[Public Lecture] July Lecture: "Future Earthquakes in the Kansai Region and an Introduction to Structural Technologies Developed to Ensure Safety"

The 2026 public lecture series will be held throughout the year with the main theme of "Recommendations for Appreciating Architecture and Urban Planning."

The fourth and final session of the first semester was held on July 11th, with a presentation by Yoshiyuki Fukumoto Part-time Lecturer Otemae University, on the theme of "Earthquakes that may occur in the Kansai region in the future and an introduction to structural technologies developed to ensure safety." 107 people attended.

Mr. Fukumoto, as Director of the structural design department at a major general contractor, has been involved in the design of numerous high-rise buildings with seismic isolation and damping structures. He began by explaining, based on data, that earthquakes of magnitude 5 or higher in Japan, especially magnitude 7 or higher, have increased sharply since the Great Hanshin Earthquake. He emphasized that furniture toppling is a common occurrence in earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher, and strongly urged us to take measures to prevent furniture from toppling as something we should implement immediately.

Next, regarding potential future earthquakes, the speaker explained that many seismologists are paying attention to the "Uemachi Fault Zone," which runs through Toyonaka and Kishiwada in Osaka, along with the Nankai Trough earthquake, due to the unique characteristics of the expected shaking. They also clearly explained various cutting-edge seismic resistance, vibration control, and base isolation technologies using examples of buildings around us, with videos and miniature models of vibration control and base isolation devices. It became clear that the latest Architecture are being built with the latest technology to cope with earthquakes.

Finally, he mentioned that buildings constructed under the old seismic standards (those for which Architecture permits were granted before May 31, 1981) may be vulnerable to major earthquakes. He also shared a quote he used to tell new employees when he was a department Director at a major general contractor: "Always keep in mind the people who will actually live in and use the building when you conduct research and development." He concluded by saying that he also wanted to ask the people who will actually live in and use the building to make the best possible preparations to protect their lives in the event of a disaster.

(Source: Regional and Social Cooperation Office)