President's Message

The Port and Airport Research Institute (PARI), which was established in 1962 as the Port and Harbor Research Institute (PHRI) of the Ministry of Transport, has been conducting comprehensive research related to ports and airports including
studies on coastal disaster mitigation, coastal environment, and utilization of the seas. The Institute was re-organized as an independent administrative agency, PARI, in accordance with the government reforms of 2001.

Since then PARI has been pursuing both innovative basic research and practical application research. We have been studying comprehensive countermeasures for liquefaction in coastal areas, strategic maintenance and management methods for port facilities, integrated management of coastal zone including tidal flat, and Blue Carbon ( CO₂ mitigation by coastal systems). We have also established the Asia-Pacific Center for Coastal Disaster Research to conduct comprehensive studies on earthquakes, tsunamis, storm surges and storm waves and to enhance international research cooperation. We have recently constructed large-scale experimental facilities, an integrated wave basin for coastal disaster research to reproduce storm waves and currents, and a centrifuge facility for earthquake and tsunami experiments.  PARI has been promoting research collaboration with 18 research institutes based on MOU and we have signed a MOU with the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) for common use of the major research facilities of PARI and 14 U.S. universities and institutes.

The devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami which occurred on March 11 this year severely impacted the Tohoku and Kanto regions. We, especially as researchers related to coastal disaster prevention, have been profoundly moved by the tragic disaster.  We would like to express our sincere sympathy to the victims and their families and friends. PARI is working hard to examine the disaster from its fields of expertise and to study the recovery and reconstruction of the coastal areas. The coastal disaster prevention strategy needs to be discussed, and studies on integrated mitigation measures have been started. 

In April 2011, we launched the Third Mid-term Plan and the year 2012 will mark the 50th anniversary of PHRI and PARI. We continue to make every effort to achieve outstanding research activities as a leading global research institute. We appreciate your continuing help and encouragement.