The 2004 Mid-Niigata Prefecture earthquake was generated by the Obiro fault and the northern segment of the western boundary fault of the Muikamachi Basin; these were detected and mapped in the 1990s. This earthquake was accompanied by the emergence of surface earthquake faults. However, at present, this surface earthquake fault could not recognized widely since new information on the active fault distribution in the Mid-Niigata region was reported only recently and the displacement along this fault was relatively small. We attempt to clarify the logic to identify surface earthquake faults and explain the evidence of surface faults based on our recent reports. Although it is necessary to consider the possibility that earthquakes can occur anywhere, it is significantly more important to evaluate and assess the hazard on a regional scale. Geomorphology can contribute greatly to this assessment.

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The first phase of reorganizing the national structure in the Heisei Era has promoted municipal merger mostly from the view point of strengthening financial capability. This has left disparities among regions unrectified and Japan's international competitiveness yet to be improved. Now is the time to start the second phase: realizing capital-function relocation and furthering municipal merger from the viewpoint of making a smaller government with enough funding and able staff that contributes effectively to regional revitalization. The municipal merger in this second phase should create internationally competitive regions where several cores within a larger merged region enhance their local individuality to the extent that is essential for their complementary coexistence. This will lead to sustainable regional prosperity and the balanced development of national territory.

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The Japanese military and colonial maps of Asia-Pacific areas produced up to the end of the Second World War have been called “Gaihozu” (the maps of foreign areas). In spite of their nature, these maps are supposed to be important source materials for the study of environmental change in the areas concerned. However, the research on the making process of these maps in relation to the East Asian modern history is necessary to advance the proper use of them. In this paper, the progress of the study on these maps for these several years is reported. After introducing the diversity of Gaihozu's, secret survey in foreign areas, preparing the topographical maps along with cadastral survey in the colonial areas such as Taiwan and Korea, the duplication of maps originally made by foreign surveying agency and the development of aerial photogrametry are discussed as major themes of the study. The transfer of surveying technology from Japan to East Asian countries is also mentioned briefly.

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This paper shows a recent trend in the development of geographic information science education, together with referring to recent issues on geography related to geographic information science. Section 1 introduces recent topics on geography. Section 2 explains what geographic information science is by asking whether or not GIS is a science. Section 3 discusses relationship between geography and geographic information science, and shows that the latter corresponds to general geography. Section 4 describes the present status of the curricula development. Section 5 shows the first draft of geographic information science curricula mentioned in Section 4. Section 6 shows that the curriculum of geographic information science in the first draft is now being revised in view of geographic information science and technology. Section 7 discusses how to gain the fundamental power of geography, considering the experiences in the curricula development of geographic information science and technology.

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