2.4. Port Management System

2.4.7 Private Wharves

There are many privately owned wharves in Japanese ports. In order to support the rapid growth of Japan's economy that began in the latter half of the 1950s, the promotion of sites for the heavy chemical industry, which was considered a basic industry, was deemed necessary and the demand for plant sites in coastal regions increased dramatically. In order to respond to this demand, financial support was extended to port management bodies to help them reclaim coastal lands as plant sites. The reclaimed land was sold to private entrepreneurs, and construction of steel, chemical and generating plants, as well as private wharves, began.

Each private entrepreneur managed and operated his own private wharf2 Despite this, reclaimed land is sold on the condition that it only be used for its original purpose for a certain period of time. Any change in the way the land is to be used must be authorized by the port manager under the supervision of the central government or the prefecture governor.