Collection of summaries of WAVE studies and research(Fiscal 2004)

October 2005

Waterfront Vitalization and Environment Research Center

Major studies conducted by WAVE are described below.
Ⅰ

Planning research projects Study
Fiscal year
Studywhen study

Study outline

wasconducted

Study on Cargo Volume in Main

In 1997, the Fourth Tokyo Bay Port Planning

Categories at Ports in the Kanto

Scheme was drawn up for implementation by 2010.

District

In March, 2002, the Metropolitan Port Scheme was(Kanto Regional Development

formulated as a follow-up to the abovementioned

Bureau)scheme. As a next step, it is becoming necessary toconsider port planning for the next planning periodroughly from 2010 to 2020.
In view of these circumstances and on the basis of
the content of the information and data collected andcollated in fiscal 2003 and the estimation methods
considered, in this study, international container
cargo volumes at the ports in the Kanto region were
estimated. At the same time, information on thetrends in domestic unit load cargo was also collected
and analyzed, and its demand was estimated.
2004

To be more specific, future volumes of international
container cargo and domestic unit load cargo at theinternational marine container handling ports anddomestic unit load handling ports in the Kanto
district were estimated by using a model developed
according to the data obtained from container cargoflow surveys and net flow surveys.
According to this study, the total volume of port
cargo in the Kanto district including overseas
transshipment is estimated to be 8,200,000 to
9,500,000 TEU in 2015 and 9,200,000 to 10,800,000
TEU in 2020. The estimated total of domestic unitload cargo (excluding domestic feeder cargo)
handled at the ports in the Kanto district is a 53%
increase from the present level (2002) and a 57%
increase in 2020.

1

Study on Container Cargo Trends

This study was conducted to compile basic data

at Ports in the Tohoku Region

concerning the development of ports in the Tohoku
district in the coming years and identify measures
to promote the use of the ports in the Tohoku
district.
As the first step, seven international maritime
cargo handling ports (Hachinohe Port, Miyako
Port, Kamaishi Port, Sendai Shiogama Port, Akita
Port, Sakata Port and Onahama Port) in the
Tohoku district were selected, and the state ofcontainer cargo and trends at the seven ports were
determined and analyzed on the basis of data
including the National Survey of Export/ImportContainer Cargo Flows (hereafter referred to as"NSEICC").
As the next step, in order to identify measures to2004

be taken to promote the use of the ports, future
potential cargo volumes in different routes in 2015
were estimated on the basis of the NSEICC data,
and, in view of the estimates thus obtained, thepossibility of opening new marine transportationroutes at each port in the Tohoku district wasevaluated. In the evaluation, potential new routes
were considered from the viewpoint of port
networking (effective networking of a number ofports) because it was considered difficult for asingle port to achieve the cargo volume requiredfor opening a new route. The study revealed thateven at local (Tohoku) ports handling relatively
small volumes of cargo, it is possible to open a
new route by port networking, and that joint
efforts in port marketing are effective in attracting
cargo to a new route.

2

2004

Study

on

International

In this study, the results of a national survey ofContainer Cargo Flows

container cargo flows conducted in 2003 to collectbasic information necessary for international
2004

container terminal layout planning and related
facility planning in Japan were put together andanalyzed in greater detail.

Study

on

FormulationofThis study was conducted to formulate a

Logistics Strategy for Ports inlong-range strategy for becoming a winner in

Shizuoka Prefecture

increasingly severe competition among ports in the
coming years and promoting the use of the ports in
Shizuoka Prefecture for handing internationalcargo and thereby contribute to industrial and2004

regional revitalization in the prefecture.
The study is to be conducted for two years fromfiscal 2004 to 2005. For the first year, theconditions surrounding the ports in Shizuoka
Prefecture

including

Shimizu

Port

were

investigated, and future directions of the ports
were considered.

3

Studies on port space
Fiscal year
Studywhen study

Study outline

wasconducted

Study on impact of changes in the

Because of the rapid economic growth of theeconomic conditions in China

Asian countries including China and the horizontal

and other Asian countries on

division of work between countries, there has been

Japanese industries

growing concern about the hollowing out of the(Chubu Regional Development

industries in the highly industrialized Chubu

Bureau)region caused by the relocation of key industrial
facilities to other countries and about possible adecline of the industries in the region caused by
the increase in the import of inexpensive
high-quality products. Under these circumstances,in July, 2004, Nagoya Port and Yokkaichi Port
were designated as "super hub ports," and efforts
have begun to make them even more competitivein the international market in order to make themmore

competitive

in

terms

of

cost

and

service-providing ability than the other Asian
2004

ports.
In this study, in order to further strengthen theindustries located in the area behind Ise Bay andthe industrial activities of the businesses that areusing Ise Bay as a hub port, the economic andindustrial conditions in China and other Asian
countries and the trends in global logistic networks
resulting from international collaboration and thehorizontal division of work in the international
community are investigated, and problems to besolved are identified. Measures that can be taken
to

help

strengthen

theinternational

competitiveness of Ise Bay are identified bystudying

andanalyzingtheeconomicandindustrial conditions in China and other countries
and the industrial activities of the Japanesebusinesses that have already moved their bases toother countries.

4

Studies on port utilization and management
Fiscal year
when study

Study

Study outline

wasconducted

Study on requirements for ports

This study was conducted for the purpose ofasverifying the effectiveness of the coordination of

hubs

for

emergencytransportationlake transportation and land transportation in(Shiga Prefectural Government)

mitigating earthquake-induced damage to bridges,
which are important for emergency transportation
activities, in the event of an earthquake centered in
2004

the fault zone along the west shore of Lake Biwa in
Shiga Prefecture, where major earthquake damage
is expected, or the long-predicted Tonankai
Earthquake or Nankai Earthquake. Ports that arelikely to be used effectively in the event of anearthquake were selected as regional transportation
hubs, and requirements for them were identified.

Study on the economic impact ofThis study was conducted in order to clarify the

Miyazaki Portrole that Miyazaki Port should play in connection
with the local economy, evaluate the effect ofdevelopment of Miyazaki Port quantitatively, anddetermine the degree of contribution to the local
economy and employment.
In the study, as the first step, the methods ofmeasuring the effect of port development on thelocal economy and the present state of Miyazaki
Port and the economy of Miyazaki Prefecture were
2004

determined and analyzed. As the next step, aquestionnaire
port-dependent

surveywas

industries

conducted
and

of

the

port-relatedindustries using Miyazaki Port, and the present useof Miyazaki Port and the trends in the use of theport were analyzed. Then, on the basis of the results
thus obtained, the effect of Miyazaki Port on thelocal economy was measured quantitatively.
As a result, the study revealed that the effect ofMiyazaki Port on the local economy is worth 140.7
billion yen per year.

