Introduction to “tsunamis: 1992–94”

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43185/1/24_2004_Article_BF00874373.pd

バリ島における祭礼の仕組み/アジアの祝祭文化の比較研究

アジア各地の祭礼は、多様な文化的伝統を背景に、多彩な表現形態をもっている。とくに山車は、多様な造形性のみならず、豊穣な象徴性をもち、アジアの世界観や造形観を理解するには不可欠である。本報告は、祭礼の実態把握を目的に、インドネシアのバリ島で2010年6月から9月まで実施した予備的な調査から寺院祭礼(オダラン)、火葬儀礼について、中心となる象徴物が、宗教的信仰、世界観、伝統社会とどのように関連しているかについて概括的に検討するものである。寺院祭礼は、神の降臨と慰撫という明確な基本構造のうえに成立し、決して揺るがない。したがって、芸能や音楽の位置づけも原初的な意味あいの有効性を失っていない。そこに社会的な求心力の宗教的源泉があると思われる。火葬儀礼は、バリの世界観と社会構造が反映されている。とくに仮装行列に曳きだされる火葬塔バデと火葬棺にはカーストや社会的地位によって、大きさや種類が厳格に規定され、その規模も異なる。また、天界、地上、地下世界からなるというバリの世界観は、バデの構造にも見られる。バリの祭礼の根底には、聖/俗、天/地などの二元論的な対立と共存が存在し、その均衡が希求されている。There are a wide variety of festivals in each Asian countries, which have rich and significant cultural traditions as their background. Especially marching floats (“dashi” in Japanese) that have not only various unique forms, but abundant symbolic meanings, are essential for understanding the Asian cosmology and their expressiveness.This report is based on my primary research at Bali, Indonesia from June to September 2010, aiming to grasp actual conditions of festivals including temple festivals “odalan” and cremation ceremonies, and focusing the relationship of symbols such as cremation tower “bade” with religious belief, cosmology, and social system.From my research, I found opposition and coexistence in symbolic dichotomy such as sacred/profane, heaven/earth in Balinese festivals, and harmony and balance between them are most longed for

A Study on Influential Factors on Building Damage in Kesennuma, Japan from the 2011 Great East Japan Tsunami

A number of buildings were damaged by the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami in the Tohoku area. The research objective is to determine the significant predictor variables of the level of building damage. This paper used detailed data on damaged buildings in Kesennuma City, Japan, collected by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). The tested explanatory parameters included the inundation depth, number of floors, volume of the building, debris flow, structural material, and function of the building. Through multinomial logistic regression, the results found that the number of floors was significantly associated with the damage level; the inundation depth, structural material (reinforced concrete and masonry), and function of the building (commercial facility, transportation/storage facility, and public facility) were partially associated with the damage level. This study can contribute to academic research by assessing the contribution of different variables to observed damage data by applying statistical analysis, as well as the practical contribution of providing an examination of the predominant factors driving tsunami damage to buildings

Lessons Learned from the 2011 Great East Japan Tsunami: Performance of Tsunami Countermeasures, Coastal Buildings, and Tsunami Evacuation in Japan

In 2011, Japan was hit by a tsunami that was generated by the greatest earthquake in its history. The first tsunami warning was announced 3 min after the earthquake, as is normal, but failed to estimate the actual tsunami height. Most of the structural countermeasures were not designed for the huge tsunami that was generated by the magnitude M = 9.0 earthquake; as a result, many were destroyed and did not stop the tsunami. These structures included breakwaters, seawalls, water gates, and control forests. In this paper we discuss the performance of these countermeasures, and the mechanisms by which they were damaged; we also discuss damage to residential houses, commercial and public buildings, and evacuation buildings. Some topics regarding tsunami awareness and mitigation are discussed. The failures of structural defenses are a reminder that structural (hard) measures alone were not sufficient to protect people and buildings from a major disaster such as this. These defenses might be able to reduce the impact but should be designed so that they can survive even if the tsunami flows over them. Coastal residents should also understand the function and limit of the hard measures. For this purpose, non-structural (soft) measures, for example experience and awareness, are very important for promoting rapid evacuation in the event of a tsunami. An adequate communication system for tsunami warning messages and more evacuation shelters with evacuation routes in good condition might support a safe evacuation process. The combination of both hard and soft measures is very important for reducing the loss caused by a major tsunami. This tsunami has taught us that natural disasters can occur repeatedly and that their scale is sometimes larger than expected

Tsunami field survey of the 1992 Nicaragua earthquake

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95368/1/eost9614.pd