NEWS
Check here for Arikawa Lab’s activities, media appearances, and publication updates as well!
A new research article has been published online in A new research article has been published online in Coastal Engineering Journal.
2026/4/7
This paper examines tsunami evacuation resilience under compound disaster conditions during the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, focusing on the Ukai and Kasugano districts of Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture. By combining tsunami inundation simulations with an agent-based model, it quantitatively evaluates how road blockages caused by collapsed buildings and delays in evacuation initiation affect evacuation time and tsunami encounter rates. The results show that building collapse-induced delays can increase the tsunami encounter rate by up to 8.1%. However, the risk can be greatly reduced if evacuation begins within 1,100 seconds after the earthquake. In addition, appropriate route selection can further lower the encounter rate by as much as 13.5%. These findings highlight the importance of regional disaster prevention measures that integrate both rapid evacuation behavior and seismic retrofitting. Please access the paper via the link below.
Efficacy of Prompt Evacuation and Route Selection for Tsunamis Considering Building Collapse: A Case Study of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, by Tatsuya Aikawa, Tomoki Shirai, Rena Naito, Taro Arikawa and Tomoya Shibayama, published in International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction(2026). These materials are used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Graduation and Master's Degree Conferral Ceremony
2026/3/23
The 143rd Chuo University Commencement Ceremony and Graduate School Master's Degree Conferral Ceremony were held. From our laboratory, 10 undergraduate seniors graduated and 5 master's students completed their degrees.
Following the ceremonies, we hosted a reception for the faculty members and staff who supported us throughout the year. One by one, each student took the microphone and expressed their gratitude for the guidance and support they received.
On behalf of all the students, we extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who guided and supported us over the past year.
![IMG_3730[1].JPG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ddebb_bf89a32ec0f2463690c7089774f2b6a8~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_78,y_297,w_1338,h_721/fill/w_419,h_224,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/IMG_3730%5B1%5D_JPG.jpg)
A new research article has been published online in Coastal Engineering Journal.
2026/1/8
A research article co-authored by Tomoteru Shirai (M2), Honoka Katsura (M2), former assistant professor Dr. Wataribe, and Professor Arikawa has been published online in Coastal Engineering Journal (Impact Factor: 3.289).
This paper provides a comprehensive review and sensitivity analysis of physical parameter options within the WRF meteorological model, which is widely used around the world. It particularly evaluates how uncertainties in typhoon predictions impact the accuracy of storm surge forecasts in Japan.
Copyright Notice: The article image(s) shown on this page are from "Assessing machine-learning-based weather forcing in significant wave height prediction" by Ogawa et al., published in Geoscience Letters (2026). These materials are used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
A new research article has been published online in Coastal Engineering Journal.
2025/12/25
A research article co-authored by Tomoteru Shirai (M2), Honoka Katsura (M2), former assistant professor Dr. Wataribe, and Professor Arikawa has been published online in Coastal Engineering Journal (Impact Factor: 3.289).
This paper provides a comprehensive review and sensitivity analysis of physical parameter options within the WRF meteorological model, which is widely used around the world. It particularly evaluates how uncertainties in typhoon predictions impact the accuracy of storm surge forecasts in Japan.
Copyright Notice: The article image(s) shown on this page are from "Automated wave runup monitoring using coastal CCTV cameras for tsunami detection" by Tomoki Shirai and Taro Arikawa, published in Scientific Reports (2025). These materials are used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Participation in the 72nd Coastal Engineering Lecture Meeting
2025/11/26-28
Students from our laboratory participated in and presented their research at the 72nd Coastal Engineering Lecture Meeting, which was held in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture.
This year, presentations were delivered by four doctoral students, five master’s students, three undergraduate students, and one researcher. It was a valuable opportunity for all members of the laboratory to attend the sessions, engage in academic discussions, and gain insights into the latest research developments in coastal engineering.
Official website of the 72nd Coastal Engineering Lecture Meeting:
https://coastal.jp/lecture/coastalengineeringlecture/lecture72
Workshop on “Numerical Simulation of Tropical Storms and Storm Surge AND Coastal Communities Vulnerability and Resilience under Climate Change in Thailand”
2025/5/11
Arikawa Lab joined with Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), GISTDA (Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, Thailand), and Prince of Songkla University (Thailand) to hold a joint workshop at the GISTDA Training Center in Bangkok. From our lab, Shirai (D3), Ogawa (M1), and Harada (M1) participated in the workshop.
