At Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Professor Tetsuya Hiraishi has developed an innovative tsunami-generating system that makes use of three different wave-generating mechanisms. Assistant Professor Ryoukei Azuma — working as a member of a research consortium comprising the Port and Airport Research Institute (PARI), Marsima Aqua System Corporation, NEWJEC Inc., and Mirai Construction Co., Ltd. as well as the DPRI — has also helped to design a submerged flap-gate breakwater that can be activated by the force of tsunami waves.
A demonstration of these innovations was held for reporters on 16 July 2014, showcasing the new tsunami generating system and a smaller-scale model of the flap-gate breakwater at the Ujigawa Open Laboratory, Research Center for Fluvial and Coastal Disasters, which belongs to the DPRI.
These technologies may provide effective protection against tsunami waves from megathrust earthquakes expected to occur in the Nankai Trough, as well as aiding in the formulation of effective disaster prevention policies.
 Reporters attending the event |  The flap-gate breakwater |
 The flap gate, which rises upon being hit by a tsunami, protecting the harbor from strong waves, has a simple structure designed to be deployed at openings in the existing breakwater | |
 The gate automatically rises upon exposure to the tsunami | |
