Cultural Heritage Sites in Shiga Prefecture in Danger of Natural Disasters

Abstract

Natural disasters threaten all human efforts, from everyday living to cultural heritage site preservation. To protect them, such sites must first be identified. We conducted two studies on cultural monuments designated by the law as The National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties in Shiga prefecture to evaluate potential of damage from natural disasters – first, focusing on cultural monument damage via a bibliographic survey and, second, looking at potential of damage via geographic information systems (GIS) combining earthquake and flood hazard maps, sediment disaster warning maps, and an architectural monuments map. We also analyzed the geological aspects of historical sediment disasters. From our findings, we conclude the following: • Most structural damage was due to typhoons. • The eight sites most potentially subject to earthquake damage are concentrated on the west coast of Lake Biwa. • By type, 8 sites are threatened by earth flows, 5 by debris flows, and 2 by landslides. • Many sites historically subject to debris flows and earth flows are within 1 kilometer of a geological discontinuity or an active fault.