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  •    U.S.-Japan Research Institute,
       Washington D.C. (Headquarters)
      
       1875 I Street NW, Suite 512,   
       Washington, DC 20006
       Phone： 202-775-4161
       E-mail：     usjp@us-jpri.org
     

U.S.-Japan Research Institute
Japan Office

c/o Strategic Management Planning Office, Office of the President, Waseda University,
Totsuka-machi 1-104, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050
Phone： +81-3-5286-8740
Fax： +81-3-5286-8385
E-mail： usjp@us-jpri.org

 

Events
USJI Seminar

The Great East Japan Earthquake:
Lessons for Japan’s Energy Policy, Infrastructure Development, and Media Coverage


Thursday, July 21, 2011　10:00am-12:00pm

Venue　 JSPS/JST Washington DC Office Conference Room  
                2001 L Street N.W.,Suite 1050 Washington D.C. 20036

Welcome Remarks: Dr. Yoshiaki Abe, USJI Operating Adviser / University Professor,
                                                                      Waseda University

Moderator & Speaker: Dr. Mikiyasu Nakayama, Professor, Division of Environmental Studies,
                                                                                         Graduate School of Frontier Sciences,
                                                                                         The University of Tokyo

Speakers: Dr. Mikio Ishiwatari, Senior Advisor in disaster management
                                                          and water resources managemanet,
                                                          the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA)
                 Ms. Jennifer Sklarew, U.S.-Japan energy policy specialist
                 Dr. Mikiko Sugiura, Visiting Scholar of the Department of Civil Engineering Mechanics,
                                                         Columbia University

Commentator: Dr. Norio Yamamoto, Executive Vice President,
                                                                   Global Infrastructure Fund(GIF) Research Foundation Japan

This event is free and open to the public.

REGISTER

 The Great East Japan Earthquake has tragically exposed the vulnerabilities of societal systems that the Japanese have long taken for granted. Many of the coastal defense structures that were built along the Northern Pacific coast, such as seawalls, failed to protect communities from the record-breaking tsunami that was generated. The quiet faith in Japan’s nuclear reactors by its citizenry shattered when radioactive particles emitted by the severely damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station spread far and wide and continue to do so to this very day. Similarly, everyday Japanese citizens and businesses alike were abruptly forced to contend with “rolling blackouts” instituted as an emergency measure by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) due to the shortage in power generating capacity. Confusion and frustration materialized as government officials and the media struggled to communicate with the public and failed to word the right message in the midst of this unprecedented disaster in Japan’s modern history. The Seminar will analyze the mechanisms behind each of the vulnerabilities just described and identify any countermeasures that were ready and available, as well as those that were not. This still on-going catastrophe will serve as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the global community, yielding critical lessons to prepare for the future and prevent a repeat of the events that began on March 11, 2011.



Organized by: U.S.-Japan Research Institute(USJI)

Supported by:

Keio University, Kyoto University, Ritsumeikan University,
The University of Tokyo, Waseda University

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