Institute of Disaster Mitigation for Urban Cultural Heritage, Ritsumeikan University / 立命館大学 歴史都市防災研究所

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Our Mission

The primary objective of the Center is to protect urban cultural assets from disasters, and establish the necessary knowledge and technology to protect cultural heritage for future generations. Until recently, academic research regarding the Disaster Mitigation of cultural heritage and historic cities has been unsystematic. Thus, it is important to establish a comprehensive academic system whereby experts can collaborate from various related fields such as disaster science, civil engineering, architecture, information sciences and the humanities.

Located in the richly endowed historical city of Kyoto, the Center, working together with Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University, will serve as an education and research base that integrates art and culture. The Center will have an important role in creating a new academic field combining social science, the humanities and engineering.

To make the technological advances needed, experts from a wide variety of fields must have a place to collaborate and conduct comprehensive research. The Center strives to facilitate joint research activities among experts in Japan and around the world, and we hope that many researchers will join us to share knowledge that will help to protect cultural heritage from disasters for future generations to come.

An UNESCO Chair was established at our Center in October 2006, for promoting the international training program on risk management of cultural heritage, and is enabling us to become an international information network hub for the related activities.

Research Activities

History of Disaster against Cultural Heritage

• Destruction by fire of cultural assets in Kyoto
• Earthquake damage in the Kyoto Basin
• Restoration of historical structures and its location
• Values and disaster/reconstruction history of cultural heritages

Vulnerability of Cultural Heritage

• Improving earthquake-resistance in historical structures
• Protection of arts and crafts from earthquakes
• Urban fire-prevention planning
• Disaster mitigation and urban planning for cities rich in cultural heritage

Conservation of Cultural Heritage

• Predicting earthquake ground motion from active faults in the Kyoto Basin
• Proposing integrated preparedness measures for urban and cultural heritage areas
• Managing traffic in times of disaster
• Conservation and protection of historical landscapes
• Policies and measures for the risk preparedness, restoration and rehabilitation of cultural heritages
• International comparison of disasters and protection measures on cultural heritages