Presentation Information
[O05-P11]Conservation of Natural Monuments and Myths: The Case of the Futagawa Fault Zone★Invited Papers
*Tadahiro Shibata1 (1.The Unit of Natural Monuments, Cultural Second Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs-Japan)
Keywords:
Natural Monuments,Geological heritage,Futagawa Fault Zone
The Natural Monuments system in Japan originated with the Law for the Preservation of Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty, and Natural Monuments enacted in 1919, and is currently administered under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. The designation criteria include natural phenomena related to disasters, such as earthquake faults, volcanic activity, and erosion. Over the past three decades, several sites associated with earthquakes and tsunamis have been designated. Representative examples include the Nojima Fault, which surfaced during the 1995 Southern Hyogo Prefecture Earthquake, and the Futagawa Fault Zone, the seismogenic fault of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. These sites are not merely landforms; they function as tangible records of disaster, transmitting collective memory to society.
The Futagawa Fault Zone appeared at the surface for approximately 31 kilometers during the main shock of the Kumamoto Earthquake. In areas where displacement was particularly prominent, protective measures were implemented immediately after the disaster to preserve the fault-related landforms. Subsequently, structures such as protective shelters were constructed to facilitate both conservation and public display. Designating earthquake faults as cultural properties makes the reality of disaster visible and serves as a means of conveying its lessons to future generations. At the same time, such sites function as centers for disaster education and as symbolic landmarks supporting regional recovery.
Particularly noteworthy is the relationship between the Futagawa Fault Zone and local folklore. In the Dozono district, a legend tells of a giant serpent that dug a pond. Because the surface rupture resembles the trace of a serpent crawling across the ground, it has been suggested that memories of past earthquakes may have been transmitted through such narratives. Geological studies indicate that multiple faulting events occurred in this region over the past several thousand years, making it highly probable that people in historical times experienced earlier earthquakes. Although a direct causal link between the legend and specific seismic events cannot be definitively established, it is reasonable to consider that memories of natural phenomena were incorporated into cultural narratives.
Natural Monuments thus possess not only scientific value but also cultural significance intertwined with regional history, belief systems, and storytelling traditions. Even severe natural disasters can become part of a community’s shared heritage when they are recorded, preserved, and transmitted. Such efforts contribute to strengthening regional resilience. In the future, interdisciplinary collaboration—combining geology with folklore studies, archaeology, and related fields—will be essential for achieving a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between nature and human society.
The Futagawa Fault Zone appeared at the surface for approximately 31 kilometers during the main shock of the Kumamoto Earthquake. In areas where displacement was particularly prominent, protective measures were implemented immediately after the disaster to preserve the fault-related landforms. Subsequently, structures such as protective shelters were constructed to facilitate both conservation and public display. Designating earthquake faults as cultural properties makes the reality of disaster visible and serves as a means of conveying its lessons to future generations. At the same time, such sites function as centers for disaster education and as symbolic landmarks supporting regional recovery.
Particularly noteworthy is the relationship between the Futagawa Fault Zone and local folklore. In the Dozono district, a legend tells of a giant serpent that dug a pond. Because the surface rupture resembles the trace of a serpent crawling across the ground, it has been suggested that memories of past earthquakes may have been transmitted through such narratives. Geological studies indicate that multiple faulting events occurred in this region over the past several thousand years, making it highly probable that people in historical times experienced earlier earthquakes. Although a direct causal link between the legend and specific seismic events cannot be definitively established, it is reasonable to consider that memories of natural phenomena were incorporated into cultural narratives.
Natural Monuments thus possess not only scientific value but also cultural significance intertwined with regional history, belief systems, and storytelling traditions. Even severe natural disasters can become part of a community’s shared heritage when they are recorded, preserved, and transmitted. Such efforts contribute to strengthening regional resilience. In the future, interdisciplinary collaboration—combining geology with folklore studies, archaeology, and related fields—will be essential for achieving a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between nature and human society.