Introduction
Did you know that Miki City is home to a world-record-holding facility?
While our city is famous for its hardware and beautiful nature, it also hosts one of the most advanced research centers on the planet: E-Defense (the Full-Scale Three-Dimensional Shaking Table).
Today, let’s take a look at this incredible facility that protects lives not just in Japan, but around the world!
What is E-Defense?
Located in Shijimi-cho, Miki City, E-Defense is operated by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED).
In short, it is a facility that performs “Full-Scale” experiments. They build actual, life-sized buildings on a massive platform and shake them until they collapse to see exactly how they fail during a major earthquake. It is the only facility in the world capable of doing this on such a massive scale.
Official Website:E-Defense (NIED)
3 Reasons Why E-Defense is Amazing
1. Mind-Blowing Scale
The facility is massive—roughly the size of 1.5 Tokyo Domes. The “Shaking Table” itself measures 20m x 15m. It can carry a 6-story reinforced concrete building weighing up to 1,200 tons and shake it with the force of a Magnitude 7 earthquake!
2. Realistic 3D Motion
Earthquakes don’t just move side-to-side; they move up and down, too. E-Defense can replicate complex 3D ground motions (North-South, East-West, and Vertical) simultaneously. This allows researchers to see the most realistic impact on structures.
3. A Legacy of Safety
The facility was built following the lessons learned from the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Its mission is “Never Again”—to ensure that no one has to suffer from building collapses in future disasters.
Watch the Power of E-Defense
You can see the facility and actual experiments in action on the official NIED YouTube channel. The scale of the “Shaking Table” is truly breathtaking!
Conclusion: Global Safety, Made in Miki
It’s a point of pride for us that Miki City contributes so much to global disaster prevention. The data gathered here helps make homes, schools, and offices safer all over the world.
Next time you pass by the large buildings in Shijimi, remember that you’re looking at a world-class guardian of our future!
Stay tuned to “Mikipedal” for more amazing facts about our hometown!
Quick Info
- Name: Hyogo Earthquake Engineering Research Center (E-Defense)
- Location: 1105 Shijimi-cho Aoyama, Miki City, Hyogo
- Official Website: https://www.bosai.go.jp/study/edefense.html