Only 10 days left till the New Year, and now is the time to reflect year
2009. Again this year many disastrous earthquakes occurred in many parts of
the world. Especially, Indonesia has been frequently hit by great
earthquakes including Java on 2nd and Southern Sumatra on 30th September.
The severe damege by tsunami in the Samoa Islands region occurred on 29th
Sep. is also still fresh in our minds. Let's do our best to reduce
earthquake damages next year. Please find the attached group photo that
shows you all the IISEE staff members. This year Dr. Sugano joined us as a
visiting research staff. Research support staffs and secretaries joining
IISEE in this year are as follows; Mr. Kurosawa, Ms. Someya, Ms. Ren, Ms.
Iso, Ms. Sasaki, and Ms. Uedaira. We sincerely appreciate your continuing
support for IISEE. We wish the New Year will be the happiest and best for
you.

Nobuo HURUKAWA & all IISEE staff members

The first training course on Earthquake-resistant
design/Diagnostics/Reinforcement in China started on 27th October was closed
on 22nd December. The 20 participants from Sichuan and many other provinces
have learned diligently and completed all programs on this course. Ms. ZHANG
Yiping, a leader of participants have made remarks such as "The knowledge
and experiences on seismic resistant construction and technologies for
disaster mitigation in Japan acquired through this course will help our
works in China. I was impressed with sincere and dedicated attitudes of
teachers. I really appreciate having the opportunity to participate in this
training. I hope that the technical cooperation between Japan and China will
be much more consolidated in the future". After returning to China, they are
expected to play active roles in disseminating the antiseismic technologies
into all over China.

Hajime KUROSAWA
Head of Administration Division, IISEE

The International Symposium on Tsunami Risk Assessment and Mitigation in
South & Southeast Asia was held from Dec. 1 to 2, 2009 in Manado, Indonesia,
which was arranged by Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in
East and Southeast Asia (CCOP), and funded by the Norwegian Government and
in cooperation with cost sharing with Geological Agency of Indonesia (GAI).
I (Y. Fujii) was invited to this symposium as a speaker and gave the
presentation entitled "Observation and Modeling of the January 2009 Papua,
Indonesia Tsunami". Through this symposium, I spent a quality time
discussing about the tsunami preparedness and modeling with the participants
including four ex-participants of the S-course at IISEE.

Yushiro FUJII
Research Scientist, IISEE

The International Friendship Party was held at the exhibition hall of BRI on
December 21, 2009. All 43 participants including the regular and China
courses, Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive, some lecturers of BRI, and
IISEE and JICA staff members joined this party and deepened friendship. Each
course and some volunteer groups showed their entertainments in this party.
In fact, many kinds of songs and dances from many countries were performed.
Each and every performance was so wonderful that the party was warmed up
very much. That is to say, the participants showed their high capabilities
not only of studies but also of entertainments. We really had a great time
on this day.

Hajime KUROSAWA
Head of Administration Division, IISEE