5Studies on long-range port schemes and regional revitalization
Fiscal year
Studywhen study

Study outline

wasconducted

Study on Port Integration in theWith the aim of providing assistance in integrating

Kyushu District

local ports in the district for which Kyushu(Kyushu Regional Development

Regional Development Bureau is responsible, thisBureau)study was conducted to identify possible port
integration areas and draw up a model plan for port
integration. Since the ports of remote islands havedifferent functions from those of mainland ports,
the integration of the remote island ports wasconsidered taking into account their peculiar
characteristics.
To extract possible port integration areas, theport-to-port distances, port authorities and themunicipalities in which individual ports are located(with the trends in the merger of municipalities
2004

taken into consideration) were determined for a
total of 360 local ports in the district, and thoseports were classified according to objective criteria.
Remote island ports were classified individually
into a number of patterns, taking into account suchfactors as the type of cargo handled and route
conditions.

Thus,

along

with

the

overallclassification, the extraction of possible port
integration areas was performed.
From the possible port integration areas, port
integration model areas were selected, taking into
considerationageneraltendency

towardintegration. For the mainland model areas, port
integration councils were established and convened
for port integration planning.

6

Study on Master Planning forContinued from the 2003 study, this study wasPorts

conducted for the purpose of indicating futureandAirports

inthe

Hokuriku Region

visions of ports and airports out of the "future(Hokuriku Regional Development

visions" indicated in the report titled "Future

Bureau)Visions of Infrastructure in the Hokuriku Region,"
which was prepared for the Hokuriku bloc inaccordance with the Priority Plan for Infrastructure
Development and considering more than one
method for realizing those visions.
In the study, existing information on regional
2004

revitalization by means of tourism and the creationof a recycling-oriented society was collected andanalyzed to identify the present state and problemsof the Hokuriku region. On the basis of the results
thus obtained and the results of the 2003 study
results, a long-term scheme for ports and airports in
the Hokuriku region and measures to be taken to
implement that scheme were identified. For these
purposes, a round-table conference composed ofoutsideexperts

discussions.

7

wasorganized

forin-depth

StudyCitizensonPartnership
and

NPOs

with

This study was conducted to verify certainformethods for involving local residents in theCommunication Space Creation

conceptualization

andplanningof

tourism(Shikoku Regional Development

promotion measures through social experimentation

Bureau)with the aim of promoting the communication
between local residents and visitors in the ports andcoastal spaces in Shikoku and augmenting "porttourism" efforts that take advantage of thepersonality of each community in the district.
In the study, attention was paid to the ports near
the Eighty-eight Sacred Places of Shikoku, and twoareas, namely, the Imabari Port–Miyaura Port area
2004

(Ehime Prefecture) and the Murotsu Port–Muroto
New Port–Muroto Point area (Kochi Prefecture),
were selected for social experimentation. The Port
Expedition Team conducted on-site investigations,
held workshops, compiled port travel guide maps
and considered port travel promotion measures.
In a previous study, the basic concept of port
tourism in Shikoku was expressed as "Creation offriendly

ports:

creating

hospitality-minded,hand-made hubs for living and cultural activities."
In this study, port travel guide maps were preparedby the Port Expedition Team composed mainly of
local residents and concerned citizens.

8

Study on Methods for Creating

In 2003, the Chugoku Regional Development

Communication Hubs

Bureau and the Shikoku Regional Development(Chugoku Regional Development

Bureau have instituted the "Port Oasis" system with

Bureau)the aim of creating hubs for communication bymaking effective use of the port facilities andspacesandencouraging

local

residents

toparticipate.
Since, however, the current system is based on theregional characteristics, needs and human factors at
the ports considered in the case study that began in
2002,
2004

there

may

be

cases

to

which

the

abovementioned conditions are not applicable. In
order to apply the system to many ports, therefore,
it is important, in trying to create hubs forcommunication, to keep in mind those methods ofcreating a hub for communication varies widelyfrom region to region.
In this study, questionnaire and other surveys wereconducted at ports where communication hub
creation efforts can be expected in the coming years
to explore ways to implement the Port Oasis system
including ways the reconsideration of registration
requirements.

9

Study for Landscape Planning forThis study was conducted to identify ways toIshigaki Port

make Ishigaki Port (in the district managed by(Okinawa General Office)Ishigaki Port Office) a port that takes advantage of
Ishigaki's characteristic landscapes, taking into
consideration
landscape

the

needs

changing
andfunctionaltheactual

state

and
and

characteristics of Ishigaki Port.
In the study, fact-finding surveys, questionnaire
2004

surveys, expert interview surveys, etc., wereconducted to identify the direction of landscapeplanning

takingadvantageofIshigaki's

characteristics.
Specifying selected areas as model areas in whichto create landscapes taking advantage of Ishigaki's
characteristic landscapes, this study proposed a setof concepts in the form of design guidelines andguideline maps.
Study on Promotion of PortThis study was conducted for the purpose of

Tourism and Communication

identifying problems to be solved in order to(Kinkipromote port tourism and communication in a

Regional

Development

Bureau)concerted effort with the local community anddevelop methods for drawing up a port tourism andcommunication promotion plan in a case study of
Shingu Port in Wakayama Prefecture.
In the study, case studies of 13 ports in Japan wereconducted to identify the present state and problems
2004

of port tourism and communication promotion
measures, and a framework for port tourism andcommunication planning was also developed. On
the

basis

of

these

results,atourism andcommunication promotion plan for Shingu Port was
drawn up on an experimental basis.
This study clarified problems to be solved inconnection with port tourism and communication
promotion

effortsthroughcasestudiesandindicated a template plan for port tourism andcommunication promotion plan.

10Feasibility

Study

Takamatsu

Port

on

the

This study was conducted to hear the opinions of a

Asahi

Area

wide range of users about the effects of the

Quaywall (−12 m) Project

proposed project for the construction of a

(Shikoku Regional Development

multipurpose international terminal (Asahi Area

Bureau)Quaywall (−12 m)) in Asahi F area of Takamatsu
Port (in the district managed by Shikoku Regional
Development Bureau) and verify the effects of the
project in order to make the project effective andefficient.
In the study, as the first step, the mechanism bywhich the project would produce the logistic
improvement effect was determined. Then, theresults were examined by conducting an interview
2004

survey of local businesses and the costs oftransportation and other tasks necessary forquantitative evaluation of the effects of the project
were studied. On the basis of the information thus
obtained, a cost–benefit analysis was performed, theanalysis results were evaluated by a committee, andthe project appraisal results were documented.
The study confirmed that the multipurpose
international terminal project would help solve thefactors hampering logistic efficiency improvement
at Takamatsu Port and contribute to logistic
efficiency improvement in the local industries, thus
indicating that the project would be beneficial to thenational economy.

