The Kansai Resilience Forum 2019 was an event organised by the Government of Japan in collaboration with The International Academic Forum (IAFOR). It was packed with great interdisciplinary discussion and cross-sectoral insights, and included a special keynote address by world renowned architect, Tadao Ando.

The Kansai Resilience Forum was organised with the support of Osaka University through the OSIPP-IAFOR Research Centre, Kobe University, and the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.

This great video captures some of the key moments of the Kansai Resilience Forum –

The one-day invitation-only event comprised of panels on Disaster Management Strategy, Resilience and Society, and Resilience and the Globalising Economy, and culminated with a special keynote presentation by world renowned architect, Tadao Ando, who designed the event venue, the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, following the Kobe earthquake of 1995. Completed in 2002 the museum is a symbol of regeneration and renewal, and a testament to the resilience of the city.

The Forum closed with a Special Keynote Presentation by world famous architect Tadao Ando, who emphasised the link between art, architecture and resilience and its impact on communities, and the role each member of a community can play in increasing social resilience, stressing the importance of education. The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art was designed by Tadao Ando after the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 as a symbol of memorial and overcoming tragedy, as well as one of beauty, looking to the future. The Director of the Hyogo prefectural Museum of Art, Yutaka Mino, a renowned museum director and curator, moderated the session.

The Kansai Resilience Forum provided a platform for re-examining resilience from interdisciplinary perspectives and paradigms, from the abstract concept to the concrete, with contributions from thought leaders in business, academia and government. The discussions were wide-ranging, in-depth and thought-provoking.

Participants echoed the views from different perspectives that Japan is always working to improve, leads the world in disaster risk management and response. They also pointed out that Japan can share its experiences and expertise with the world, through its continued engagement in business and development, and in such forums as these.