiation risks. Session 4, the final session, was titled Future Perspective, and discussed options relating to energy sources with a focus on air pollution, health risks, and potential future disasters.
The symposium was concluded by an address by Prof. Emer. Yuzo Ohnishi, Kyoto University's executive vice-president for external affairs and alumni relations. Executive Vice-President Ohnishi expressed his view that it was necessary for the Japanese people to utilize a fusion of interdisciplinary and international knowledge to prepare for future disasters, firmly establish Japan's disaster prevention and response plan, and communicate the lessons learned from the Tohoku disaster to the world.
The 19th Kyoto University International Symposium: Health Concerns in the Wake of the Tohoku Triple Disaster was held by Kyoto University in collaboration with Harvard University, supported by the Association of Environmental & Sanitary Engineering Research of Kyoto University, and sponsored by the Kyoto University Foundation and the Kansai research foundation for Technology Promotion.
 The symposium presenters. |  President Hiroshi Matsumoto meeting with Prof. Douglas Dockery, chair of the School of Public Health (center) and Prof. Richard Wilson of the Department of Physics (left) of Harvard University. |
 President Hiroshi Matsumoto delivers his opening address. |  Dr. Otto, chief medical officer of the Embassy. |
 To left Prof. Nancy Long Sieber of the School of Public Health, Harvard University, Prof. Emer. Richard Wilson of the Department of Physics, Harvard University, Prof. Douglas Dockery, chair of the School of Public Health, Harvard University. | |
Exteral Link
- For further details, please visit the symposium website:
http://www.opir.kyoto-u.ac.jp/kuis19/index_en.html