In the early morning on January 17, 1995 we recognized again that it was crucial to prepare for a huge natural disaster in a modern city such as Han-shin Awaji earthquake disaster and to require empirical action plans beforehand.   Niigata Chu-etsu earthquake, which was occurred on October 23, 2004, brought us to the another issues in disaster at semi-mountainous land.    Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and the Indian Ocean Tsunami reminded us the enormous damage for earthquake-Tsunami and inevitable of international cooperations after the disaster.

The ongoing research to a potential huge earthquake estimates that there should be nationwide in Japan shaked up furiously and should lose many lives and properties.   Some researchers point out that Tokai earthquake, East-South sea earthquake, or South sea earthquake might be occurred at high percentage in the first half of this century. In addition of earthquakes we have suffered heavy storms or huge typhoons recently which caused floods, landslides, and high tides. Also we have suffered Fukushima nuclear plant disaster.    It is well received for us to build disaster management programs and risk management programs by those disasters.

A disaster is occurred in various forms as our society has evolved.   Sometimes we suffer a huge damage beyond our estimation.   Thus we have to improve a disaster program as our society changes.   We think two key words under the circumstance are “information” and “wisdom”.

On the other hand, the informatization by electronic media has transformed our society from the bottom.    It surely brings us a lot of benefits, however, the sudden change sometimes leaves various strains in our society. We understand two-sides of the informatization and should set the right direction to the future. Looking at disaster management it is required that we collect the right information as much as possible before and after disaster utilizing the latest smart devices.  Alert and report of disaster will play a key role in every occasion.   We have to think about how to provide urgent and valuable information from all information we collect.