Greetings

I am pleased to introduce the second circular for the forthcoming Cities on Volcanoes conference, to be held in Shimabara, Japan in November 2007. This is the fifth meeting of COV, which is now the most important forum for volcanologists, city planners, authorities and businesses to meet and discuss the effects of volcanic eruptions on society, infrastructure and human and economic development, and ways to mitigate these effects.

In 1792 the city of Shimabara suffered a major disaster initiated by volcanic activity. It claimed more than 15,000 lives. A set of pictures prepared by the local authorities provide us with a detailed review of both the volcanology and the response of the local government. The city suffered a more recent volcanic crisis during the eruption of Unzen Volcano between 1990 and1995. Such events illustrate how important it is to be well informed and well prepared before nature strikes. This is the main mission of COV and I am sure that the 2007 Shimabara meeting will be instrumental in reaching these goals.

I hope that all of you will take advantage of the beautiful location and the interesting volcanic setting. There is much to learn from the rich experience of the Japanese people and, of course, from one another at this forthcoming meeting.

Prof. Oded Navon
President, IAVCEI

It is a great pleasure for the Volcanological Society of Japan to host the Cities on Volcanoes 5 conference in Shimabara City.

In Japan, we recently experienced several volcanic crises that forced people to evacuate from their residences for a period of a few months to more than four years. Through the experience we realized that communications between volcanologists, city authorities, emergency managers, sociologists and people living near volcanoes are quite important. COV5 will blend the above communities together and discuss volcanic crisis preparedness and management in densely populated areas in addition to volcanological research.

On behalf of the Volcanological Society of Japan, I would like to encourage many people from different communities and different countries to attend the conference and discuss broad aspects of hazards and research related to volcanic eruption.

Toshitsugu Fujii
President, Volcanological Society of Japan

It is our great honor to hold the Cities on Volcanoes 5 international conference in Shimabara City for the first time in Asia.

Unzen Volcano, towering west of our city, began its eruption in 1990. On June 3rd of the following year, a major pyroclastic flow deprived 43 people of their lives. The area in and around Shimabara City suffered four and a half years of devastation as a result of the eruption.

Recovery from the disaster was successfully achieved through the steady and patient cooperative efforts of officials, volcanologists and citizens. For example, we established several disaster prevention facilities, a volcanic information system, institutions supporting the victims and so on. It will be our pleasure to introduce the disaster prevention and mitigation experiences of not only Shimabara but also of Japan and worldwide.

Shimabara is a place of scenic beauty, with the sea to the east and volcano to the west. There are fresh springs all over the city where one can enjoy hot baths. Shimabara Castle in the middle of the city is the symbol of our city. I am also proud of the warmhearted people living in this city. They are preparing for the coming international conference and looking forward to seeing you. We sincerely welcome you from all over the world. We promise you will be able to enjoy Shimabara and Japan.

Sincerely,

Teijiro Yoshioka
Mayor, Shimabara