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Hirabayashi Lab (Ocean Space Planning Lab)
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The lab studies the use of ocean energy and ocean space, with a focus on floating offshore wind turbines.
AboutAbout the lab
Research for putting ocean energy and space to use
The Hirabayashi Lab studies technologies for using ocean energy, such as wind and waves, as well as ocean space.
Japan has limited land area but is surrounded by vast seas, which hold great potential for solving resource and energy problems.
The lab puts particular emphasis on research on floating offshore wind turbines, which suit the deep waters around Japan.
It also works on analyzing how floating structures sway in currents, and on planning systems that use ocean space.
Key terms
- Floating offshore wind turbine
- A wind turbine mounted on a platform floating on the sea, rather than on a foundation fixed to the seabed. It can be used even in deep waters.
- Mooring line
- A chain or rope that connects a floating structure to the seabed so that it is not carried away.
- Riser
- A pipe-shaped structure that connects the seabed and the sea surface to carry materials.
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
To help solve resource, energy, and global environmental problems, the lab conducts research that makes use of the ocean's power and space. In addition to marine renewable energy such as wind, ocean currents, tidal currents, and waves, it works on deep-sea mineral resource development, ocean sequestration of CO2, and the use of ocean space.
*Illustrative imageOffshore Wind Power Suited to Japan's Seas
The lab studies offshore wind power that remains viable under the harsh meteorological and oceanographic conditions around Japan. It focuses on floating offshore wind turbines, which suit deep waters, and also works on monitoring of the underwater portions and on vertical-axis wind turbines.
*Illustrative imagePredicting Vortex-Induced Motion and Vibration
When a structure is placed in a current, vortices form alternately on its sides, causing floating bodies to sway and mooring lines and risers to vibrate. Because this can lead to fatigue failure, the lab develops methods to predict these motions quantitatively.
*Illustrative imageSystems That Use Ocean Space
In Japan, where land is limited, the lab plans a variety of systems that use ocean space for business, industry, logistics, and housing. One example is an underwater storage system.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Hirabayashi Lab are faculty, master's and undergraduate students, collaborative researchers, and secretaries.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorShinichiro HirabayashiPublications ↗
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Hywind Wind Farm, off Peterhead - geograph.org.uk - 7226685” Mike Pennington / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Offshore Wind Power Suited to Japan's Seas: “Agucadoura WindFloat Prototype” Untrakdrover / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Predicting Vortex-Induced Motion and Vibration: “Vortex-street-1” Robert Cahalan, NASA/GSFC / Public domain (cropped)
- Systems That Use Ocean Space: “Kamigoto oil storage 01” Asacyan / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Houtani Lab): “UCL OTT” Danfone / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Outfitting Lab): “Carbon fiber roving” Acheolg / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Koshizuka-Shibata Lab): “DeltaSPH” Salvatore Marrone / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Tanaka Lab): “Electricity pylons at sunset in Quebec City” Wilfredor / CC0 (cropped)
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