b. Forming a marine transportation network for moving resources, energy sources and so on with stability and efficiency

In a globally tight supply and demand climate for resources, energies and so on, importing these materials with stability and at low cost has become an pressing issue for Japan, because the nation depends on imports for virtually all of her requirements for these materials.

Japan is, therefore, committed to forging a marine transportation network to move resources, energy sources, etc. with stability and efficiency by building large vessel-ready port and harbor facilities of core importance, by encouraging inter-business collaboration and so on. To expedite this move, Specified Cargo Import Hub Ports have been specified by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as import hubs for bulk cargoes, such as coal. At the same time, the Amended Port and Harbor Law, which stipulates measures, etc. for supporting such ports and harbors and associated ministerial ordinances came into effect on December 1, 2013. Responsive to this move, Onahama Port, which had been chosen as one of the International Bulk Hub on December 19, 2013, has been designated Japan’s first Specified Cargo Import Hub Port (Coal). The goal is to realize a stabel, low-cost supply of imports and thus build up Japan’s industrial competitiveness, create more employment and prevent outflow of earnings abroad.

### c. Building functionally Major Japan-Sea Coast Ports

Among the ports located along the shore of the Japan Sea that are geographically close to the fast economically growing nations across the sea, Major Japan-Sea Coast Ports were selected in November 2011 in an effort to capture the economic booms in these nations into Japan’s growth through selection of functions and concentration of measures and through port-to-port linkage and to build a disaster-resistant logistics network following the Great East Japan Earthquake. The progress and other aspects of the plans formulated by port management bodies will be followed up from now on.

### d. Fabricating an integrated logistics information platform

Efforts are underway to fabricate an integrated logistics information platform that combines the functions of Nippon Automated Cargo Consolidated System (NACCS) with Container Logistics Information Service (Colins) to augment the efficiency of system administration and user convenience.

### e. Enhancing functionalities of international ports

To address increasingly sophisticated and diversified needs for East Asian logistics, which is not much different from domestic logistics in both terms of time and distance and build a low-cost logistics system, the Ministry pushes ahead with functional enhancements to unit loading terminals $ ^{Note} $ and with the construction of facilities designed to smooth the flow of cargo transshipment. To catch up with rising volumes of container and bulk freights, the Ministry also promotes the construction of international marine container terminals and international logistics terminals in an international marine transportation network or at regional core ports, and the approaches designed to enhance user convenience such as the implementation of ICTs.