Chapter 8. Recovering Transport Economy -Outline for FY 1983-


8. 1 International Transport


(1) Passenger transport
   Reviewing the trend of international travel in 1983 allied to Japan, we see that the number of outgoing Japanese registered 4,232,000 persons or 3.6% increase over the previous year hitting a record high. Their major destinations were the number of Asia/Pacific areas. As the male/famale ratio, the female's is gradually increasing.
   Meanwhile, the number of incoming foreigners stood at 1,968,000 persons or 9.8% increase over the previous year also hitting a record high. If broken down by area, they were from the USA, Formosa and the Republic of Korea in this order (Fig. 14).
(2) Freight Transport
   Reviewing Japan's maritime foreign trade volume (in terms of tonnage), we see that exports increased with the recovery of world business, registering 83,170,000 tons or a 9.6% increase over the previous year. By item, such major goods as iron/steel, cement, machinery and electric products increased. On the other hand, imports, partly due to the belated recovery of domestic demand in the latter half of 1983, registered 547,360,000 tons or a 2.1% decrease from the previous year (the fourth consecutive yearly decrease since 1980). By item, iron ore, coal, lumber and crude oil decreased (Table. 1).
   Reviewing the FY 1983 freight volume transported by international air service, we see that exports registered 410,000 tons or a 30.7% increase over the previous fiscal year (in terms of the U.S. dollar, $14,900 million or a 26.6% big increase over the previous year). Meanwhile, imports got back on the increasing trend, registering 325,000 tons or a 19.9% increase (US $14,900 million dollars or a 26.6% increase). By export item (US dollar), office appliances, communication instruments and transistors showed high growths while by import items, growths of transistors and aircrafts were conspicuows (Table. 2).
   Meanwhile, the ratio of air cargo to the whole international trade of Japan for the first time registered 10.8% exceeding the 10% mark to the whole international trade volume in terms of the US dollar, though less than 1% in terms of tonnage.


8. 2 Domestic Transport


(1) Passenger transport
    Fiscal 1983 domestic passenger transport volume registered in terms of total volume transported 52,541 million passengers or a 1.1% increase over the previous fiscal year, while in terms of total passenger-kilometer transported 822,000 million passenger-kilometer or a 2. 2% increase. In both terms, the growth rates exceeded those in the previous fiscal year (0.4% and 1.8% increase respectively) (Table. 3).
   Features of fiscal 1983 were that the JNR recovered its increasing trend after 7-year recession in terms of passenger transported, 9-year in passenger-kilometer transported and 2-year in air, and that travel by Private Motorcar showed a high growth though a bit slower than the previous fiscal year.
   As for the sharing ratio by transport mode of passenger-kilometer transported for domestic passengers, only Private Motorcar increased while other transport means leveled off or decreased. In other word, Passenger Motorcar stood at 43.9% (42.0% of which were for Private Car), JNR 23.5%, Private Railway 15.6%, Bus 12.6% and Air 3.7% (Fig. 15).
(2) Freight transport
   Reviewing the fiscal 1983 trend of domestic freight transport, we see that the total transport tonnage registered 5,683,400,000 tons or a 1.1% decrease from the previous fiscal year consecutive decreases for three years. However, the total ton-kilometer transported registered 422,300 million ton-kilometer or a 1.3% increase over the previous fiscal year (first increase over the previous year in the last four fiscal years) (Table 4).
   Features to be mentioned for fiscal 1983 were that Domestic Shipping increased over the previous year after consecutive decreases for four years, that Air continualy showed a drastic growth, and that the JNR continued its steady decrease.
   As for the sharing ratio by transport mode of ton-kilometer transported for domestic freight, both JNR and Private Mototcar decreased from the previous year (6.4% and 16.3% respectively), while Commercial Motorcar increasing to 29.5% and Domestic Shipping remaining unchanged (Fig. 16).


8. 3 Build-up of Facilities


(1) Public investment
   Fiscal 1983 public investment in transport registered in total of ~8,549,500 million or a slight (0.4%) increase over the previous fiscal year (Table 5).
(2) Private investment for equipment
   The investment for equipment by private transport enterprises (capitalized at ¥50 million or more in principle) registered ¥1,360,459 million in terms of total value of work or a 6.4% decrease from the previous fiscal year. In other words, all of the three fields dropped in consecutive decreases or two years (Table 6).


8. 4 Business Management


   Reviewing the fiscal 1983 business environment of transport projects, we see that an upward trend of the transport demand in terms of ton-kilometer reflecting the steady recovery of domestic economy, and also the lowering trend of fuel cost due to the decreased price of oil. In other words, the economy seemingly started toward a brighter future though this varies according to industry (Fig. 17).


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