August 14, 2024
Prof Hironori Kato
Research Activities at International Project Lab
Dr. Hironori Kato, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Tokyo

Sustainable Development of Infrastructure in Low-income/Emerging Countries
In many low-income countries, the poor performance of basic infrastructure such as unreliable
design of roads, substandard water/energy supply networks, and insufficient telecommunication
facilities has failed to raise the quality of life of the local population, both in rural areas where manypoor agricultural farmers reside and urban areas where slums have spread. They often facedifficulties in escaping from poverty because they are more vulnerable to the damaging effects ofnatural disasters and have limited opportunities to raise their income level. Meanwhile, in emerging
countries, transformational socio-economic changes have occurred, such as high economic growth
rates, migration from rural to urban areas, uptake of new technologies, and increasing motorization.
Many governments in the developing world suffer from a chronic shortage of infrastructure to meetthe soaring demand seen with rapid economic development. Our study team has been tackling thesechallenges through practical studies to obtain knowledge that contributes to finding solutions tothese issues, by carefully examining the local contexts while, at the same time, building theories andmethods that can enhance our understanding of the realities and proposing implications for future
policy actions. We are studying many cases in developing regions with colleagues from those regionsin addition to international development aid organizations such as Japan International Cooperation
Agency and Asian Development Bank.
Related publications:1) Irawan, M. Z., Rizki, M., Belgiawan, P. F., Joewono, T. B., Chalermpong, S., Thaithatkul, P.,
Kato, H. (2024). Heterogeneity in activity and travel mode patterns of older Indonesians.
Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Vol. 26, 101159.
2) Hoang-Tung, N., Kato, H., Hoang, T. L., Hoang, V. C., Phan, L. B., Takeda, S. (2024). Ridehailing service availability and private transportation mode usage in a motorcycle-based city:
Evidence from Hanoi. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 24, 101069.
3) Denfanapapol, S., Setthasuravich, P., Rattanakul, S., Pairoh, N., Pukdeewut, A., Kato, H.
(2024). The digital divide, wealth, and inequality: An examination of socio-economic
determinants of collaborative environmental governance in Thailand through provincial-level
panel data analysis. Sustainability, Vol. 16, 4658.
4) Takada, S., Morikawa, S., Idei, R., Kato, H. (2021). Impacts of improvements in rural roads onhousehold income through the enhancement of market accessibility in rural areas ofCambodia. Transportation, Vol. 48, No. 5, pp. 2857-2881.

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August 14, 2024
Prof Hironori Kato
Technology Transfer and International Aid in Infrastructure EngineeringJapan has cultivated civil-engineering technology over many years and developed high-quality
infrastructure systems such as the nationwide high-speed railway network and resilient global cities
like Tokyo. Due to a lower birthrate and aging population, however, Japan is expected to experiencea decline in domestic demand for new infrastructure while at the same time finding ways toeconomize through smarter operation methods and sustainable maintenance of existing
infrastructure. Meanwhile, many engineers from emerging countries, mainly in Asia, have beenrequesting Japanese engineers to share their past experiences of infrastructure development andcurrent efforts of infrastructure management. In response to their requests, the Government ofJapan has been promoting the transfers of Japan’s technology and its operational skills to overseas
markets through infrastructure business and development assistance. We are supporting theGovernment’sstrategy

throughempiricalstudies

incollaboration

withvarious

international/domestic institutes and foreign researchers. The empirical studies include: (i)systematic reviews of Japan’s infrastructure development projects and their impacts; (ii) case studies
of successful/failed infrastructure projects in developed and developing regions including Japan, (iii)
policyanalysisforderiving

lessons

andimplications

fromsuccessfulcasesforothercountries/regions; (iv) the development of new methods for effective application of existing
technologies to other markets; and (v) the customization of original technologies, taking into
consideration local contexts. They are expected to contribute to not only the implementation ofJapanese government strategy but also sustainable development in emerging economies.
Related publications:1) Sunio, V., Kato, H., Gaspay, S. M., Napalang, M. S. (2023). International transfer of railway
infrastructure

throughtheintermediationofaidagencies.

Transportation

ResearchInterdisciplinary Perspectives, Vol. 18, 100765.
2) Miwa, N., Bhatt, A., Morikawa, S., Kato, H. (2022). High-speed rail and the knowledge economy:
Evidence from Japan. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Vol. 159, pp. 398416.
3) Miwa, N., Bhatt, A, Kato, H. (2022). High-speed rail development and regional inequalities:
Evidence from Japan. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research
Board, Vol. 2767, No. 7, pp. 363-378.
4) Komikado, H., Morikawa, S., Bhatt, A., Kato, H. (2021). High speed rail, inter-regional
accessibility, and regional innovation: Evidence from Japan. Technological Forecasting andSocial Change, Vol. 167, 120697.

