When it comes to natural disasters, readiness is key. Being recognized as a leading nation for innovation and technology, Japan has protected itself from the worst natural disasters by boasting one of the world’s most msophisticated earthquake and tsunami warning systems. Lengthy research on earthquake safety and disaster management, international conferences on disaster prevention and proper infrastructure are all evidence of Japan’s dedication to disaster management and mitigation.

The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami was particularly devastating for Japan. Unable to predict that the country would experience an earthquake of such scale, the magnitude of destruction by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami was a severe shock to the Japanese. With this in mind, Tohoku University founded the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) with the objective of becoming a worldclass center for the study of disaster management and mitigation, dedicated to fostering a culture of disaster-resiliency in societies.