11

Studies on port computerization
Fiscal year
when study

Study

Study outline

wasconducted

Study

on

Methodsof

EDI

This study focuses on "the sharing of standard

Implementation in Logistics

business processes and the design of standard
messages (common forms) and MIGs (Message
Implementation Guidelines)" and "efforts toward
EDI implementation."In the study, business processes related to LCL(Less than Container Load) cargo were considered,
and, on the basis of interview surveys of related
businesses and comments made at the Conference
2004

on EDI Implementation in Port Logistics, existing
problems were identified and ideal businessprocesses were defined. Specific directions of EDI
efforts in the coming years were also determined.
This

study

clarifiedthenecessityofstandardization in the area of EDI implementationin port logistics. This study also made a proposal
concerning ideal business processes that are
essential for EDI implementation, indicating a
direction in which the EDI efforts in the coming
years should be headed.

12Fact-finding

Study

on

In 2003, the Japanese government announced a

EDI

new direction of statistics administration, stating

Implementation in Port Surveys

that the government would endeavor to conduct
statistical surveys efficiently and smoothly andsolve various problems including a reduction of theburden on reporters.
In a port survey, which is one of the statistics
surveys specified by the Minister for Internal
Affairs and Communications, the prefectures thatare collecting statistics by recovering survey forms
are being instructed to extract necessary data fromexisting data kept by Nippon Automated Cargo
2004

Clearance

SystemOperations

Organization(NACCS) or other organizations and use those data
for survey purposes, in order to reduce the burden
on applicants such as shipping companies andsimplify and streamline statistics-gathering tasks.
In this study, fact-finding surveys on calculation
methods and accuracy analyses on the use ofexisting data were conducted for the purpose ofdeveloping a port survey common statistics
calculation system (hereafter referred to as the"commonstatistics

system")that

perform

calculations necessary for port surveys by using
NACCS data and other existing data.

13

Other studies
Fiscal year
when study

Study

Study outline

wasconducted
andThis study was conducted, with the understanding

Environmental Creation in thethat in order to gain public understanding of

Coastal Area along Tokyo Bay

development projects in Tokyo Bay's coastal area, it(Kanto Regional Development

is important to increase public understanding of andBureau)interest in the environment and landscapes of

Study

on

LandscapeTokyo Bay's coastal area, for the purpose ofdeveloping and verifying effective methods fordoing so.
In the study, a photography contest featuring "the100 best views of Tokyo Bay" was held to verify
the effectiveness of the ongoing efforts and identify
2004

measures to be taken in the coming years.
This study has shown that the use of "the 100 best
views of Tokyo Bay helps increase public
understanding of the environment and landscapesof Tokyo Bay's coastal area and of future projects inthe coastal area.
The study proposed that in order to increase public
interest and build a foundation for landscapeplanning in Tokyo Bay's coastal area, it is necessary
to continue information dissemination and public
relations efforts, and that landscapes be utilized forregional regeneration.

14

Environmental

Creationfor

Attaching importance to the realization of a

Demonstration

of

Free

universal society in which people with physicaltheimpairment and people who speak different

Mobility Project

languages do not feel inconvenienced, the Ministry
of

Land,

InfrastructureandTransport

is

implementing the Free Mobility Project with theaimofcreating

informationonanenvironment

travelroutes,

in

which

means

of

transportation, destinations, etc., that is necessary
2004

for participation in society and for working isavailable to "anyone, anytime and anywhere."
The commissioned task includes the determinationof criteria for support equipment for providing
information to pedestrians, layout planning for such
equipment and the installation of the equipment soastocreateanenvironment

for

project

demonstration in the Kobe port area, which has
been selected as a model area for the Free Mobility
Project.

15

II Environmental research projects
Studies related to environmental research projects, environmental educationor environmental restoration technology
Fiscal year
Studywhen study

Study outline

wasconducted

Study on Integrated Learning

This

study

Assistance (2004)

integrated

consideredlearning

activities

includingrelatedtoenvironmental

education in order to gain public understanding of
the improvement project for Sakata Port inYamagata Prefecture. With the aim of assistingchildren, who are the bearers of Sakata City's
future, in their integrated learning in cooperation
with the local community so as to raise thechildren's interest in the sea and the port, various
2004

fieldwork activities including nature observation
were organized to consider and help children learn
about topics and issues they are interested in.
In order to have these activities take root in thelocal community, local supporters involved in theactivities and nature experience activity leaderswith expert domain knowledge including WAVE
experts (hereafter referred to as "masters") jointly
developed curricula and participated in learning
activities as instructors and supporters.

Study on Networking Methods inThis study considered ways to collaborate with

Osumi Area

organizationsorganizing

natureexperience

activities in the coastal area of the Osumi area in
Kagoshima Prefecture and methods for networking
between different organizations by conducting casestudies.
2004

To be more specific, a seaside nature experience
instructor training program that can be conducted
locally was developed. After the results andproblems of experimental training courses werestudied, a proposal was made concerning ways topromote nature experience activities in the coming
years.

16

Fact-finding

Study

of

the

In this study, basic information necessary for

EnvironmentatTokuyama

determining the actual state of the environment at

Kudamatsu Port

Tokuyama Kudamatsu Port was collected andanalyzed, and a desirable form of environmental
education

associatedwithenvironmental

remediation was identified, in order to implement
an effective environmental remediation project in
the Seto Inland Sea area centered on Tokuyama
2004

Kudamatsu Port. This study began in 2003. In
2004,

environmental

learning

programwasconducted on an experimental basis, and problems
were identified and sorted out. After that, adesirable form of environmental remediation
involving citizens was defined.
The study was conducted while hearing theopinions of a committee composed mainly of
educators in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Study

on

Requirementson

It is thought that considering not only the

Seaside Planning at Ports instructural aspects such as infrastructure but also the

Okinawa

nonstructural aspects such as efforts related tonature experience activities as one way to utilize thenatural environment existing in the facilities andport areas completed in past projects is a very
2004

effective approach to seaside planning at ports in
Okinawa.
In this study, therefore, ability requirements forfield personnel acting as instructors in seaside
nature experience activities, details of training
programs for those instructors, and ways tocontinue instructor training programs over a long
period of time were considered.

