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The Tsuboi Seminar of Faculty of Economics conducted a field trip to the areas in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, that were affected by Typhoon Hagibis in 2019, eight years after the disaster struck.Utsunomiya Campus

On Saturday, October 17, 2026, in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, the seminar led by Sotaro Tsuboi of Teikyo University Faculty of Economics Department of Regional Economics Professor conducted a field trip focused on disaster prevention and response.In October 2019 (Reiwa 1), Typhoon No. 19 caused extensive flooding in various parts of the city, resulting in damage to over 1,000 buildings.Marking the eighth anniversary of the disaster, this field trip—conducted as part of this year’s seminar’s common research theme, “Research on Disaster Prevention and Response Measures in the Greater Tokyo Area”—aimed to “pass on disaster experiences to the next generation through photographs taken by the participants themselves.” The group walked the entire approximately 6-kilometer route.
The field trip began at the“Iwazo Retention Basin” (total storage capacity: 243,000 metric tons)—which began construction in 2023 following land acquisition and other post-disaster procedures, and was completed last September after two years of work—as our starting point. We then proceeded along the Tagawa River, observing signs marking “actual flood depths” recorded on the piers of pedestrian bridges and utility poles, as well as locations that served as bases for disaster victim support and volunteer centers. Professor, who served as the tour leader, had experience conducting disaster record surveys at the “Utsunomiya Living Recovery Support Center,” an organization supporting disaster victims, at the time of the disaster. He provided on-site explanations based on photographs and maps from that period.
The Tsuboi Seminar will continue to work toward improving regional disaster prevention and response capabilities through surveys, research, and hands-on fieldwork.

For more information about Professor Sotaro Tsuboi, click here
Department of Regional Economics the Faculty Faculty of Economics, click here

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