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(1) Promotion of Railways Construction
1) Construction of Trunk Railway Lines
In order to provide efficient and high-quality transport services by giving
full scope to the characteristics of railways as middle-distance/mass transport
systems, it is important to promote the formation of trunk railway line networks
with Shinkansen and existing lines combined. Viewed in this context, the speed-up
of existing lines through the introduction of new-type rolling stocks, is now
being planned in addition to promoting the construction of the Hokuriku Shinkansen
Line (Takasaki-Karuizawa) and Trunk Railway Lines Activation Projects (Ou Line
between Fukushima and Yamagata, and Hokuetsu Kita Line).
As regards the future construction of New Shinkansen Lines, work on building
the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line between Takasaki and Karuizawa will be expedited.
At the same time, there is a need to push ahead systematically and steadily
with the construction work between other sections, whose basic scheme has already
been decided (Fig. 14). It is also
necessary to step up the transportation capacity of the Tokaido Shinkansen Line
in view of its ever-increasing congestion resulting from an increase in the
number of passengers.
Again, there is a need to shorten arrival times in major cities by further
promoting the operations of Shinkansen and existing lines, and the speed-up
of existing trunk lines.
2) Improvement of Urban Railways
In the metropolitan region, the present transportation capacity can no longer
meet excessive transport demand, hence there is a pressing need to improve community
traffic infrastructures by stepping up transportation capacity through the construction
of new urban railways and the quadrupling of railway lines.
To this end, subsidizing the construction of underground highspeed railways
and New Town railways, and the construction of urban railways by the Japan Railway
Construction Public Corporation are currently being promoted. In addition, the
buildup of transportation capacity is being steadily accelerated through the
full use of the specified urban railway construction reserve system. Furthermore,
efforts are being made to build the New Joban Line - a project to which the
"Special Legislative Measures Concerning Integrated Promotion of Development
of Housing Lots and Railways in Major Urban Regions" is being applied.
3) Improvement of Local Railways
The management of local railways has become extremely difficult, reflecting
a continuous downward trend in the number of users. However, in order to secure
facilities of transportation for local development and for local residents who
rely on public transport systems, it has become imperative to maintain and improve
local railways.
Because of this, efforts are now being made to maintain and improve local
railways through the implementation of financial assistance based on the Railway
Tracks Maintenance Law and the Railway Crossings Improvement Promotion Law.
4) Toward Future Improvement of Railways
With the 21 century just around the corner, a national demand for the improvement
of railways continues to rise in order to multipolarize national land and secure
smooth and comfortable community traffic toward the realization of an economic
society in which the people can feel truly affluent. On the other hand, recent
soaring land prices and the prolongation of construction work have seriously
weakened railway operators' enthusiasm for investments, making the realization
of desirable railway networks extremely difficult. In order to promote the improvement
of railway systems in response to the needs of the people in such circumstances,
there is a need to foster railway operators' great enthusiasm for investments.
Viewed in this light, it has become imperative to build new systems for assistance
in the construction of railways, which are more complete quantitatively and
qualitatively than ever before, by securing a new stable source of revenue instead
of by relying only on the existing financial resources.
(2) Improvement of Ports and Harbors, and Versatile Use of Waterfront Areas
1) Toward Affluent Waterfront Areas
In the past the government has been pushing ahead with the improvement of
ports and harbors in accordance with "The Ports and Harbors For the 21 Century,"
a 10ng-term ports and harbors policy which looked ahead to the next century.
The creation of comprehensive port and harbor space and the promotion of mutual
networking of ports and harbors were its basic goals. In April 1990, the government
formulated "Toward an enriched Waterfront" as a follow-up. This follow-up policy
is intended to push ahead with plans for' the qualitative improvement of comprehensive
port and harbor space and for the balanced development of the national land
in order to form easy-to-use and beautiful port and harbor space in addition
to upgrading conventional functions such as physical distribution, industries
and lifestyle (Fig. 15).
The government has so far formulated "five-year port improvement plans"
and "five-year coast improvement plans" in several stages and systematically
forged ahead with the projects involved. Fiscal 1990 is the final year for the
7th five-year port improvement plans and for the 4th five-year coast improvement
plans, and situations surrounding ports and harbors have undergone vast changes
in recent years. In these circumstances, the government is currently pushing
forward with the formulation of new five-year plans envisaging definite and
concrete goals, from the standpoint of continuing to steadily reinforce social
overhead capital. 2) Development of Ports and Harbors Making Headway The domestic
demand-led economy has taken a firm hold while the industrial structure, including
the international horizontal division of labor, is going through rapid transformation.
In view of this, the ministry is now pushing ahead with the development of container
terminals that meet the needs of the changing transportation structure, including
increased imports of finished goods
(Fig.16) In addition, in order to underpin the stable growth of the Japanese
economy, the ministry is proceeding with the construction of bases for the transportation
of energies and raw materials, and the establishment of shipping routes and
the construction of ports of refuge to ensure the safety of maritime transportation.
In parallel with this, the ministry is vigorously implementing steps to revitalize
local port and harbor activities through the development of ports and harbors
of international standing to localities, and the " Marine Town Project," from
the standpoint of achieving a well-balanced development of national land.
Again, in order to meet diverse needs for the improvement of ports and harbors
and for the utilization of sea areas, the government will positively support
the development of technologies by the private sector and upgrade technical
criteria for port facilities under the "A system for evaluating private-sector
technology reading to harbours," in addition to promoting the development of
technologies at national levels.
