with partner countries in agreement, coordination and technical aspects, as well as the environmental development of talent training and skills transfer, the government and the private sector are cooperating and implementing diverse activities.

# Column – International Development of the Water Business (Japan Global Center for Urban Sanitation (GCUS) and A-JUMP Project)

In order to push forward the overseas business development of our outstanding sewerage technology and push forward

measures for resolving water and sanitation problems, is cooperating with industry, educational institutions and the government. MLIT cooperated with the related institutions and established Japan Global Center of Urban Sanitation (GCUS: Secretariat – Japan Sewage Works Association) in April 2009.

Focusing on countries including China, India, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia, GCUS is pushing forward measures for the overseas business development of our sewerage technology through setting up activity groups for each country, and holding seminars with overseas government-related institutions and field investigations. In addition, activity groups are set up on an issue basis regarding cross-national issues such as international standardization and strategy analysis for the overseas business development of our sewerage technology, and reviews are being carried out.

Moreover, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the collaboration of industry, educational institutions and the government is implementing the “Japanese Version Next Generation MBR Technology Project (A-JUMP)”, for the popularization of membrane-processing technology, not only for the local sewerage business, but also for the overseas “Water Business” development of our private enterprises.

GCUS assists private businesses to conduct business overseas through international communication of the leading technologies of Japan and support for the formulation of projects to utilize this PR, in an integrated manner among industry, government and academia.

Activity groups classified by the country

India group ★ Vietnam group

China group ★ Saudi Arabia group

February, 2009 Indian aquatic environment workshop

Activity groups by the theme

Establishing a network with trainees from overseas etc.

Networking activities with overseas interns A delegation from Mongolia for water and sewage (November 2009)

An exchange meeting was held by Japanese corporations for the delegation grouped by the

## A-JUMP project

Advance of Japan Ultimate Membrane-bioreactor technology Project

The membrane treatment technologies on which Japanese companies have the leading know-how in the world.

·Technological development for overseas operations

·Upgrading domestic sewage plants

Manager in charge of water and sewage at the public center of the Ministry of Construction, Urban Development of Mongol.

• Joint research on the overseas operation of water and sewage business

• Examining international standardization

• Examining the utilization of sewage water for ballast water

MLIT takes initiatives to validate the advanced development of the Membrane bioreactor (MBR) in the actual facilities in use to compile guidelines and to transfer MBR overseas with these guidelines as a technical guide.

1. Applying MBR on the renovation of existing sewage plants

2. Applying MBR to satellite treatment

Moriyama water treatment center in Nagoya City

Miai Pumping Station, Kinuura-Tobu Watershed Sewage, Aichi Prefecture

## Column – Overseas Development of the High-Speed Rail System of our Country

Recently, from the viewpoint of dealing with the earth’s environmental problems, railways have been brought to the attention of the international community as an efficient mode of transport with low $ CO_{2} $ emissions. Many countries are actively considering and promoting railway development as national projects.

In the United States, the high-speed rail strategic plan was released in April 2009, and the allocation of federal government subsidies for high-speed rail development was determined. Currently, two high-speed rail projects are scheduled. One is between Rio de Janeiro and Campinas in Brazil and the other is the high-speed rail project between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam.

Our railway technology has a high environmental functionality, safety, stability and efficiency through the sophisticated unification of various individual

Photo by: Tim Prendergast

### [Photo: The Senior Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism organized a high-speed rail seminar on January 21, 2010 to conduct top sales.]

elemental technologies. In particular, the Shinkansen is superior to the high-speed rail of other countries in terms of energy-saving, mass transport, and low construction and maintenance costs. Throughout the 45 years since the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1964, it has achieved a high level of safety, whereby there have been no accidents resulting in the death or injury of a passenger, as well as high reliability in terms of punctuality, where the average delay time per train is less than 1 minute.

The international business development of the superior railway system of Japan is not only important for sustaining and