well as technology development for platform doors with better carriage door alignment and soft measures are being promoted such as “friendly manners campaign” calling on rail users to offer assistance to those such as the visually impaired.

## 3 Safety Measures for Maritime Traffic

When observing the past five years, the number of dead and missing persons due to marine casualties shows a downward trend but the number of ships (the number of marine casualty ships) that were involved in marine casualties is virtually unchanged, requiring the promotion of further safety measures.

## (1) Improving Ship Safety and Ensuring Ship Navigation Safety

## ① Improving Ship Safety

Regarding ship safety, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is central in stipulating international standards and in addition to actively participating in IMO discussions, in July 2012, the installation of Electronic Chart Display and Information System was made mandatory in accordance with the amendment of the SOLAS Convention $ ^{Note1} $ and domestic laws were also revised. Also, to eliminate substandard ships, $ ^{Note2} $ Port State Control (PSC) $ ^{Note3} $ is also being implemented.

## ② Ensuring Ship Navigation Safety

In accordance with the “Act on Ships’ Officers and Boats’ Operators” which complies with the STCW Convention, the qualifications for ship personnel are defined to ensure ship navigation safety from human factors. In June 2010, the revised STCW Convention (Manila Amendments) with amendments stipulating additional competencies that ship personnel must possess and by 2017 the amendment will be in full effect. Also, for the maritime pilot system, the qualifications for becoming a maritime pilot are defined to ensure the safety of ship navigation and from 2007 a graded licensing system was adopted and from the point of securing a stable supply of human resources and a training program was created to secure and educate successors.

Investigation and inquiry, in accordance with the “Act on Marine Accident Inquiry,” are conducted for a marine technician, a small craft operator, or a pilot who causes a marine accident intentionally or negligently in the course of duties and in 2012 there were 316 cases of determinations and a total of 411 marine technicians, small craft operators, or pilots were performed disciplinary actions of suspension of business operation (one to four months) or admonition to prevent the occurrence of marine accidents.

To comply with the expanded and more sophisticated duties required of VTS (Vessel Traffic Services) Operators at VTS Centers in accordance with the “Partial Revision of the Act on Port Regulations and the Act on Maritime Traffic Safety” (July 2010), the VTS supervisor directs and manages the VTS operators and ensures that appropriate information is provided by the center.

For the development of Aids to Navigation (AtoN), to respond to faster ships and other changes in the maritime traffic environment and ensure the safety of ship navigation, there is a need to improve and strengthen information service systems by utilizing the latest in information technology, therefore AtoNs in 264 locations were improved or repaired and of the 158 AtoNs that were affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the 47 AtoNs that were restored with stopgap measures and the three AtoNs still awaiting restoration (end of March 2013), these will be restored along with the restoration of ports and breakwaters. Also, evacuation ports are being developed at five ports including Shimoda Port.

Also, electronic nautical charts are being further improved taking it to account that certain types of vessels are being obliged to deploy the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) on board. And nautical charts described only by English are published to prevent marine accidents by the ships operated by foreign crew. Revision of nautical charts in the major 15 ports affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake is still in progress. In addition, the effectiveness