17

Study on Methods for Using

Breakwaters are being required to have a number

Existing Breakwaters Effectivelyof functions including environmental functions
besides being effective in preventing disasters,
which is the primary function of breakwaters. This
study focused on the environmental requirements
for the Nishinomiya Breakwater, one of the appeal
points in the Action Plan for the Restoration of
Osaka Bay. Because the Nishinomiya Breakwater isvery long (about 4 km) and it’s inside and outside
surfaces are vertical, the breakwater has room for
improvement in terms of environment-friendliness,
and a considerable effect can be expected from
improvement. The environment-friendliness ofvertical structures is also one of the importantconsiderations in port projects in the coming years.
The study and experimentation concerning the
2004

breakwater, therefore, will become a model case inenvironmentally considerate planning for OsakaBay.
The 2004 study looked at the use of seaweed beds,
which have the water purification function and thehabitat function for diverse species of life, as arepresentativeenvironmentallyconsiderate

approach. In the study, seaweed (wakame) culture
experiments and case studies on environmental
considerateness involving citizens were conducted.
The study clarified the conditions required to growwakame in the environmentally degraded waters in
the innermost part of Osaka Bay and indicated thatwakame can be used for seaweed bed formation.
The recovery and use of wakame were identified as
the next step, and it was decided to address themand water purification by use of common mussels
and their recovery and use in 2005.

18

Study on Methods for Creating

The 2003 study indicated that the development ofCoral Reef-Friendly Portsa uniform guideline for monitoring surveys was anurgent task. In this study, therefore, research wasdone in reports on coral-related studies previously
conducted by the Okinawa General Bureau, andinformation was collected on the methods ofmonitoring

surveysconductedbyresearch

institutions in Japan and other countries. Also, on
2004

the basis of the opinions collected by a committeeof six experts and people concerned, the Manual ofCoral Reef Survey at Okinawa Ports was compiled.
In this year, the 10th International Coral Reef
Symposium was held in Okinawa. In this study, theexhibition booth was managed for the publicity of
the Okinawa General Bureau's efforts related tocoexistence with coral reefs, and a workshop on thecoexistence of humankind and coral reefs was held.

Documentation of Administrative

This study was conducted for the purpose of

Activities Related to Tokyo Portpreparing basic documents and PR materials to(Part 4)

inform the general public of ongoing port
administration efforts related to seaside nature and2004

the environment in the waters and coastal areas near
Tokyo Port and deepen public understanding of port
administrative efforts for the conservation andimprovement of the environment of Tokyo Portthrough various environmental education and natureexperience activities conducted in the seaside areas.

19Study on Methods of Waterfront

This study considered methods that make possible

Restoration

both the disposal of bottom material polluted with
toxic chemicals and nature restoration.
The combined use of depression landfill andundersea disposal and tidal flat creation is a method
2004

of storing polluted bottom material at one place in aconcentrated manner. This method has a very low
risk of causing the diffusion of pollutants such asdioxins. The study also showed that a waterfront
restoration project can be implemented for the realsea if the distribution of pollutants such as dioxins
can be determined with higher accuracy.

20

Verification Study on Seaweed

In 1995, studies on the distribution of seaweed

Bed Creation at Omaezaki Port

beds in the sea near Omaezaki Port and the marine
environment at the port and seaweed transplant
experiments began for the purpose of a study on thecreation of seaweed beds in the Omaezaki Port area.
In 1999, a committee of experts began to deliberate
on survey items, survey methods, analyses ofsurvey results, etc. The committee has been
conducting surveys on seaweed bed creation. In
2003, on the basis of the study results obtained as aresultofthestudies

conducted

previously,large-scale transplanting of mother algae wascarried out and measures were taken to prevent
feeding
2004

damage.

The

monitoring

that

was

conducted after that showed that new algae
emerged outside the enclosed area, indicating thatthe enclosed area formed as a slit caisson structure
can be used as a source of supply of algal spores(mother zone).
In 2004, on the basis of these results, a follow-up
survey of the growth of the created seaweed beds
was conducted, and a study was conducted mainly
for the purpose of verifying the effectiveness of slit
caissons in seaweed bed creation for future projects.
This study was conducted for a total of 11 slit
caissons (No. 38 to No. 48) of the Omaezaki Port
breakwater (west) located in the Menwa area inOmaezaki-cho,

Haibara-gun,(ken=prefecture)(now

Omaezaki).

21

part

Shizuoka-ken
of

the

city

of

Environmental

This study aims to establish a technology forTechnology for the Seto Inland

creating tidal flats, etc., that makes effective use ofSea

dredged material for environmental remediation

Study

on

and creation projects for the Seto Inland Sea byconducting a number of studies including (1) astudy on ways cope with technical problems related
2004

to the design and construction of tidal flats, etc., (2)a study on design and construction methods for
economically creating tidal flats, etc., that are stable
over a long period of time, (3) a study on
maintenance and monitoring planning that employs
methods for evaluating environmental improvement
effects and (4) a study on setting standards for thedesign and construction of tidal flats, etc.

22Study on the Artificial Beach at

This study was conducted for the purpose of

Nakagusukuwan Port

determining a stable beach shape and drawing up a

(Awase Area)

planting plan for an artificial beach for a artificial
beach

project

for

the

Awase

area

of

Nakagusukuwan Port.
Because the artificial beach was to be created on
marine landforms characteristic of Okinawa, suchas leaf topography, and in a shallow water area,
there was concern about the influence of tidal
action and beach cliff formation caused by a rise inmean water level in times of high waves. In thisstudy, therefore, a stable beach shape wasdetermined by using a one-line model, and the
N-line model capable of dealing with changes in
isobaths due to tide level changes and the S-beachmodel developed by incorporating tide levelchanges into the cross-sectional change model were2004

used to solve related problems and consider
measures to be taken.
Problems to be solved and tasks to be performed
identified by collecting information on examples ofartificial

beachesquestionnairewithsurveybiologicalresults

areas

and

concerningtheopinions of the local community were used to
identify problems to be solved and tasks to be
performed in order to create habitats for certain
species such as the terrestrial hermit crab, which isthe purpose of biological area creation, and verify
consistency between the results with the basic
policy and other details determined in 2003.
Furthermore, in order to draw up a planting plan for
an artificial beach, examples of planting near theartificial island and in coastal areas in theprefecture were studied to determine appropriate
plant mixes and species to be introduced.

