ABOUT LABORATORY
Advancing disaster prevention through water engineering.
INTRODUCTION
Our laboratory conducts research and education in disaster prevention water engineering, focusing on the relationship between natural water-related phenomena and society, with the goal of protecting people's lives and communities from water-related disasters.
Water does not flow within rivers alone. The characteristics of a watershed, land use, river conditions, urban structures, and the behavior of people living in these areas are all closely interconnected.
We seek to scientifically understand these complex water-related hazards, predict their potential impacts, and translate scientific knowledge into practical approaches for disaster prevention and risk reduction.
01
WHY
Why We Conduct This Research
Toward a Safer and More Resilient Society
Floods and inundation are natural phenomena, but they are also major societal challenges
that can have significant impacts on people's lives, infrastructure, and communities.
As climate change and urbanization continue to alter the risks associated with water-related disasters,
it is becoming increasingly important to understand potential hazards scientifically
and prepare for events that may occur in the future, rather than relying solely on past experience.
We seek to contribute to a safer and more sustainable society
by understanding how water flows and predicting how disasters may develop and expand.
The value of research goes beyond publishing scientific papers.
Our goal is to transform scientific knowledge into technologies and approaches that can help protect people and communities.
That is why we continue to conduct our research.
02
HOW
How We Conduct Our Research
Connecting DIfferent Technologies, Grounded in Water Engineering
Understanding water-related disasters and reducing their future impacts
cannot be achieved through a single approach alone.
Our laboratory places water engineering at the core of our research,
while integrating technologies from numerical modeling,
computational science, and data science.
We first reproduce and analyze water flows and flood phenomena
using numerical models based on physical laws,
allowing us to develop a scientific understanding of the phenomena themselves.
We then incorporate technologies such as high-performance computing
and artificial intelligence to enable larger-scale and faster simulations,
as well as prediction technologies that can be applied in real-world settings.
The important point is not simply to use new technologies.
We place hydraulic understanding at the center of our research
and combine the strengths of different technologies
according to the objectives and challenges of each research problem.
This is the foundation of our research approach.
03
WHAT
What We Study
Understanding Water-Related Disasters
through High-Resolution 2D Modeling
Our research is built around
high-resolution two-dimensional numerical models using unstructured triangular meshes,
which allow us to represent water flows in rivers, paddy fields, and urban areas in considerable detail
and analyze the development and impacts of water-related disasters.
By developing our models according to the characteristics and scale of each phenomenon,
we seek not only to understand individual hydraulic processes
but also to connect the results of detailed numerical analyses
to flood mitigation, disaster prediction, and evacuation support.
Building on these high-resolution numerical simulations, our research extends to a wide range of topics,
including integrated watershed management, riverbed dynamics, urban flooding, evacuation simulation, and rapid flood prediction using AI.
04
EDUCATION
How We Learn and Grow
From Learning to Creating
We begin by learning the fundamentals, understanding real-world phenomena,
and conducting research with our own hands.
From the fundamentals of hydraulics and river engineering to flood simulation,
disaster prevention and evacuation simulation, and AI-based flood prediction,
students deepen their knowledge through research addressing real-world societal challenges.
Through numerical modeling, programming, and data analysis,
students learn to ask questions such as
“Why does this phenomenon occur?”and “How can we reduce its impacts?”,
and develop their ideas into original research.
Our goal is not simply to acquire knowledge, but to develop the ability to understand phenomena, identify problems, and develop solutions.
05
OUR VALUES
What We Value
Ask Questions. Think. Connect Research to Society.
We value the ability to think scientifically, formulate our own questions, and take on new challenges.
To address the complexity of water-related disasters, it is important to look beyond existing knowledge and established methods and to ask for ourselves:
“Why does this happen?” and “How can we reduce its impacts?”
We carefully examine phenomena and scientifically validate our findings.
We then seek to connect the knowledge gained through research to practical disaster prevention and risk reduction, as well as to broader challenges facing society.
Our research does not end within the laboratory.
We value maintaining an awareness of how our research connects with people, communities, and society.
The same principle applies to education.
Rather than simply providing students with answers,
we encourage them to identify their own questions, think independently,experiment, learn from challenges, and develop their own research.
Explore. Challenge. Connect to Society.
These are the values that guide our research and education.
