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This booklet is a summary of the Annual Report of Transport Economy for
fiscal 1986 (the White Paper on Transport), which has been published annually
since 1964 by the Ministry of Transport to provide the nation with basic information
about Japan's transport activities.
As internationalization progresses in Japan's socioeconomic activities and
international interdependence increases, its position in the world economy is
gradually rising. Japan's position in the world's transport market is also rising
and wielding a greater influence on other countries. At the same time, Japan
is being placed in a position to be affected more strongly by international
business trends.
In these circumstances, moreover, major changes are taking place in the international
environment that surrounds Japan's transport activities, as well as in the structure
regarding material and personnel exchanges. It has become a major task for this
country to respond adequately to these changes. In particular, as seen in the
sharp appreciation of the yen against the dollar and the steep decline in the
price of crude oil in the past year, the changes in the international economic
environment that surrounds Japan have been so drastic and have had a great effect
on Japan's transport economy.
Chapter 1 of this report, titled "International Economic Changes and Japan's
Transport Economy," deals with various effects such international economic changes
as the appreciation of the yen and the drop in the price of oil have had and
will have on the nation's transport economy and suggests various measures Japan
should take to cope with these changes.
Chapter 2 deals with the reform of the Japanese National Railways (JNR),
which is one of the most urgent national tasks and refers to the prospect and
future task of railway transport after the eight bills related to the JNR reform
are enacted and JNR is divided and privatized.
Chapter 3 deals with recent deregulation moves in air transport, such as
the introduction of a plural airline system into international air transport,
and refers to progress in the development of airports, including the Kansai
International Airport, by drawing up the 7th 5-year airport development program.
Chapter 4 and subsequent chapters deal with such subjects as "the Development
of Passenger Transport Systems," "New Developments in the Distribution Market,"
"New Developments in Port and Harbor Facilities," "the Promotion of Safety Measures
in Transport Activities, Administrative Tasks in Response to Socioeconomic Changes,"
and ', '' "Transport Economy Growing Stagnant- Fiscal 1985 Overview," and clarify
the present situation, problems and future tasks.
We hope this booklet will be of some use for those interested in Japan's
transport activities.
Kouki Sato
Director-General of the
Department of Reassert & Data
Processing
Transport Policy Bureau
Ministry of Transport, Japan
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