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General Information

Title: Cities on Volcanoes 5 conference
Hosted by: The City of Shimabara
Volcanological Society of Japan (VSJ)
Co-hosted by: IAVCEI (International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior)Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University
Earthquake Research Institute, The Univeristy of Tokyo
Kyushu Regional Development Bureau, MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation JAPAN)
Nagasaki Prefecture
The City of Unzen
The City of Minamishimabara
Mount Unzen Disaster Memorial Foundation
Date: Monday, November 19 through Friday, November 23, 2007
Language: The official language of the conference is English. In symposia other than sessions 1-1 and 1-2, simultaneous translation will be provided from English into Japanese and vice-versa.
Venue:
GAMADAS DOME
Mt. Unzen Disaster Memorial Hall
(Gamadas Dome)
Shimabara Fukko Arena
Shimabara Fukko Arena

The conference will be held in Shimabara's memorial halls, Shimabara Fukko Arena and Mt. Unzen Disaster Memorial Hall (Gamadas Dome), which were built on the devastated area of the last eruption. The area stands near the mouth of the Mizunashi River and has an excellent view of Mount Unzen in front. The conference halls are situated about 6 kilometers south of the city center of Shimabara, taking about 10 minutes by car. Shuttle bus service will be provided for the participants every morning, noon and evening from November 18 to 23.

During the last eruption, the upper and middle course of the Mizunashi River was filled by deposits of pyroclastic flows generated by the collapse of dome lava. The lower course including the site of the conference halls was damaged badly by debris flows triggered by heavy rains. Presently the area has been reclaimed by both piling up recycled debris and the retaining walls of the new river.

Shimabara is a castle town located on the east coast of the Shimabara Peninsula. The castle was constructed in the early 17th century, though the current building was rebuilt in 1964. The name of Shimabara is known to historians for the Christian peasant uprising soon after the construction of the castle. Tragically, 37,000 peasants, including women and children, were decimated by the shogun's troops. The castle played an important role in the Christian rebellion, which led to the suppression of Christianity and a seclusion policy in Japan that lasted two and half centuries. Samurai houses have survived since the feudal times just northwest of the castle. The city has many old temples and a large reclining Buddha, called Nehan-zou in Japanese.

Mt. Mayuyama, an old lava dome just behind the city, collapsed in a strong earthquake just after the eruption of Mount Unzen in 1792. The debris avalanche rushed into the Ariake Sea, destroying most of the ancient city as a result of both the debris avalanche and a tsunami generated by the former. The tsunami also attacked the opposite shore of the Ariake Sea, present Kumamoto city and the surrounding areas. Fifteen thousand lives were lost. Many small islets near the coast of Shimabara are the remnants of the avalanche deposits. It is said that the pond in the city center, Shirachi-ko, formed from the crack opened during the earthquake and that many springs in the city started gushing after the event.

Shimabara is located near a number of sightseeing spots, including the cities of Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Fukuoka, and the volcanoes Aso and Kuju. Among them, the most famous historically and most interesting is the city of Nagasaki; one and a half hours drive from Shimabara. This is the place the first Europeans arrived in the 16th century and is the only port that remained opened to foreign trade during Japan's period of seclusion. It is also known around the world as the site of the dropping of a second atomic bomb on August 9, 1945, 3 days after the first dropping on Hiroshima, 6 days before World War II ended.



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