Chapter　1 　Toward A 21st Century Society

1. 1　What Transport Has Brought About


(1)　Socioeconomic Changes and Transport
　 　The year 1988 was the 25th year since the Annual Report on the Transport Economy was first published in 1964. A review of the change in transport volumes in the past quarter of a century shows that domestic passenger transport increased 7.7% annually in terms of passenger-kilometers during the high-growth period, which dropped to 2.4% during the oil-crisis period, and remained on a stable 2.3% after that. (Fig. 1) Domestic freight transport rose at an annual rate of 8.4% during the high-growth period, saw a sharp decline and a temporary rise during the oil-crisis period and levelled off afterward after going up again. (Fig. 2)
　 　As for international passenger transport, the number of outgoing Japanese dropped at one time after the oil crisis, but it has increased sharply in recent years. The number of outgoing Japanese increased 31 times in the past quarter of a century. The number of incoming foreigners increased 7.9 times during the same period. (Fig. 3) As for international freight transport, imports rose at an annual rate of 14.5% during the high-growth period, and have since remained on certain levels, while going through ups and downs. Exports, which once saw a steady increase, have levelled off in recent years, due to the appreciation of the yen. In sum, imports increased 3.5 times, and exports 3.7 times in the past quarter of century. (Fig. 4)
(2)　Changing Lifestyle and Transport
　 　Japan's international position has risen greatly in recent years, and its living standards have reached levels which compare favorably with those of advanced European countries in many respects. It can hardly be said, however, that the result of the past economic growth is reflected in the improvement of living standards. While Japan's internationalization makes rapid progress, the people's lifestyle begins to undergo a major change.
　 　In these circumstances, how can the Japanese people realize a truly affluent and comfortable life toward the 21st century? The answer is that the Japanese people need to have a greater opportunity to take a lifestyle in accordance with their own values, making use of Japanese society's positive aspects, overcoming handicaps inherent in Japanese culture and solving one by one the problems which prevent them from feeling that they are really affluent and comfortable.
　 　While responding to the present problems, always keeping in mind in which direction the people's lifestyle will change, and helping them create a new lifestyle through a greater range of choice, the Ministry of Transport will endeavor implement various positive measures effective in realizing a truly affluent and comfortable life. (Table 1)

　

1. 2　Affluent and Comfortable Society and Transport

(1)　 Aiming at Solving Tokyo Problem
　 　 To realize an affluent and comfortable society in name and fact, we have to solve various urban problems; particularly to solve the Tokyo problems, we will promote various measures with the aim of building a multi-nucleus, multi-core type of urban structure and of realizing an affluent urban life. We have the following measures in mind: ① the alleviation of congestion during rush hours, the reduction of time required to go to work or school, and the development of urban railways which would make it possible to develop a large amount of housing land; ② transport-related measures for alleviating the congestion of road traffic; ③ measures for ensuring late-night mobility in anticipation of 24-hour urbanization; ④ effective use of spaces, including Tokyo's water front; ⑤ the promotion of pilot projects, such as a freight villa, effective in creating an excellent living environment. As the development of urban railways has become increasingly difficult, we have to use new ideas more seriously than ever for such projects. Therefore, we nead to ①study new legislation that will facilitate land acquisition and the construction of a subway system on very deep levels designed to reduce land-acquisition costs (Fig. 5) and ② promote the development of urban railway combined with the development of housing land in order to build new lines that link the city center and suburbs and will have a great housing land development effect.

Note. Deep Underground Subways
　 　 This plan permits a railway operator to build a subway system in very deep undergsound space, usually not in use by the owner of the land immediately above it, without having to establish its own private rights there and pay compensation to the landlord.

