#Japan #Tokyo #AI Model #Pacific Consultants #Hazardous Slopes

Introduction

As climate change accelerates the occurrence of severe rainfall disasters, particularly through phenomena like linear precipitation belts, the risk of landslides has escalated significantly. In response, Pacific Consultants, a leading construction consultancy established in 1951, has engineered an innovative AI analysis model designed to automate the detection of potentially hazardous slopes. This groundbreaking technology was publicly introduced at the Integrated Material Property Model Technology Association's 2025 Research Presentation Meeting held on November 19, 2025.

Background and Purpose

Over recent years, the increased frequency of heavy rainfall events has led to a surge in mudslide occurrences across various regions. Given this alarming trend, it has become essential for both governmental bodies and private enterprises to promptly assess landslide risks to ensure the safety of communities and sustain business operations. Traditional methods, relying largely on manual visual inspections, have proven to be both time-consuming and inadequate in the face of rapidly rising disaster risks.

Hence, leveraging decades of expertise in landslide prediction, Pacific Consultants developed an AI-driven model that uses Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to automatically identify high-risk slopes. This advancement enables faster and broader evaluation of potential disaster threats, significantly improving readiness and response efforts.

Overview of the Technology

Traditionally, the identification of slopes susceptible to shallow landslides depended on GIS-generated maps analyzed by specialists. However, the newly developed model incorporates AI and DEMs to facilitate the automatic extraction of hazardous slopes. The model was applied to assess the impacts of the Northern Kyushu Heavy Rain Event in July 2017, specifically in the Asakura area of Fukuoka Prefecture. By comparing actual landslide occurrences against predictions made by the AI analysis model, the team examined the model's applicability, challenges, and future prospects. The results indicated that the AI model effectively provides valuable information for pre-disaster planning and decision-making related to disaster prevention facilities.

Future Prospects

Looking ahead, Pacific Consultants aims to utilize this innovative technology to evaluate landslide risks across Japan. The company plans to enhance the AI model's accuracy while analyzing geographical characteristics of different regions to advance more practical disaster countermeasures.

About Pacific Consultants

Since its inception, Pacific Consultants has played a pivotal role in the planning, design, and management of various social infrastructure projects including urban development, railways, roads, airports, ports, rivers, and water supply systems. With a vision to 'produce the future,' the company is committed to offering new values to society that foster a sustainable environment where everyone can live safely.

• - Company Name: Pacific Consultants, Inc.
• - Location: 3-22 Kanda Nishikicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 101-8462, Japan
• - CEO: Shu Ohmoto, President & Executive Officer
• - Official Website: Pacific Consultants