I am deeply honored to receive the MURAKAMI Suminao Award for Disaster Research. The word “disaster” derives from “dis” and “astro.” To effectively address disasters, a comprehensive perspective and a high level of scholarly expertise are indispensable. This becomes clear if, for example, we consider how to respond to the fires that follow earthquakes. It is not easy to adopt a broad perspective at the same time as thinking deeply and analytically. Nevertheless, it must be done. In the hope for a periodical publication that treats disasters in a truly comprehensive manner, I was led to Suminao Murakami. At the time, our relationship was limited to exchanging business cards. Suminao Murakami could not be adequately described by a single title, such as researcher, educator, entrepreneur, designer, critic, or urban planner. He was, quite simply, “Suminao Murakami,” and no honorific was necessary. When Suminao Murakami agreed to take on the role of a leader, the Journal of Disaster Research (JDR) was established. Suminao Murakami’s philosophy, while refined in response to the evolving nature of society, has been carried forward by figures such as Haruo Hayashi (Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University) and Shunichi Koshimura (Professor, Tohoku University). Therefore, there is no doubt that the JDR will continue to develop and flourish in the coming years.

Katsuki Takiguchi January 5, 2026

We are honored that our paper “Promoting Education for Disaster Resilience and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction” has been selected as one of the most downloaded papers in the Journal of Disaster Research for 2025. We sincerely thank the readers and the editorial board for their interest in this study. This study was conducted in the context of the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) in 2015. During the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction in the 1990s, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995 marked a critical turning point, from which Japan’s disaster education and international disaster risk reduction (DRR) frameworks evolved in tandem. Situating Japan’s experience within this shared historical trajectory, this paper examined how education and schools have been progressively positioned within international DRR frameworks and how the SFDRR can be interpreted from the perspectives of education and school safety. A central argument was that protecting lives during disasters cannot be achieved through education targeting individuals alone. Rather, the effectiveness of disaster education depends on supportive institutional and policy environments and cross-sectoral collaboration in practice. Safe buildings, appropriate site selection, evacuation planning, drills, disaster education, and close coordination between education stakeholders and local disaster management authorities are all essential conditions that enable effective disaster education. The SFDRR reflects this integrated understanding by embedding education within the entire disaster management cycle and by explicitly addressing the protection of educational facilities as a global indicator. As the SFDRR approaches 2030, with two-thirds of its implementation period already completed, we are pleased that this paper has attracted renewed attention. Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude once again. We hope to continue contributing to this field by conducting future research that advances international dialogue on strengthening disaster education through systemic and collaborative approaches to protect lives and build disaster-resilient communities.

Aiko Sakurai and Takeshi Sato January 7, 2025

I am deeply honored to receive the JDR Award for the Most Contributory Reviewer 2025 for the third consecutive year. In 2025, the world was once again struck by numerous disasters. These included the extreme heatwave in Europe in July; large-scale flooding in Texas, USA; the collapse of a landslide dam in Taiwan in September; and severe typhoons and heavy rains across Southeast Asia, affecting the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka, in November. The events of this past year have been a strong reminder that we have entered an era of profound and escalating environmental extremes, which UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned us of in 2023 in referencing “global boiling.” Furthermore, earthquakes in Myanmar and Afghanistan, major wildfires in North America and South Korea, and a tragic high-rise residential fire in Hong Kong have claimed many lives. Japan has also faced a range of serious hazards, including subduction-zone earthquakes that have triggered tsunami advisories, record-breaking rainfall, and large-scale fires in both wildland and densely built-up areas. Moreover, we are witnessing an intensifying pattern of “compound crises” in which natural hazards intersect with societal risks. These include road collapses due to aging infrastructure, business disruptions from cyberattacks, increased human–wildlife conflicts (specifically bear encounters), and heightened geopolitical tensions. In this context, I am convinced that the societal value of JDR—an international journal that comprehensively addresses disaster risk reduction and crisis management—is greater than ever. Peer reviewing offers me the privilege of engaging with diverse insights from around the globe, serving as a vital opportunity for my academic growth. It is a source of pride to contribute, however modestly, to disseminating these research outcomes to the world through JDR. I sincerely wish the journal continued growth and success, and I remain committed to supporting its mission in the years ahead. Thank you very much for this prestigious honor.

Reo Kimura January 7, 2026