23

Study on Nature Restoration TypeThe seaside areas in Yokohama used to be dotted

Projects in Urban Coastal Areas

with sea grass beds, which were a cradle of life for(2004)

many species of marine life. Sea grass beds play animportant role in purifying seawater by absorbing
excess nutrients and filtrating seawater.
This study aims to carry out and consider urban
seasiderestoration,

focusing

mainlyontherestoration of sea grass beds, in cooperation withcitizens and various organizations and consider
2004

matters related to implementation systems toward
the realization of nature restoration projects inurban coastal areas.
In the study, the Kanazawa Ward area in
Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, was selected
as a study area, and seaside restoration in an urban
area through the restoration of sea grass beds wasconsidered,andmatters

relatedtoanimplementation system for the realization of anature restoration project in an urban coastal area
were considered.

24

Study on Methods for Conserving

In the improvement of Hirara Port, efforts have

and

been

Utilizingthe

NaturalEnvironment of Hirara Port

made

such

as

environment-friendly

theconstruction

breakwaters

that

of
are

harmonious with the natural environment and theconservation of the marine environment of Hirara
Port. With the growing public concern about
environmental conservation, however, there havebeen growing calls for a port that can serve not only
as a hub for the movement of goods as in the past
but also as a hub for the movement of people. The
Hirara Port Plan (revised in 2000), therefore,
positions the Toriver district as a green recreation
zone.
Hirara Port, too, is being required to improve theliving environment by taking active measures toconserve

andutilizetheinvaluable

naturalenvironment such as providing local residents with2004

a place in which they can experience nature throughnatureexperiencelearning

andecotourism

activities.
In this study, concrete methods of natureexperience learning and ecotourism activities in andaround the Toriver district, and, by carrying out
those methods, identified problems to be solved andtask to be performed and developed methods foraddressing them.
As the first step, the state of the environment of
the Toriver district was determined, and information
on examples of nature experience activities in
Okinawa Prefecture was collected. Then, programsfor nature experience learning and ecotourism
activities making effective use of the naturalenvironment of the Toriver district were developed.
The programs thus developed were verified throughtrial implementation, and suggestions were madeconcerning efforts for use in the coming years.

25

Study on the Environment of

The environment of Osaka Bay has a number of

Osaka Bayproblems,

namely,amenity-oriented

thequality,thedegradationindegradationinbiodiversity, the degradation in water quality andthe degradation of landscapes. This study aims to
elucidate the mechanisms by which these problems
occur in order to establish technologies for solving
them. The 2004 study addressed five priority
problems selected from a number of problems thatneed to be solved in order to achieve the restoration
2004

of Osaka Bay.
In the study, a concrete monitoring plan was
proposed for the restoration of Osaka Bay byconsidering the development of a continuous
monitoring system and wide-area monitoring
methods essential for the monitoring of Osaka Bay.
The study also shed light on the characteristics offlows in the northern bay area and the Yodo Riverestuary area, the origin of organic deposits in theseareas, and the distribution of seafloor depressions in
the Osaka Bay area.

Fact-finding

Study

of

the

In order to determine the state of the natural

Environment of Kure Portenvironment of the Seto Inland Sea, an on-siteenvironment study was conducted at Kure Port withthe participation of local residents. In the study,
2004

information on the natural environment of the study
area was collected, and a nature observation event
titled "Marine Nature School in Kagurahama" washeld with the participation of citizens to determine
the state of the natural environment.

26

Study on Tidal Flats at Tokuyama

In connection with the project for tidal flat

Kudamatsu Port (2004)

creation using dredged material at Tokuyama
Kudamatsu Port (Oshima area in the Shunan City)
shown below, this study focused on the method ofreclamation using material dredged for the tidal flat
creation project, the method of tidal flat creation,
environmental impact, maintenance and project
effectiveness verification planning, and monitoring
2004

planning.
As a continuation from the 2003 study, in 2004
tidal flat shapes for final design were considered,and a tidal flat creation manual was compiled. The
tidal flat creation manual was developed, in view oftheresultsofthestudy,

toensuregoodunderstanding and appropriate action by the people
involved in the tidal flat creation in the Oshima
area at Tokuyama Kudamatsu Port.
Study

on

Environmental

MethodsofWith the aim of improving the quality of the water

Restoration

atenvironment of the Yokkaichi Port area, a series of

Yokkaichi Port

field experiments on a water quality improvement
2004

method making use of the material circulation
system mediated by seaweeds was conducted over a
two-year period from 2003 to 2004 to evaluate theenvironment improvement effect of the method andits applicability to Yokkaichi Port.

27

Studies on toxic materials, recycling and waste
Fiscal year
Studywhen study

Study outline

wasconducted

Study on Ecoport and Other Port

Ten years have passed since the Port and Harbor

Environmental Measures

Bureau adopted the government policy for port
environmental

administration,

Environmental

Policy:"New

Aiming

for

Port
an

Environment-friendly "Ecoport" (March, 1994). In
order to cope with the changing conditions
surrounding the port environment and meet thechanging needs of people, the direction of port
environmental administration in the coming years
was redefined, and the policy was renewed. As afollow-up to the ecoport policy mentioned above,2004

the present state of the port environment based on
various data was reviewed and analyzed, tasks to be
performed in connection with port environmental
measures were identified and sorted out, and theprinciple and basic direction of port environmental
policy in the coming years were considered. The
results thus obtained were published as Greening ofPort Administration (Port and Harbor Bureau,
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport). In
accordance with the redefined policy, individual
policy issues were considered, and requirements forthe port environmental policy in the coming years
were identified.

28

Study on the Creation of Coastal

In view of the growing demand for polluted soil

Recycling

Hubs

Capableoftreatment, this study was conducted to consider the

Handling

Polluted

Soil

and

creation of coastal reverse logistics hubs capable ofMarine-transportation-based

shipping and treating polluted soil and the creation

Reverseof a network of these hubs interconnected by a

Logistics

Networking(2004)

means of marine transportation with a low
environmental load and to develop reverse logistics
systems, such as a system for sharing informationon the occurrence and receiving of resources to be
circulated, the locations of transportation systems
2004

and treatment facilities, etc., and an information
management system for tracking resources andchecking their quality and quantity to prevent
inappropriate treatment and dumping, and thetechnologies for those systems.
In the study, future demand was predicted, andchallenges

associatedwithnetworking

requirements

for

sites

and

hub

and

wide-area

networking were determined. In order to increase
the handling of circulatable resources at ports,
considerations in trying to enable ports to performtheir functions were identified.
Study

on

Bed

In view of the aging of disaster prevention

thefacilities such as tide embankments, a coastal

Wake Area along the Matsuyama

improvement project has been underway since

Port Coastfiscal 2000 in the Wake area of the Matsuyama Port

Management

theSeaweed

Methodforcoast.

