SAKIGAKE管理人 Hello everyone. This is the PR representative from SAKIGAKE JAPAN.
While this is the season to increase vigilance against sediment disasters and ground loosening caused by heavy rains, in Japan’s disaster prevention history, June is also the month when a catastrophic disaster occurred that fundamentally changed the nature of ground disaster prevention.
Sixty-two years ago, on June 16, 1964, the “Niigata Earthquake” with a magnitude of 7.5 occurred, with its epicenter near Awashima, Niigata Prefecture. This earthquake was a historical disaster that made the terrors of “soil liquefaction”—which was virtually unknown globally at the time—recognized on a planetary scale, serving as a catalyst for completely rewriting the standards of modern civil engineering and architecture.
In this article, we will reflect on the lessons of the Niigata Earthquake and introduce how our latest solution, “DIPPS Cloud,” stands up against the intensifying modern disaster risks.
1. Buildings Remained Intact but Toppled Over—The Shock of Liquefaction That Stunned the World
Among the damages caused by the Niigata Earthquake, there is an iconic scene that remains in the textbooks of disaster prevention professionals worldwide to this day. It is the sight of newly completed, reinforced concrete prefectural apartments in Kawagishi-cho, Niigata City, toppling sideways completely intact.
Astonishingly, the structures of these apartments themselves were not destroyed. The buildings were so robust that some blocks did not even have their window panes broken. However, the “ground” beneath their feet that supported the buildings lost its bearing capacity in an instant due to the shaking of the earthquake, causing them to tilt as if they were models placed on top of tofu.
Until then, earthquake countermeasures had focused primarily on improving structural resilience—”how to build sturdy structures.” However, the Niigata Earthquake forced us to face a brutal reality: “No matter how strong you make a building, if the earth supporting it collapses, neither lives nor property can be protected.”
2. “Ground Risks” Facing Modern Cities and the Limits of Hardware Countermeasures
More than 60 years have passed since the Niigata Earthquake, yet ground risks are by no means a thing of the past. Due to expanding urban development and the recent increase in total rainfall caused by climate change (such as linear rainbands and guerrilla rainstorms), these hazards have become even more diversified.
Liquefaction, which occurs when water-saturated sandy ground is shaken, separating the sand particles and mixing them with groundwater into a liquid-like state, remains a major risk in modern coastal land reclamations and developed residential areas. Furthermore, sediment disasters—where mountain areas and slopes along roads absorb massive amounts of rainwater and suddenly collapse due to heavy downpours—never cease across the nation.
Implementing “hardware countermeasures,” such as constructing massive retaining walls for all of these hazardous locations, is virtually impossible in terms of budget and time. This is precisely why we now need a perspective of “Ground DX (Digital Transformation)”—utilizing the power of technology to visualize ground risks and capture minute “precursors” before catastrophic collapses or disasters occur.
3. Monitoring Future Risks Simply by Inserting into the Ground: “DIPPS Cloud”
Embodying this Ground DX, we developed a solution to allow anyone to easily set up an advanced slope and ground monitoring system: the “Portable Soil Disaster Monitoring Stake System: DIPPS Cloud.”
DIPPS Cloud is modern technology’s answer to the question left behind by the Niigata Earthquake: “How can we quickly detect invisible ground displacements?”
- No construction required, easy installation just by inserting into the ground:
No specialized equipment or large-scale power supply construction is needed. You can install it at hazardous locations and start operations on the very day it arrives. - Integrated management via the cloud:
Monitor the status of multiple stakes simultaneously on a map screen using a PC or smartphone. When an anomaly is detected, the display immediately changes from green to red, and displacement graphs can be checked on the spot. - Peace of mind with alert email notifications:
If preset thresholds are exceeded, alert emails are immediately sent to relevant personnel. The system watches over the site 24/7. - Monitorable even in mountain areas out of cellular range:
By linking with satellite communication kits (such as Starlink), a reliable monitoring network can be established even in areas with poor cellular reception.
4. Transforming Past Lessons into Future Peace of Mind
From the 1964 Niigata Earthquake, we learned the most fundamental lesson for a city’s survival: the vital importance of “ground resilience.”
The mission of SAKIGAKE JAPAN is not to let the lessons left behind by past pioneers end as mere history, but to integrate (update) them with the latest technologies and return them to society in the form of a sustainable business. Extending this technology beyond Japan to countries worldwide, including the Global South that suffers from climate change and rapid urbanization, is the very essence of our vision: “To the Forefront of the World.”
For those in charge who are facing challenges with slope or ground safety management, please visit our newly published product page and feel free to contact us.
▼ Click here for the newly released “DIPPS Cloud” details page:
