Initiatives by Ina City to Promote New
Industrial Technology: Towards theRealisation of “Living in Ina, Continuing toMake a Home Here”(Reference: Project Name) Ina City Super
Ecopolis Project

Ina City, Nagano Prefecture

Background and Reasons for Deciding to Undertake

door ride-sharing taxi service using an AI-operated

the Projectautomatic taxi dispatch system; and the MOBILE

Located in southern Nagano Prefecture, Ina City is

CLINIC, a physician-less mobile health clinic providing

enclosed by two alps, the Southern Alps and theonline medical consultations. The initiatives are

Central Alps, with Tenryu River and Mibu River

aimed at realising a sustainable regional community

flowing through its centre. The city has nurtured

that leaves no one behind while functioning

abundant nature, history, and culture. Measuring

efficiently through the use of new technologies.

667.93 km2 in area, the Ina City is the third largest
municipality in Nagano Prefecture. Approx. 83% ofProject Outline/ Project Features andtheInnovation/Results of the Projectcity’sarea

iscoveredinforest.

Agriculture/forestry, precision equipment, and food・ YU-AI MARKET shopping support service using

are local industries that utilise the abundant water

drones for distribution

supply.
Population aging is progressing in the city’s lightly
populated mountainous areas, and in particularessential services for those continuing to live in theseareas—“shopping”,“transportation”,

and“healthcare”—have become an issue because of thedecline in local vitality and shortage of support staff
such as drivers.
Distribution drones operate every afternoon on
Project Aims

weekdays

In 2016, the Ina City New Industrial Technology
Promotion Council was established in Ina City as agovernment-private

sectorconsortium,

Ina City’s mutual support shopping service YU-AIandMARKET was launched in August 2020, with theinitiatives such as using drones for distribution,

purpose of providing support for residents who haveadvancing transportation, and promoting smart

difficulty shopping through use of a distribution

agriculture were launched. In particular, regarding

drone.

“shopping”, “transportation”, and “healthcare”—
commonissuesnationwide—theforregional

following

Using their TV remote controls, residents cancommunities

initiatives

order from a selection of 420 products available atweretheir local supermarket, and their order is delivered

commercialised by the municipal government: theby drone by that evening (same day delivery).

YU-AI MARKET shopping support service using

In the year since this service was launched, arounddrones for distribution; the GURUTTO TAXI door-to-

5,400 products have been delivered, with the drones
1

GURUTTO TAXI as a new means of public transport

making some 124 deliveries.

that utilises AI technology.
AI instantaneously determines optimal service
routes and ride-sharing, utilising a small number oftaxis efficiently and realising door-to-door ridesharing. In addition to being able to get in and out of
the taxi at their front door, service users can book thetaxi for any time within the operating hours. For
these reasons, approx. 1,500 people have used thisservice since it was launched in April 2020.
The service is a tremendous help to users as they
do not need to carry heavy bags from the bus stop toLocal volunteers receiving goods delivered to thetheir home. The taxi comes to their home at the timecommunity centre

they booked, so there is no need to wait. Users canalso enjoy chatting with other users sharing the ride.

Local volunteers support the delivery service,

Many users have commented on how convenient thiswatching over service users as their orders areservice is for them to use.

delivered as well as acting as a bridge between theusers and the municipality. The aim of this service is・MOBILE CLINIC, a physician-less mobile health clinic

not to use drones and ICT devices, but to convey

providing remote healthcare

human warmth.
・ GURUTTO TAXI door-to-door ride-sharing taxi
service using an AI-operated automatic taxi dispatchsystem

Photograph 5: Physician-less mobile clinic driving
around the community
Users’ most common reason for using theAn elderly person using the GURUTTO TAXI service

GURUTTO TAXI is “to go to the hospital/clinic”.
However, in regional areas there are few medical

In regional areas, because few people use bus

institutions, and the long travelling distances toservices and bus companies therefore cannot secure

hospitals/clinics and the long waiting hours once

revenue, there has been a notable withdrawal of

there are problematic. Also, due to the aging of theprivate bus companies. The COVID-19 pandemic has

population, seeing patients for long hours andput even greater pressure on transportation

travelling long distances also place a burden on

operators’ business management. Ina City began

physicians.

operating the interactive transportation service2

using cable TV.
Using next-generation data broadcasting standard
hybrid cast data broadcasting, this multi-platform
enables elderly users to order products and booktaxis using their cable TV remote control—a tool they
are familiar with using in their daily lives. Only fourcoloured buttons and arrows are used, making
operation simple. Moreover, payment for YU-AI
An online consultation inside the mobile clinic

MARKET usage fees and purchases is made by either

assisted by a nurse

direct debit or credit card, eliminating the bother ofcash payment.

In order to solve these healthcare problems, aremote

Issues and Responses/ Future Developments

healthcare with MaaS (Mobility as a Service), a new(Anticipated Results, Outlook for the Project, Issues,

mobility mechanism was developed with theetc.)

dedicated

MOBILE

CLINIC

combiningcooperation of a MaaS specialist company andAs a municipal policy, Ina City is aiming to create amedical device manufacturer. Since April 2021, thecity that leaves no one behind by fusing technology

Ina City Medical Association’s six clinics have beenand manpower rather than only prioritising

sharing one MOBILE CLINIC while operating theefficiency

service efficiently. Online consultations and atechnology in order to create services that are easy

communications environment in a dedicated vehicle

for elderly people generally unfamiliar with ICT toare provided as an all-in-one package, and with

use and impart a sense of human warmth.

throughtheuseofcutting-edge

While endeavouring to utilise IoT, AI, and othernurses providing assistance in the clinic, both elderly
intechnologies, we are promoting digitalisation leading

consultations with peace of mind. Moreover, theto enriched living and working-style changes

number of service users is increasing because thebeginning with regional communities.

patients

andphysicians

canparticipate

MOBILE CLINIC also lightens the burden on family
Reference URLs

members assisting elderly patients.

http://honyaku.jserver.com/LUCINASHI/ns/tl.cgi/http%3a//www.ina

・ICT Life Support Channel Construction Projectcity.jp/shisei/inashiseisakusesaku/shinsangyougijutu/index.html?SLANG=ja&TLANG=en&XMODE=0&XPA
RAM=q,&XCHARSET=UTF-8&XPORG=,&XJSID=0
Contact
Division in Charge: Planning Department Ina City

A common service platform has been created using

Office, Nagano Prefecture

cable TV

Phone: ＋81-265-78-4111 Ext.2146
E-mail: kij@inacity.jp

The “ICT Life Support Channel” is the common
platform constructed by Ina City for shopping,

Key Terms

transportation, and healthcare services where users
can place orders or make reservations/payments3