The

project

includesartificial

beachnourishment. For the purpose of the beach
2004

nourishment, it became necessary to transplant
koamamo (Zostera japonica), a rare sea grass
species growing in communities in the Wake area.
In this study, a monitoring survey of the koamamotransplanted in the Horie area, an area adjacent tothe beach nourishment area, was conducted todetermine the state of growth and habitat of thetransplanted koamamo.

29

Studies on landscaping, green space planning and environmental impact
assessment
Fiscal year
when study

Study

Study outline

wasconducted

Study

on

Revegetation

This study was conducted to obtain basic

Technology for New Kitakyushu

information necessary for a study on the execution

Airport (2004)

planning of landing strip revegetation at New
Kitakyushu Airport currently under construction for
opening in 2005. On the basis of a follow-up study
on the on-site demonstration test started in 2003,
possibilities

were

explored

revegetation

technology

maintenance

cost.

in

of
order

Optimum

introducing
toandreduceefficientrevegetation methods were also determined, taking
into consideration the basement conditions such as
2004

stone and gravel conditions and working conditions
such as environmental characteristics determined byoffshore siting, and a basic revegetation plan andrevegetation specifications were drawn up.
This study showed the formation of green spaces
by short crawler grass, which is the goal of thegreening of the airport landing strips. In view of theoffshore location of the airport and severe
conditions for grass growing and maintenance suchas high temperature and low humidity in summer
and autumn typhoons, the use of sprinkler systems
and salty wind damage control measures were
proposed.

30

Studyon

PredictionofIn this study, HSI models of a large tropicalEnvironmental Changes in theseagrass

Awase(Pseudodichotomosiphon constricta) growing in the

Area

of

Nakagusuku

Airportspeciesandkubiremidoro

Awase area of Nakagusuku Bay in Okinawa
Prefecture were constructed for the purpose of
calculating the quantitative effect of environmental
conservationandcreationprojects

throughenvironmental prediction and evaluation by use of
the HEP (Habitat Evaluation Procedure) method.
The large tropical seagrass is a representative
species of life inhabiting the tidal flats and shallows
in the study area distributed widely in the study area
(Awase area). Kubiremidoro is a rare species in thisarea classified as "Threatened II" in the Ministry of
the Environment's Red Data Book of plants.
2004

For the large tropical seagrass, water depth, themean particle size of bed material, bottom shear
stress and the Shields number were selected as main
factors through multiple regression analysis in viewof the natural and environmental conditions. The
HSI modeling of coverage was done on the basis ofthese main factors. As a result, a model capable ofgiving calculated HSI values showing good
agreement with the measured values was obtained.
For kubiremidoro, environmental factors wereselected and HSI modeling was done by following
the same procedures as those used for the large
tropicalseagrass.

Since,

however,available

information concerning ecology and environmental
factors was not sufficient, the calculated values did
not show an acceptable degree of agreement withthe measured values.

31Study on Enhancement of PortAs society matures, the demand for a higher

Landscape Development Methods

quality of the living environment grows and there is(2004)

growing interest in and need for better landscapedevelopment. In order for the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport to meet such publicdemand appropriately, it is essential not only to takeefficient infrastructure development measures but
also to develop high-quality infrastructure taking
landscapes into consideration. MLIP has been
taking various infrastructure development measures
givingconsideration

to the developmentof

excellent landscapes such as the formulation of the
Policy Guideline for Creating a Beautiful Country(July, 2003) and the enactment of the LandscapeAct (June, 2004). Ports are marine logistics andindustrial
2004

hubs

characteristic

of

where

there

are

facilities

ports,

suchas

quaywalls,

cargo-handling equipment and warehouses, alongwith an open shoreline and natural landscapes.
There is a need, therefore, for a different landscapedevelopment approach from that applied to urban
areas. In cases, for example, where redevelopment
or the improvement of existing facilities is to be
carried out in a harbor district, the development of
space coordinated and harmonious with thehinterland city is essential, and it is necessary todevelop landscapes in harmony with the hinterland
landscapes,

taking

into

consideration

thecharacteristics of port landscapes.
Thus, in this study, evaluation methods anddevelopment policies for port landscapes wereconsidered, and a guideline for creating excellent
port landscapes was developed.

32

Studies on environmental management systems
Fiscal year
Studywhen study

Study outline

wasconducted

Study on Environmental Study

This study aims to develop a database system byInformation Management for theincorporating environmental information into a

Awase Area of Nakagusukuwan

geographic information system (GIS) mainly on thePortbasis of the results of environmental monitoringstudies

conducted

in

the

Awase

area

of

Nakagusukuwan Port in the district managed by the
Okinawa General Bureau so that the environmental
information can be searched and viewed on the
database system.
The environmental data used were obtained fromthe environmental studies conducted in 2003. Afterthe data obtained from these study results werecollected, integrated and turned into digital data, a
2004

database

formatwasdeveloped

for

each

environmental data item. On the basis of theinformation thus obtained, location information wasadded to the database, and a geographic information
system was constructed. In addition, using the GIS
as a basis, a system capable of showing the resultsof the 2003 study was developed.
In this study, the GIS database system as the coreof the planned system was developed. By adding
existing information (studies conducted in and after2002) and the results of future studies (studies to be
conducted in and after 2004), a system that is usefulfor analysis, study and data viewing purposes canbe constructed.

33

Study on Measures to Improve theThis study considered concrete measures to be

Marine Environment of Osakataken to carry out various tasks, such as projects,

Bay

technology

development,

researchanddemonstration tests, under the Action Plan for the
Restoration of Osaka Bay.
In the study, as the first step, marine environment
improvement technologies and a case study area
concerned

with

the

marineenvironment

improvement were selected. Then, measures to be
applied were considered, and problems to beaddressed for the purpose technology development
and project implementation were identified. After
that, the following tasks were performed: (1) astudy on constituent technologies required for the
restoration of the environmental functions of the2004

tidal zone, (2) on-site surveys of existing sand andmud coasts and young fish, (3) the verification of
measurestoprovideverticalseawalls

withenvironmental functions, (4) indicating concrete
procedures

andconsiderations

concerning

experiment methods for flow regime improvement,and (5) identifying and presenting measures to be
taken

to

make

effective

environmental improvement
purposeofrestoringuseoffacilities

Osaka

Bay.

existing
fortheFinally,

information on examples of port-related publicity
activities in Japan and abroad was collected, thepresent state and problems of public awarenesswere identified through questionnaire and interview
surveys, and, as a case study, a workshop for NPOs
was held in Sakai City.