(2)　 Promotion of Local Industry and Improvement of Life
　 　 As most urban functions are being concentrated in the Tokyo area, there is a concern that local vitality may decline; it is thus hoped that a positive local activation measure will be taken.
　 　 It is first necessary to disperse various functions, now excessively concentrated in the Tokyo area, build trunk-line networks that will promote interchange among such economic spheres, and create a system enabling local areas to communicate directly with other countries in response to the current of closer relationship to the world.
　 　 To highten local attractiveness and encourage local people to settle down, it is necessary to build a high-speed traffic network, as well as to maintain and improve local traffic systems, including commuter airlines. From the standpoint of increasing employment opportunities and income, we will endeavor to promote tourism, events and industry making use of terminals and the private sector's vitality.
(3)　 Effective Use of Free Time and Society Open to the World
　 　 To enable the people to use free time effectively and enhance mutual international understanding by encouraging foreigners to visit Japan, we will promote the "Tourism Action Program in the 1990s" (TAP 90's), (Fig. 6) and implement various measures comprehensively and systematically, including the development of resorts, New Site of Discovery (model zones for international tourism) and the promotion of conventions. Although the number of Japanese travelling abroad is increasing steadily, it is still smaller than those of other advanced countries. (Fig. 7) Thus, we will further promote the program for Doubling Japanese Tourists Going Abroad (Ten Million Program) Which will help promote international good will and correct the imbalance in the balance of payments.
　 　 We are committed to continued international cooperation, and to dealing with external economic issues in a positive way. We realize that transport-related projeced, which play a major role in Japan's international cooperatin, are indispensable for sound socioeconomic growth of developing countries. Japan is being requested to extend such economic cooperation (both financial and technical) commensurate with its international position. Consequently, we will actively promote an even greater level of international coopernation than before. (Figs. 8 and 9)


1. 3　New Frontiers of Transport

(1)　 New Frontiers of Transport Industry
　 　 Transport-related new services have made rapid progress in recent years. Such a trend is regarded as a forerunner of a high-level service society and is prepared to meet the diversified, high-level needs of people, homes and offices standing in the vanguard of the age. At present, these transport-related new services are being screened in accordance with their capacity, that is, to what extent users' diverse, high-level needs can be satisfied. New service operators are requested to survive this rigorous competition by fully satisfying such public needs using their originality.
(2)　 Development of Water Fronts
　 　 There has been a growing public interest in maritime recreation activity in recent years, and the rate of people holding pleasure boats and equipment is rising rapidly. However, the spread of maritime recreation activity has raised many problems regarding safety and the construction of marinas. To establish the foundation for maritime recreation activity by the end of the 1990s, we have worked out the "Marine '99 Program." (Fig. 10) We will push this program through various endeavors, including the development of marinas in line with the "National Marina Development Plan," the development of water-front facilities and the promotion of overseas travel by ocean-going passenger ships.
　 　 Water fronts have played a vital role in supporting Japan's development. While some water fronts see a decline in their functions as a result of socioeconomic changes, some others are requested to meet more diverse and high-level requirements than ever before. By re-developing inner harbors, the Ministry of Transport has promoted the construction of bases for activating local industry and ports, as well as the development of industrial, commercial and cultural facilities, in response to diverse social needs.
　 　 The Ministry of Transport will promote plans to construct offshore man-made islands in waters with a relatively low rate of use, thereby responding to diverse needs for land in coastal areas making use of water fronts. At the same time, the Ministry will promote the comprehensive use of surrounding sea areas, particularly the highly useful calm sea areas to be created behind such artificial islands.
(3) Challenge to the Future
　 　 The Ministry of Transport will promote the development of various transport-related technologies which are expected to open up new possibilities in social and economic fields in 21st-century Japan. Among them are the development of a linear motor car (magnetic levitation railway), the development of new shipbuilding techniques, the development and use of satellites such as a multi-purpose satellite system, the development and study of maritime structures to be built off shore, the development of port and harbor technology, including under water inspection robots, the development of technology for aircraft's safe operation including a airborne collision avoidance system, and the development of technology for earthquake and weather predictions.

　 　 Toward an information-intensive society, the Ministry of Transport will promote various measures, such as making reservations easy, popular use of prepaid cards, and effective use of travel time. At the same time, the Ministry will endeavor to make multilateral use of transport-related facilities, and promote, in the Metropolitan area, the "T Net Plan" which is designed to offer diverse services using the wide-area information network of transport-related comanies.

　

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