Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) launched the Visionary Initiatives (VIs) - a cross-disciplinary, integrated research framework -in the 2025 academic year to co-create new value with society while advancing science and human wellbeing. As of 2026, eight VIs are tackling the challenge of shaping the future, with each developing distinct shared visions for societal transformation based on three pillars: "Better Life," "Better Society," and "Better Planet."
One of these initiatives, Resilience-Tech Society -- Achieving a Society Resilient to Disasters and Pandemics, has entered a new phase under the leadership of Professor Shinjiro Kanae of School of Environment and Society, who assumed the role of Program Director (PD) in April 2026, carrying forward the vision established by Professor Tomoko Ishino, who launched the VI. Professor Kanae discusses the integration of natural disaster science, urban infrastructure, and social systems, as well as the pursuit of a more resilient society.
Crossing disciplinary boundaries to address complex social challenges
What perspective has guided your research over the years?
Kanae My work has mainly focused on disaster science, water issues, and climate change. However, my career has never followed a single, straightforward path. Throughout much of my twenties and thirties, I worked in interdisciplinary areas where I was often told, "That's not really your field." Looking back now, I realize that these experiences beyond conventional academic boundaries became the foundation for addressing today's increasingly complex social challenges.
Challenges such as natural disasters and pandemics cannot be solved by a single discipline-or even by a single country. We need to view prediction technologies, healthcare, infrastructure, social systems, and human behavior as interconnected elements within a larger whole. What matters is not which discipline is superior, but how different forms of knowledge can be connected. This does not mean everyone must understand everything from the outset. It is important that people engage from their own perspectives and areas of expertise.
At the core of my research is the question of how we can protect the foundations of people's lives and enable rapid recovery based on scientific evidence. Through this VI, I hope to further expand practical and urgent research by bringing together the expertise cultivated at the former Tokyo Medical and Dental University and Tokyo Institute of Technology-for example, research on earthquake preparedness in hospitals.
From prediction to action: a vision built on four pillars
What kind of future does Resilience-Tech Society aim to create?
Kanae Some estimates suggest that Japan has the third-highest risk of natural disasters in the world. In such a country, what we aim for is not a society that passively fears disasters and pandemics as unavoidable threats, but one that understands them scientifically, prepares proactively, and continues to recover while minimizing their impacts. What matters is not only acquiring knowledge, but also translating that knowledge into action throughout society. Above all, our goal is to protect people's lives, livelihoods, and dignity in the face of any kind of hazard.
All of these efforts stem from a single question: how can we create a society in which no one is left behind during times of crisis? To address this question, we have established four key pillars. The first is "infrastructure that withstands natural disasters". We aim to build communities and lifelines that can continue functioning and recover quickly even after major disruptions. The second is "social systems to protect human safety and dignity in disasters". We seek to build systems in which support reaches people fairly and everyone can continue living with dignity. The third is "global collaboration for a pandemic-resilient society". Since viruses easily cross borders, we are working to establish sustainable systems for protecting society through international research networks and collaboration. The fourth is "Science-based forecasting and promotion of proper public response". Beyond simply predicting risks, we aim to connect scientific insights with concrete social actions and provide people with a greater sense of security.
One of our greatest strengths lies in our ability to rapidly advance research that integrates both international collaboration and real-world implementation. Another defining feature is our "all-hazard" approach, which addresses not only disasters and infectious diseases, but a wide range of social risks.
Resilience-Tech Society: Achieving a Society Resilient to Disasters and Pandemics
Resilience-Tech Society aims to achieve safer living through global cooperation on disaster and pandemic preparedness
・Understanding the mechanisms behind natural disasters
・Planning disaster-resilient cities
・Securing backup essential services and building resilient living infrastructure
・Establishing networks to ensure universal access to medical care and support during disasters
・Enabling rapid response through cross-border coordination among responders and governments
・Collaborating with local healthcare to ensure safety for all
・Developing flexible support to ensure basic daily life for people across regions and backgrounds
・Advancing prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases through basic research
・Strengthening healthcare systems to prepare for future pandemics
・Building international networks through sharing of advanced research and outbreak information
・Proposing strategies to suppress infections and sustain social activity
・Improving accuracy of disaster and outbreak prediction by incorporating climate change and other variables
・Creating infrastructure to minimize disaster and infection impacts, as well as education and culture to guide response
・Promoting health literacy and preventive knowledge in collaboration with public health systems
Interdisciplinary collaboration as a seedbed for new knowledge
As Program Director, what kinds of initiatives do you hope to pursue?
Kanae Professor Tomoko Ishino devoted tremendous effort to building this VI in 2025, establishing international collaborative research networks and strong connections among researchers. My mission is to inherit these valuable foundations while further integrating perspectives from disaster science, urban infrastructure, and social systems.
We will begin by creating spaces where researchers from diverse backgrounds-including medicine and dentistry, science and engineering, information science, mathematics, and social systems-can come together and exchange ideas. For example, we envision opportunities for researchers from different fields to engage in open discussions and explore small-scale collaborative projects. Some researchers may initially feel that these issues are far removed from their own specialties. Yet knowledge that seems unrelated at first can generate entirely new value when viewed from a different perspective, especially in the context of disaster response and solving societal challenges.
As PD, I am committed to bridging the gap between science and society while creating continuous opportunities for researchers to connect their expertise to larger social challenges. I would like this VI to become a place where people explore how far their expertise can expand, rather than merely testing whether it is applicable. Encountering fields that once seemed unrelated may even transform the meaning of one's own research or work.
From fundamental research to social implementation, I am convinced that this dynamic field will foster entirely new combinations of knowledge and research.
Beyond boundaries: toward a future where science supports people
What are your hopes for the next generation of researchers and students?
Kanae I hope to nurture people who possess strong expertise in their own fields while also being able to apply that expertise to solving urgent social challenges. To achieve this, they will need the ability to collaborate across disciplines, maintain a global perspective, and act autonomously based on scientific evidence.
I do not want young researchers and students to see disciplinary boundaries as limitations that narrow their possibilities. On the contrary, I hope they will take a step toward themes that may initially seem unrelated to them. Crossing those boundaries is precisely where new research and new value begin.
The integration of universities, the launch of new organizations, and the emergence of a new mission-this historic moment, where all of these changes overlap, is exactly the kind of time when new challenges and opportunities emerge. This VI offers many opportunities to become involved in research that has not yet taken shape. Within that uncertainty lies tremendous potential.
"A future where science gently supports people" - realizing that future will require the participation of people across disciplines and positions. And it is through each individual's involvement that this future will continue to take shape and evolve.
Interview date: March 14 2026
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