A Seminar on Disaster Preparedness & Quick Recovery in Hawaii

On Tuesday, December 13, 2022 the Japan-America Society of Hawaii (JASH) in partnership with Keidanren USA, the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu and the East-West Center convened for a seminar on Disaster Preparedness & Quick Recovery in Hawaii at the Hawaii Imin International Conference Center. A networking reception followed the seminar for nearly 70 guests.

Based on Hawaii and Japan’s shared experience as island communities, this seminar gathered experts from both regions to discuss the topics of disasters and recovery. Expert panelists presented and discussed what has been learned from past disasters and how this information is shaping the ways we prepare for future disasters in their respective fields, including but not limited to technology, utilities, communication and the insurance industry. During the second half of the panel discussion, experts presented and discussed how recovery efforts are evolving and shared some of the innovations being developed for preparedness and recovery.

Thanks to the generous support of Keidanren USA and the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu, there was no cost to attend. To view the seminar please CLICK HERE.

Mr. Kiyoshi Tanigawa, Executive Director, Keidanren USA made opening remarks. Ms. Suzanne Vares-Lum, President, East-West Center was the moderator for the discussion.

Kiyoshi Tanigawa

Suzanne Vares-Lum

During the first panel discussion, panelists Mr. David Lopez, Executive Officer, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HiEMA); Mr. Taichi Imamura, Manager, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO) and Dr. Yoh Kawanami, Director of Customer Energy Resources Operations, Hawaiian Electric shared insights about their companies’ disaster response preparations as well as suggestions for how residents can safeguard their homes in case of emergency.

(L-R) Yoh Kawanami, Taichi Imamura and David Lopez

Attendees in the Koi Room

During the second panel discussion, panelists Dr. Karl Kim, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Director of the graduate program in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance; Mr. Naohisa Kitada, General Manager, Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), Washington D.C. office; Mr. Bart Beavers, Business Development Manager, NEC in Hawaii and Mr. Makoto “Mark” Yoda, President & CEO, First Insurance Company of Hawaii Ltd. (FICOH) provided their insights on disaster preparedness and recovery from their respective fields, sharing ways technology is being used and developed to protect our communities.

(L-R) Makoto Yoda, Bart Beavers, Naohisa Kitada and Karl Kim

Reception following the seminar

(L-R) Kiyoshi Tanigawa, Yoh Kawanami, Karl Kim, Makoto Yoda, Suzanne Vares-Lum, Naohisa Kitada, Reyna Kaneko, Bart Beavers, Taichi Imamura, David Lopez

Thank you to our Sponsors and Partner