Japanese Ventures & the Future of the Economy

The Driverless Car in Eiheijicho –Innovation for Restoring Local Economy
Author Naoyuki Haraoka

By Naoyuki Haraoka
Eiheijicho in the northeastern part of Fukui Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan is one of 1,724
municipalities in the country. It is classified as a “town” and has a population of less than 20,000. Like
many of its counterparts which are located far away from the mega-metropolitan areas of Japan – cities
like Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Yokohama – Eiheijicho faces the two big problems that plague regional areasof the country. These problems are a rapidly declining economy and a rapidly aging local population.
“Abenomics”, launched in 2014 by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration as a series of economic
and structural reforms, included measures to try to reduce the concentration of business – and thereby
population – in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. It was felt that such measures, in addition tolessening the geographically lopsided economics of the country, would lead to a reversal in the declining
birthrate.
The basis for this opinion was that the birthrate in regional areas was higher than in Tokyo due to thecost of living parameters, like real estate and food, being much lower and a considerably more relaxed
lifestyle leading to more quality time within the family. If more business opportunities could be created inregional municipalities, young people would choose to live there and given the better quality of life forraising a family, this would lead to a positive birthrate in addition to economic revitalization.
Japan SPOTLIGHT had an opportunity to visit Eiheijicho and interview the mayor, Hisamitsu Kawai. The
following article is based on notes from our meeting and illustrates how his township is tackling the twin
problems, as an example of regional revitalization.
(Interviewed on April 15, 2019)
Introduction

rural areas of the ancient province, including
Eiheijicho.

Japan has abundant scenery, hot-springs,
Mayor Takes the Initiative
cultural and religious edifices andmonuments that stand testimony to its long
Hisamitsu Kawai has been the mayor ofhistory.
Eiheijicho since 2014, when at the age of 41
From ancient times until 1871, the regionhe became one of the country’s mayors whoof northeastern Fukui Prefecture was known
were on the lower side of the age spectrum.
as Echizen Province. It was a prosperous
Five years into his post, he continues to bearea, with fertile rice fields fed by the Asuwa,
driven by youthful energy and ideas toHino and Kuzuryu rivers and with a rocky
revitalize his hometown.
coastline on which the town of Mikuni, an
Mayor Kawai recognizes the fact that theimportant trading port on the Sea of Japan,
township’s residents are at the core of any
was located. Japanese classical literature has
Hisamitsu Kawai
town-building exercise. He pursues aimmortalized Echizen in the famous novel The
wholesome public policy of collaborating with
Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibu. The
the residents to understand their real needs. He achieves an enviable
author, who was herself a courtesan, captures the bohemian lifestyle
excellence in engagement with them through discussions andof the Heian Era (794-1185), during which period she spent a year in
information dissemination. The office of the township promotes open
Echizen.
and unhesitant communication with the local populace.
The name of the old province continues to generate nostalgia toHis larger goals range from encouraging a healthy businessthis day. There are local crafts, food and drink which are named after
environment for industries and agriculture to promoting socialit. A local railway company, the Echizen Railway, operates trains onwelfare policies that support the raising of children or assisting aged
two lines connecting the prefectural capital of Fukui city through the60 Japan SPOTLIGHT • July / August 2019https://www.jef.or.jp/journal/

Japanese Ventures & the Future of the Economy

Photo: Eiheijicho

Eiheiji
Mai-Road map

Eiheijicho, Fukui Prefecture

Shihi
Daihonzan
Eiheiji【Length】6,025 meters【Width】 about 3meters

Aratani

Ichinono
Higashifuruichi
Eiheijiguchi
stationKyouzen

Yama
Higashisuwama

Teramoto

SuwamaEiheiji Mai-Road

Keyakidai

Eiheiji Mai-Road, a promenade using a discontinued railroad of the Eiheiji Line of Keifuku
Electric Railroad Co., Ltd.

Demonstration driving tests for driverless EV commuter vehicles on Eiheiji Mai-Roadpeople and ensuring efficient systems for the management ofdisasters. Mayor Kawai likes to think out of the box. Initiatives taken
by him in order to achieve his goals have reflected this thinking. We
look at some of these initiatives in the paragraphs that follow.

economic perspective. Their inputs were well received and there wasa special mention of it at the annual automobile vision mobility event
held in Germany that year.

The Driverless Car
In November 2017, Eiheijicho and Osaka-based Panasonic
Corporation partnered to field test a driverless electric vehicle. The
location for the field test was a walking trail of about 6 kilometers on
what used to be a railroad around Eiheijicho. This location was
selected by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology, based on demographic and environmental factors like a
rapidly aging population and heavy snow in winter.
As communities age, they face reduced mobility and in rural areas
it leaves with them no option but to drive their own conventionalcars. The risks involved in such an activity are enormous and aresubstantiated by the large number of road accidents that can beattributed to aging drivers. Driverless cars would solve this problem.
In addition, being electric, they are ecologically friendly and will not
disturb the pristine natural environment of the area.
The project has been actively supported by Mayor Kawai whose
office took considerable pains to explain to residents about it and thebenefits of such a solution when ready for commercial use. In March
2018, Mayor Kawai, along with Yasushi Ishiai from Panasonic andracing driver Keiko Ihara, attended an innovation event in Austin,
Texas, where they showcased their unique project from a socio-On a Path to Paperless-ness
With a view to adopting ecologically friendly methods, Mayor
Kawai has shown interest in reducing the use of paper by adopting
digital methods to document creation and management. There has
been some collaboration with the University of Tokyo on this andeffective solutions are under examination. It may take some time
before a solution that is appropriate for the needs of Eiheijicho isfound, but it is commendable that an initiative has been taken.

Conclusion
Collaborative ideas like those encouraged by Mayor Kawai require
the involvement of not only the municipality and its residents, but thenational government also. One may say that entrepreneurship is not
the sole purview of private enterprise but can even be practiced
successfully by governments. The success of Mayor Kawai’s
initiatives may play a key role in the revitalization of the remotemunicipalities of Japan.

Naoyuki Haraoka is editor-in-chief of Japan SPOTLIGHT & executive managing
director of the Japan Economic Foundation (JEF).

Japan SPOTLIGHT • July / August 201961