3) Versatile Use of Waterfront Areas
In order to meet demand for the sophistication and diversification of ports
and harbors, there is a need to introduce private sector vitality plus conventional
public projects in the development of a variety of high-quality facilities.
To this end, Ministry of Transport has so far upgraded various systems for the
utilization of private sector vitality through offering tax incentives and financial
assistance. At present, private sector projects for the development of pots
and harbors have been launched in many parts of the country, using such systems
(Fig.17).
The government is also promoting the creation of good-quality waterfront
environments through the implementation of projects to build historical port
and harbor environments. These include model projects for the formation of scenic
ports and harbors, model projects for the improvement of home town coasts, projects
to create sea area environments, and "refresh seaside projects," in order to
form living space, which provides relaxation for people and which is in sympathy
with marine nature and culture, by giving full play to the unique characteristics
of ports and harbors, toward the realization of affluent national life.
Furthermore, in response to rising demand for maritime recreation, the government
plans to build marinas with a combined accommodation capacity of about 280,000
yachts and boats by 1999 and also to create a certification system of excellent
marinas. At the same time, the government is currently proceeding with the development
of waterside green belts and man-made beaches (Table
3).
Responding to diversified demands for waterfront development, the ministry
is , also pushing forward with the construction of man-made offshore island
and floating recreational facilities, while forging ahead at the same time,
with surveys for the systematic utilization of beaches and coastal areas.
(3) Improvement of Airports in Progress
1) Toward the Formulation of 6th Five-Year Airport Improvement Plan
As regards the 6th five-year airport improvement plan set to start in fiscal
1991, the government is currently pushing ahead with its formulation in accordance
with "Basic approach to the 6th five-year airport improvement plan" (interim
report) compiled in August 1990 by the Council for Civil Aviation's subcommittee
on airports and air navigation facilities. In the first half of 1991, the Cabinet
is scheduled to approve the size of necessary investments at a meeting and also
to accept recommendations by the Council for Civil Aviation and decide on the
6th five-year airport improvement plan at a meeting around autumn the same year.
The 6th five-year airport improvement plan will be formulated with top priority
given to the completion of three major airport projects - the round-the-clock
operation of New Tokyo International Airport, the offshore expansion of Tokyo
International Airport and the opening of Kansai International Airport. This
is aimed at resolving the situation in which airports in the two major urban
regions of Tokyo and Osaka have reached saturation point functionally because
of a concentration of both domestic and international operational networks.
In addition, the government, Looking ahead to the 21 century, plans to improve
and diversify domestic air transport networks, including the provision of plural
airports in the Tokyo-Osaka area and the utilization of key local airports.
As regards international air transport networks, the improvement of functional
conveniences appropriate to international hub airports as air gateways to Japan,
and the internationalization of airports in other major urban regions and other
principal airports will be promoted.
2) Improvement of New Tokyo International Airport
New Tokyo International Airport has operated smoothly since its opening,
but the capabilities of its functions, including runways, have almost reached
saturation point, hence it is imperative to enable the airport to operate on
a full-scale basis.
To achieve this end at an early date, the biggest problem is the acquisition
of tracts of land which have yet to be purchased. In addition, various steps
to ease congestion are now being taken to counter rising demand for air transport
pending the fullfledged completion of New Tokyo International Airport.
Meanwhile, the government has issued a statement that it will deal sternly
with ultra-leftist groups which oppose the airport, and ban them from using
the huts they have built around the airport.
3) Promotion of the Offshore Expansion of Tokyo International Airport
This project is designed to expand Tokyo International Airport offshore
through the utilization of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government-operated reclaimed
garbage dumping site off Haneda in order to secure the maximum key functions
of future domestic air transportation and to provide a solution to the problem
of aircraft noise.
At present, the construction of the west terminal is under way. The project
also calls for the offshore transfer of the existing two runways and the construction
of the east terminal.
4) Construction of Kansai International Airport
Kansai International Airport is designed to be Japan's first airport capable
of operating round the clock. It will be completed in the sea area off Senshu,
southeast of Osaka Bay. At present, the first-phase construction work is being
pushed forward.
The construction of roads and railways related to Kansai International Airport
is now being carried out parallel to progress in the airport construction work.
The government will grapple with the overall plans for the construction
of Kansai International Airport along the line of the purport of an interim
report compiled by the Council for Civil Aviation concerning the 6th five-year
airport improvement plan.
5) Decision to Keep Osaka International Airport in Operation
With respect to the problem of whether or not to keep Osaka International
Airport, the government exchanged statements of mutual agreement concerning
the continuous operation of the airport in November 1990 with a group of arbitrators
representing local citizens involved and in December of the same year with the
local public entities concerned. It was thus decided that Osaka International
Airport should continue to operate as a key airport to meet demand for domestic
air transport even after the opening of Kansai International Airport.
6) Improvement of Airports in General
Improvement of airports has been steadily carried out since fiscal 1967
in accordance with the first to the current fifth five-year airport improvement
plans.
In fiscal 1990, the government launched new projects to extend the runway
at Hakodate Airport, build a new runway at Matsumoto Airport and construct New
Tanegashima Airport. At present, work on building new runways and extending
existing runways is under way at 24 airports across the country. There is a
need to continue to promote the modernization of airports to deal with jet and
wide-bodied aircraft (Fig. 18).
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