For more information, please visit:
• Chulalongkorn University: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/
• GISTDA: https://www.gistda.or.th/home.php?lang=EN
• Prince of Songkla University: https://www.psu.ac.th/en/?page=home
A new research article has been published online in Coastal Engineering Journal.
2025/5/1
Enomoto (D3) and Ohara (M2) from our laboratory participated in the international conference Coastal Dynamics 2025, held in Portugal.
This conference, which began in 1994 and is now in its 10th edition, serves as a significant international forum for discussing the dynamics and evolution of coastal areas. Researchers from around the world gather to present and discuss their findings on topics such as wave, current, sediment, and ecosystem interactions, as well as topographic changes, through observation, experiments, theoretical studies, and numerical analyses.
CoastalDynamics25 Official website
The 2023 Arikawa Laboratory Lecture and Social Gathering Was Held
2022/10/18
Arikawa Laboratory Lecture & Social Gathering Held at Arcadia Ichigaya
This year as well, we held the annual Arikawa Laboratory lecture and social gathering at Arcadia Ichigaya, welcoming supervising captains, researchers from other institutions, and alumni. A total of 61 participants, including current students, attended the event.
Okubo (M2), captain of the yacht team, presented a report on the team’s activities in 2023. Additionally, the supervising captains kindly gave a video presentation titled “The Birth and Growth of Team Arikawa Lab.”
Through this event, we were once again reminded of the generous support we receive from many people across different fields. With deep gratitude, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to our research and activities.
We would like to sincerely thank everyone who attended.
We greatly appreciate your continued support and guidance.
A New Logo Has Been Designed for Arikawa Laboratory
2023/7/20
We Are Pleased to Announce the Creation of the Arikawa Laboratory Logo
The new logo was designed primarily by current members of the laboratory.
Its design incorporates motifs representing key elements of our research—waves, soil, structures, and vegetation. In addition, a yacht, symbolizing our unique hands-on training activities, has been included as a distinctive feature of the Arikawa Laboratory.
The overall circular composition of the logo expresses both our aspiration to contribute to a safer and more sustainable future for coastal areas and cities through research, and the sense of unity among our team members.
Our laboratory interview article was published in Marine Voice 21 Vol.321
2023/5/15
An interview article featuring the Arikawa Laboratory was published in the “Laboratory Visit” section of Marine Voice 21, Vol.321 (April 2023 edition), issued by the Japan Dredging and Reclamation Engineering Association
Official website of the Japan Dredging and Reclamation Engineering Association:
2022/10/18
A research article co-authored by Tomoteru Shirai (M2), Honoka Katsura (M2), former assistant professor Dr. Wataribe, and Professor Arikawa has been published online in Coastal Engineering Journal (Impact Factor: 3.289).
This paper provides a comprehensive review and sensitivity analysis of physical parameter options within the WRF meteorological model, which is widely used around the world. It particularly evaluates how uncertainties in typhoon predictions impact the accuracy of storm surge forecasts in Japan.
A new research article has been published online in Coastal Engineering Journal.
2022/6/15
Professor Arikawa received a letter of appreciation from the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Chilean Navy (SHOA).
This recognition was awarded in appreciation of his contributions to tsunami disaster education in Chile, particularly through the provision of educational videos and related materials.
Professor Arikawa received a letter of appreciation from the Chilean Navy's SHOA (Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Chilean Navy)
Won the MICHIBIKI AWARD at RPD Challenge (2020)!
2021/7/9
In the RPD Challenge—a hackathon focused on disaster prevention applications using satellite positioning systems, organized primarily by Japan’s Cabinet Office’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System Strategy Office and Thai institutions—Shirai (M1), Yoshida (B4), and Tamamori (M2) from Arikawa Laboratory teamed up with two Thai students. Together, they developed and presented a real-time flood evacuation support application as part of a flood disaster response system.
Their project was awarded the MICHIBIKI AWARD (3rd place overall).