2August 14, 2024
Prof Hironori KatoTransportation Planning and Policy
The physical movement of people and goods is one of the most essential elements in human activities.
An efficient and resilient transportation system enables individuals and organizations to secure
mobility, achieve better accessibility, enhance amenities, stimulate the economy, and support
sustainable development. Transportation is a typical complex system, in which many stakeholders
including government agencies, public and private businesses, and individuals are involved, andcovering various transportation modes, infrastructure, operations, management, and services. It
should be a part of human history in which transportation development has assisted civilization anddevelopment of many societies. Even now, innovative technology is emerging such as autonomous
driving, which is further expected to upgrade our safe and efficient transportation in the future. We
have been studying wide-ranging aspects of transportation-related issues such as: (i) analyzing travel
behavior; (ii) examining effective transportation strategies; (iii) proposing integrated transportationplans; (iv) developing and adapting smart technologies; (v) investigating interaction of transportationand land-use markets; (vi) assessing the socio-economic impacts of transportation investment; and(vii) understanding associations between transportation and the environment. Our researchhighlights not only single transportation modes but also multimodal issues, while its geographicalscale ranges from the human level to the global scope, including both developed and developing
regions. It deals with both passenger and freight transportation and our research often employs
multidisciplinary approaches covering engineering, economics, psychology, law, development studies,
urban/regional science, sociology, and geography.
Related publications:
1) Kanai, Y., Wetwitoo, J., Kato, H. (2024). Meta-analysis on indirect impacts of highway investment:
Evidence from Japan. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research
Board (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981241265688) (online first).
2) Kato, H., Sanko, N., Ishibe, M., Sakashita, A. (2024). Value of travel time savings for leisure trips
in autonomous vehicles: Case study from the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Transportation ResearchInterdisciplinary Perspectives, Vol. 24, 101080.
3) Adachi, H., Kato, H. (2023). Interview-based analysis on impacts of COVID-19 on interurban
business trips in Japan. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation
Research Board (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981221082560) (online first).
4) Morikawa, S., Aoyama, M., Kato, H. (2023). Development of railway station plazas: Impact onland prices in surrounding areas. Transport Policy, Vol. 142, pp.1-14.
5) Le, Y., Oka, M., Kato, H. (2022). Efficiencies of the urban railway lines incorporating financial
performance and in-vehicle congestion in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Transport Policy, Vol. 116,
pp. 343-354.

3August 14, 2024
Prof Hironori KatoTransportation Network Development from a Global or Interregional Perspective
Currently, goods tend to be produced in diverse regions, transported from one place to another, andconsumed in various places around the world, while more people travel long distances, frequently
across borders, for business and leisure in an era of rapid globalization. The complicated productionconsumption structure we see today is largely thanks to a globalized logistics system in which
products are transported internationally, whereas long-distance journeys largely rely on welldeveloped intercity and international transportation network. The development of efficientinternational

andinterregionaltransportation

networks

suchasmaritimeshipping,

international/domestic aviation, and cross-border and/or inter-regional intermodal transportation
are critical elements for enhancing sustainable development in the world. However, there are manytechnological challenges associated with the establishment of a sophisticated transportation network,
efficient management of infrastructure, development of effective institutional structures, andconsensus-building among stakeholders. Negative aspects of globalization have been also pointedout. One of the typical issues indicates a “core-periphery” structure, wherein the core contains themajor wealthy and powerful countries, with countries that cannot reap the benefits of global wealthlocated at the periphery. This may lead to protectionism and isolationism tendencies in somecountries. Our research team have been conducting studies related to these issues from theviewpoints of infrastructure and transportation.
Related publications:1) Uchida, K., Kato, H., Murakami, J., Takeuchi, W. (2024). Does new airport investment promoteurban economic development?: Global evidence from nighttime light data. Transportation
Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Vol. 180, 103948.
2) Guo, J., Kato, H. (2024). Role of government equity investment in capital structure of project
finance: Global evidence from PPP projects in developing countries. Journal of Construction
Engineering and Management, Vol. 150, No.3 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/JCEMD4.COENG1396).
3) Chalermpong, S., Kato, H., Thaithatkul, P., Ratanawaraha, A., Fillone, A., Nguyen, T. H.,
Jittrapirom, P. (2023). Ride-hailing applications in Southeast Asia: A literature review.
International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 298-318.
4) Konno, A., Kato, H., Takeuchi, W., Kiguchi, R. (2021). Global evidence on productivity effects ofroad infrastructure incorporating spatial spillover effects. Transport Policy, Vol. 103, pp. 167182.
5) Bhatt, A., Kato, H. (2021). High speed rails and knowledge productivity: A global perspective.
Transport Policy, Vol. 101, pp. 174-186.

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