Opening Ceremony (3-4 July, 2014)

  This year's participants are 8 persons from 7 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kiribati, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Indonesia.
  On 3 July, the participants made a courtesy call on Mr. Shigeru Kasuga, Cheif Hydrographer of Japan. He gave an address of welcome, expressing his hope for them to study hard, to make use of what they will learn from the course after they return to their countries, and to enjoy life in Japan taking care of their health.
  On 4 July, the participants visited some of the facilities in JHOD and then gave country report presentations about hydrographic services and activities in their countries.

Participants with JHOD's executives

Tour of Hydrographic Museum in JHOD

Country report presentation

 Study Tour to Tsukuba (7-8 July, 2014)

  On 7-8 July, the participants went on a study tour to Tsukuba City to visit Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ) and Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI).
  GSJ is an independent administrative agency that carries out various geological surveys and researches. GSI is an national organization that conducts basic survey and mapping and instructs related organizations to clarify the conditions of land in Japan and that provides the results of surveys to help develop this land.
  The participants were given lectures on their activities and observed some of their facilities.

Lecture on GSJ's activites

Tour of GSJ Geological Museum

Tour of GSI Science Museum

 Lecture at JHOD office (25 July, 2014)

  The lectures were given mainly in the lecture room of the JHOD office in Tokyo.
  On 25 July, the lecture on Notice to Mariners and Navigational Warnings was carried out by a JHOD staff member.

Lecture on Notice to Mariners and Navigational Warnings

 Study Tour to Yokohama (31 July, 2014)

  On 31 July, the participants went on a study tour to Yokohama City to visit 3rd Regional Coast Guard Headquarters (RCG Hqs) and Yokohama Tide Station.
  First, they made a courtesy call on the Director of Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department (HOD), 3rd RCG Hqs, and then observed Yokohama Tide Station, which is managed by HOD.

Coutesy call on the Director

Tour of Yokohama Tide Station

 Study Tour to Sonic Corp. (1 August, 2014)

  On 1 August, the participants visited Sonic Corporation, a Japanese private company dealing with various kinds of ocean observation equipment, such as tide gauge.
  The visit offered a valuable experience to learn about the latest equipments.

Explaination of the visit program

Explaination of tide gauge

 Visit to Dredging Site in Tokyo Bay (4 September, 2014)

  On 4 September, the participants visited a dredging site in Tokyo Bay by boat. This visit was conducted in cooperation with Tokyo Port Construction Office of Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
  Hydrographic survey is indispensible for various port management, such as dredging, and basic knowledge on dredge is one of the subjects that the Standards of Competence for Hydrographic Surveyors, which is published by IHO as S-5, requires to learn.
  During the visit, the participants observed dredging operations onboard.

Dredger in operation

Observation of dredging operation

 Mid-term evaluation meeting (29 September, 2014)

  On 29 September, the mid-term evaluation meeting was held at JHOD office. The purpose of the meeting was to get feedback from the participants on the various aspects of the course, such as the quality of lectures and materials, accommodation and so on.
  The participants exchanged frank opinions at the meeting, and their opinions will be taken into account for the next year's course.

Mid-term evaluation meeting

 Field survey training in Kagoshima Port (30 September to 30 October, 2014)

  The participants joined one-month field survey training in Kagoshima Port from 30 September to 30 October in order to practice what they had learned from the course.
  First, they made courtesy calls on related local organizations, such as Deputy Governer of Kagoshima Prefecture, Deputy Mayor of Kagoshima City, Commander of 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, and Captain of the Port, Kagoshima. Through the field training, they learned almost all the necessary skills for hydrographic survey under the supervision of experienced instructors, including control point survey, coastlining, sounding, tide observation and data processing at survey site.
  After the training, each participant made a smooth sheet (fair chart) and a survey report as a final result of the training.

Coutesy call on Deputy Governer	Coutesy call on Deputy Mayor	Coutesy call on Commander of 10th RCG Hqs
Control point survey	Coastlining	Fixing sounding equipment onto chartered boat
Single-beam sounding by chartered boat	Guiding chartered boat	Multi-beam sounding by JCG survey vessel
Tide observation	Lecture on data processing	Data processing at survey site

 Study Tour to Shizuoka and Onboard Training (4-6 November, 2014)

  On 4 November, the participants took a study tour to Shizuoka Prefecture to visit Tsunami Evacuation Tower and Shizuoka Prefecture Disaster Prevention Center.
  After the tour, they went on to onboard training on JCG survey vessel "Meiyo". The training was conducted in Suruga Bay, which is located off Shizuoka Prefecture, from 5 to 6 November. The training gave a valuable opportunity to handle JCG's up-to-date observation equipment.

Tour of Tsunami Evacuation Tower

Tour of Disaster Prevention Center

Onboard training (Mult-beam sounding)

 Practice on up-to-date multi-beam survey system (26-27 November, 2014)

  From 26 to 27 November, the participants had a opportunity to practice an up-to-date multi-beam survey system equipped with interferometric sonar. This practice was conducted in cooperation with Toyo Corporation, a Japanese private company dealing with a wide range of measurement instruments.
  Toyo Corporation invited a product sales manager as a lecturer from Kongsberg Maritime AS, whose headquaters is located in Kongsberg, Norway. A GeoSwath Plus system, which is shallow water multibeam survey equipment, was installed on a coastal fishing boat in Tokyo Bay, and the participants trained in bathymetry data acquisition and processing.

Lecture on the system

Installation of the system on boat

Lecture on data acquisition

 Study Tour to Tohoku Region (9-11 December, 2014)

  From 9 to 11 December, the participants took a study tour to Tohoku Region, which was devastated by 2011 Great Earthquake and Tsunami.
  On the first day, they made a courtesy call on Commander of 2nd Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, and were given lectures on JCG's emergency response to the disaster at 2nd RCG Hqs.
  On the second day, they visited Ishinomaki Port and Onagawa Port, which were the most seriously damaged ports by the disaster.
  On the last day, they visited Research Center for Prediction of Earthquake and Volcanic Eruptions, Tohoku University, which has been promoting the fundamental research in prediction of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Coutesy call on Commander of 2nd RCG Hqs

Visit Ishinomaki Port

Visit the Research Center

 Closing Ceremony (18 December, 2014)

  On 18 December, the Closing ceremony took place at JICA Tokyo International Center. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Junichiro SASAKI, Director General of JICA Tokyo International Center and Mr. Nobuhiro TSUYUKI, Deputy Director General of JHOD, as well as the persons concerned and the course participants.
  After the remarks by Mr. SASAKI and the speech by Mr.TSUYUKI, each participant was presented a certificate for the successful completion of the course internationally recognized as Category B for hydrographic surveyors.

Remarks by Mr. SASAKI

Speech by Mr. TSUYUKI

Presentation of certificate