Staff
Dear students,
Nine years have already passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, which was etched into the history of Japan and the memory of the people as an unprecedented catastrophe.At a time when the world, including Japan, is in a crisis over the new coronavirus, we are once again reminded that the unimaginable disaster of the Great East Japan Earthquake that suddenly struck us was a great tragedy that could not be prevented.
Over the past nine years, the reconstruction of the affected areas seems to be divided into partial progress and slow progress. The suffering of those who have been injured, and those who have suffered physical and mental injuries, is still great. They are living a tough life, such as being forced to live.On the other hand, there are also voices of concern that the general public has become indifferent to the fact that the disaster has "faded" (a side that is being forgotten).
What is important for us to learn in this situation?
Recently, in a field study program conducted at our university in which students from Asia and our students participated, we conducted a survey of the areas and residents affected by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Appreciation of the Japanese people and "safety management", which is how to prepare for "safety and security" and how to deal with and minimize damage in the event of an earthquake that has been built from that He expressed a high interest in creating a system for ".
Japan accounts for 0.28% of the world's land area, but 20.5% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher occurred in Japan, and 0.3% of the world's active volcanoes are in Japan.In addition, Japan accounts for 11.9% of the world's deaths from disasters, and XNUMX% of the damage caused by disasters worldwide.
It may be difficult to notice and forget the value of being able to live a safe and secure life in our daily lives, where crises and incidents have yet to occur.
We must reaffirm the value of these things that we tend to take for granted, and fulfill our responsibility to maintain that status.
At our university, we offer courses that disaster prevention specialists can take in all departments, and through safety management education aimed at realizing a "safe and secure" society, each person will learn the lessons learned from this great earthquake, I would like to confirm with everyone that we have a responsibility to work on creating a society that values connections between people.
The school's founding spirit, "Iai-i-en," is to have an attitude of compassion and acceptance of others. It is also about creating a community.
Through the experiences and reflections you gain from these efforts, what you can do to help create a safe and secure society and environment for the future, remembering those who lost their lives and those who were affected by the disaster. is discovered and implemented.
In addition, the faculty, staff and students of our university, who are located in a prefecture affected by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake 25 years ago, understand the pain and voluntarily offer their prayers and support for recovery to the people in the affected areas. I would like to continue
Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to all those who lost their lives in the Great East Japan Earthquake.
2020 January 3
Kansai International University
President Atsushi Hamana