34

Study on the Construction of an

In the second phase of the Kansai International

Environmental

Airport project, there have been strong public callsManagement

Systemfor construction management that pays carefulattention to the conservation of the living
environment and natural environment of Osaka Bay
and surrounding areas and that is performed incooperation with the local community. Since theacquisition of ISO14000 certification in December,
1999,

KansaiInternational

AirportLand

Development Co., Ltd. (KALD) has been working
2004

in cooperation with the businesses participating inthe second phase project to prevent environmental
pollution by taking various effective measures.
In this study, technical assistance was provided inconnection with the maintenance and operation of
KALD'senvironmental

management

system(EMS), including the preparation of educational
materials for general and contractor education, theimplementation of educational courses, witnessingof internal audits and periodic examinations, andthe implementation of corrective measures inconnection with action items.

35

StudyonanEnvironmental

The basic policy under the Act on Special

Survey and Cleanup Ship and the

Measures to Restore the Ariake Sea and theMarine Environment

Yatsushiro Sea ("Special Measures Act") requiresthat environmental survey and cleanup ships
designed for cleanup operation and environmental
surveys be provided. Toward the end of 2003, theMinistry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
brought into service an environmental survey andcleanup ship, Kaiki. In this study, in view of theresults (Table 1, Fig. 1) of four periodic
environmental monitoring surveys instituted in
2003, namely,
2004

water

mass

structure survey,

discharge and flux survey, bed material and benthos
survey and fixed-point continuous water quality
survey, methods of putting together survey results
were determined and the scopes of survey werereconsidered. For the selection and planning ofconservation and restoration projects that can be
implemented in the two seas in the coming years, a
special, experimental environmental survey plan
focusing on important environmental indicators ofenvironmental anomalies of the two seas, such as
siltification of bed material and oxygen-poor water
masses, was drawn up. Methods for publicizing theenvironmental survey results mentioned above werealso considered.

36

Study on the Bottom Environment

In the Mikawa Bay area in Aichi Prefecture, theof Mikawa Bay

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and
the

Aichi

Prefectural

Government

jointly

constructed a total of about 620 ha of tidal flats,shallows and sand covering works at 39 locations in
the bay area by using 6.2 million cubic meters ofhigh-quality material dredged from the Nakayama
2004

Strait located at the mouth of Mikawa Bay, in orderto improve the sea bottom environment. This study
examined the effects of the tidal flats and shallows
thus created by using the results of monitoring
surveys of bed material, benthos, etc., conducted in
the tidal flat and shallow areas. The study showedthat the tidal flats and shallows, and sand covering
works are contributing to the improvement of water
quality in Mikawa Bay.

37

Supervision of Study on Restored

In fiscal 1998, the Kojima Port Coast (Karakoto

Seagrass Beds in Public PortArea) Eco-coast Planning Committee drew up a

Coastalplan for using the integrated coastal protection

Environmental

Improvement (No. 9-1)

method by means of artificial beach nourishment
forcoastalcombines

improvement

disasterthatharmoniously

prevention,

environmental

conservation and coast utilization and restoring(transplanting) the sea grass beds lost as a result of
the beach nourishment work on a newly nourishedbeach.
In the project area, a transplanting test area was set
up in 1999, a transplanting test area and a seeding
test area in 2001, and a medium-size pilot project
2004

area in 2001 and 2002 for continued monitoring.
In 2004, an attempt has been made at adaptive
management of restored sea grass beds including
the acquisition of new knowledge in view ofexisting knowledge and the present state (e.g.,
restored sea grass beds, surroundings) of the
Karakoto

area.

In

this

study,

theadaptivemanagement was checked at each stage.
In

this

project,

adaptivemanagement

wasperformed at each stage of the sea grass life history(growth, decline). For the adaptive management,
the necessity of a study of the effect of the closingof submerged levee openings was pointed out, andproblems to be addressed in order to proceed withthe eco-coast project were identified.

38

Study on Ocean Disposal andAs part of the study for the ratification of the

Utilization of Dredged Material

London Protocol adopted in 1996 concerning the(2004)

Convention on the Prevention of Marine PollutionbyDumpingofWastesand

Other

Matter(commonly called the "London Convention"), a
study on measures to be taken in connection withdredged material has been continued by the Portand Harbor Bureau since 2000.
Because ocean disposal of sea bottom material
dredged for the purposes of construction projects isgoverned by the London Convention, the revisionand modification of the domestic laws and related
2004

systems are currently under study. In keeping pacewith the revision and modification efforts, thisyear's study focused on the ocean disposal ofdredgedmaterialandconsidered

technical

guidelines for the ocean disposal of dredged
material. In addition, for the purpose of promoting
the utilization of dredged material in "sea blue"
projects (projects for restoring a blue sea where fish
can live), technologies necessary for that purpose
were also considered.
In this study, the Technical Guideline for Ocean
Disposal and Utilization of Dredged Material at
ports was drafted.

39

Study on Construction of anThis study provided technical support for theEnvironmental

construction and operation of an environmental

Management

Systemmanagement system (EMS) at the Niigata Port andAirport Technical Investigation Office, including
2004

preparing

manuals

documenting

and

and

written

implementing

procedures,
generalandmanager training courses, witnessing internal audits
and periodic examinations, and assisting in taking
corrective measures for action items.

40

Other studies
Fiscal year
when study

Study

Study outline

wasconducted

Construction of an Environmental

In this study, the Osaka Bay environmental

Information Network for Osaka

database system (Kobe Port and Airport TechnicalBay

Investigation Office, Kinki Regional Development
Bureau; Web site opened on April 28, 2004) was
updated and upgraded, and desirable forms of
coordination and collaboration with diverse entities
2004

such as academic experts, citizens, businesses andNPOs and a desirable form of monitoring involving
citizens were considered, in order to carry out
environmental monitoring for the restoration of
Osaka Bay under the Action Plan for the
Restoration of Osaka Bay (Osaka Bay Restoration
Council; adopted on March 26, 2004).

Study on Rare Species Handbooks

The purpose of this study was to compile afor

handbook describing environmentally considerate

the

Awase

Area

of

Nakagusukuwan Port

practices for construction work to be carried out
under the project for the reclamation of public water
2004

areas in the Awase area of Nakagusukuwan Port,
and, for use as reference information, a handbook
describing the shapes and characteristics of andecological findings about the rare species in andaround the project area.

41

Study on Oceanographic RadarIn this study, conditions under which efficient andSite Location

highly accurate observation can be made with anoceanographic radar system to be introduced tocover the Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay areas andlocations at which such observation can be madewere identified.
In the study, after such conditions as observation
instrument conditions, site conditions and the
2004

conditions in the adjacent areas were identified,
on-site investigations were conducted. Judging
from the various conditions mentioned above, thesuitability of the candidate sites under consideration
as an oceanographic radar site was evaluated.
This study proposed an oceanographic radar
location that enables the radar system to cover alarge area including both Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay
and that is most suitable for oceanographic
measurement.

