2026-09-02 –, Phoenix Hall
What can geospatial technology do for memory — and for peace? This keynote explores how maps, satellite imagery, and digital archives preserve and pass on the memory of war and disaster across generations, from Hiroshima to conflicts and disasters unfolding today. The session combines a keynote presentation, testimony from Hiroshima, and a moderated dialogue — inside Peace Memorial Park itself.
FOSS4G 2026 takes place inside Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. This keynote session treats that location not as a historical backdrop, but as a living laboratory for how geospatial technology preserves and passes on memory.
Prof. Hidenori Watanave (The University of Tokyo) presents his work connecting memory to maps — including the Hiroshima Archive, the "Rebooting Memories" AI colorization project, and digital archives of ongoing conflicts and recent disasters — all built on satellite imagery, photogrammetry, open data, and open-source tools. The presentation is followed by testimony of the atomic bombing and a moderated dialogue on what open geospatial communities can do to carry memory into the future.
Born in 1974. Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Tsukuba. Graduated from the Department of Architecture, Tokyo University of Science. After working at Sony Computer Entertainment and as Associate Professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University, he assumed his current position in 2018. He was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard's Reischauer Institute. Currently serves as Deputy Director General, Division for Strategic Communications, The University of Tokyo.