42

Publicity for Tokyo Bay Entrance

Fort No. 3 that was damaged by the Great Kanto

Waterway (Part 2)

Earthquake of 1923 has now turned into something
like a sunken reef and is obstructing the passage ofships on the Uraga Strait route. Tokyo Bay
Waterway

OfficeDevelopmentof

Bureau,

the

Kanto

Ministry

RegionalofLand,

Infrastructure and Transport, is removing Fort No. 3
to ensure fast and safe passage of ships at theentrance to Tokyo Bay.
Tokyo Bay Waterway Office thinks that it isimportant to disseminate information on the Tokyo
Bay entrance route improvement project and clearly
explain the historical significance of the Tokyo Bay
forts to the general public so that they can think
about it, in order to preserve and utilize the forts inthe coming years.
As part of the efforts to this end, on Saturday,
2004

December 18, 2004, the Symposium on Tokyo Bay
Forts: Talking about the Tokyo Bay forts in the
Boso region (co-organized by Futtsu Municipal
Government, sponsored by Chiba Prefectural
Government, supported by Waterfront Vitalizationand Environment Research Center), organized by
Tokyo Bay Waterway Office, was held at the Futtsu
Public Hall. The symposium picked up where thesymposium (organized by Tokyo Bay Waterway
Office) held in Yokosuka City in December, 2003,
left off. A total of about 450 people composed
mainly of Futtsu and Kimitsu citizens attended theFuttsu symposium. The Yokosuka symposium was
subtitled "Romanticism of the Meiji Period:
Frontier Spirit of Fort No. 3." The 2004 symposium
focused on the relationship between the future of
the fort and the citizens based mainly on therelationship between the local community (Bosoregion) and the Tokyo Bay forts.

43

Study on Good Practices in

Yokohama

ProvidingInvestigation Office created a Web site named

Environmental

Information to Outsiders

Port

and

AirportTechnical"Tokyo Bay Environmental Information Center"(TBEIC) as a link between environment-related
activities for Tokyo Bay restoration located mainlyin the coastal area and environment-related
information as a result of the study that began in
2004

2002. At the same time, TBEIC has been continuinga study that aims to promote the utilization ofenvironmental information owned by TBEIC. This
study reports the results of a study on thestandardization of data, a study on ways to assist in
utilizing environmental information to promote
environment-improving activities and a marine
environment awareness survey conducted by study
groups.

Study on the Construction ofThis study was conducted for the purpose of

Marineidentifying the necessity and significance of and aEnvironmental

Information Databasebasic policy for sharing environmental information,
constructing environmental information sharing
system and conducting a basic study for theoperation of a planned environmental information
system.
2004

The studies conducted as part of this study weremade on the basis of the opinions of a study groupcomposedofacademic

experts

and

local

government personnel. The marine environmental
information database system was developed as anexperimental version of an information sharing
system (clearinghouse) and installed as part of theintranet of the Sendai Port and Airport Technical
Investigation Office.

44

Study on Measures to Support

This study was conducted in order to obtain

Environmental

reference information that can be used by theExperience

Activities

personnel of Yokohama Port and Airport Technical
2004

Investigation Office to conceptualize, plan andimplement environmental experience activities
making effective use of the facilities (e.g., seawater
intake ponds, Diversity Plaza (multipurpose hall))in the premises.

Study on Methods for Utilizing

This study includes a series of studies for the

Coastal Environment Information

construction of a system (Seto Inland Sea
Environmental Information Center (provisionalname)) for facilitating the collection, accumulation,
management and distribution of environmental data
2004

(environmental information, research results, resultsof technology development, etc.) mainly in order toimplement environmental measures in the Seto
Inland Sea, contribute to environmental education
and build information and human networks of theorganizations concerned.

45

III Port EDI projects
Port EDI system operation support projects
Fiscal year
Studywhen study

Study outline

wasconducted

Study on Development for the

The Port EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

Expansion of the Scope of Single

System has been in operation since fiscal 1999 as

Window System Services

an effort to simplify and computerize port-related
procedures to be performed by port masters andport authorities. In fiscal 2003, quarantine, which isa task to be performed by the Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare, was added as an additional
task to be performed. The system was theninterconnected

with

the

customs

information

processing system (Sea-NACCS) operated by the
Ministry of Finance, etc., and the Ministry of2004

Justice's foreigner entry and departure information
system to create a single-window environment forproviding one-stop services so that users can accessother systems as part of the export/import or
port-related procedures.
The 2004 study includes the study and design
work to incorporate the procedures associated with
conformance to the amended SOLAS (International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea)requirements and a number of other procedures into
the single window system as part of the efforts to
expand the scope of services handled by the system.

46

Studyon

Improvement

of

In

order

to

increasetheinternational

Efficiency in Container Handlingcompetitiveness of an international port, it isatimportant to enhance the level of services provided

International

Container

Terminals

in addition to improving necessary port facilities. A
number of systems have already been developed tocomputerize procedures among private businesses
to enhance efficiency. The procedures performed at
the gates of container terminals, however, remain
inefficient partly because the means of informationexchange

betweenmarinecargo

forwarding

agencies, customs clearance agencies and land
carriers have not been standardized and partly
because of human errors. In order to solve these
problems, work has been underway to standardize
2004

procedures and computerize and share information.
In

this

study,ademonstration

systemincorporating an imported system was constructed(the system incorporating the imported system iscalled the "JCL-Net (Japan Container Logistics
Network)") with the aim of improving logistic
efficiency

bycomputerizing

andsharing

information on container movement at container
terminals.
This study showed that the computerization of
information on container movement and the sharing
of information among the people concerned helps
eliminate factors hampering the improvement of
cargo

handling

efficiency

andimprovetheefficiency of the tasks performed by the people
concerned.

47

Management and Operation of

The Port EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

Port EDI System

System has been in operation since fiscal 1999 as
an effort to simplify and computerize port-related
procedures to be performed by port masters andport authorities. In fiscal 2003, quarantine, which isa task to be performed by the Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare, was added as an additional
task to be performed. The system was theninterconnected

with

the

customs

information

processing system (Sea-NACCS) operated by the
2004

Ministry of Finance, etc., and the Ministry ofJustice's foreigner entry and departure information
system to create a single-window environment forproviding one-stop services so that users can accessother systems as part of the export/import or
port-related procedures.
This task involves system management andoperation including monitoring system operationand providing support to system users to enable thesystem to process electronic information for various
day-to-day procedures smoothly and efficiently.

48