Major characteristics of urban waterfront redevelopment in Japan

Abstract

There are more than 1,100 ports in Japan with a great variety in size and character. These ports have functioned not only as junctions of marine and land transportations but also as nucleus areas for industrial activities and cities since ancient times. With these multiple functions necessary for human life, ports can be said to be the urban waterfronts in Japan. However, during the period of economic growth, the 1960's and 1970's port functions related to urban life were being neglected, whereas the functions related to industry were greatly intensified, In order to respond to the rapid increase in production and distribution, the extension of wharves and large landfills for industrial areas have been carried out in many ports and harbors all over Japan. Many ports have been developed seaward so that sufficient water depths for larger ships and adequate areas for cargo handling can be obtained, leaving deteriorated inner harbour districts behind, where various problems have occurred, such as water pollution, traffic congestion and loss of access to the waterfront for the people living in the city. To solve these problems, meet the increasing need for waterfront amenities and make full use of ports for urban development, Japanese port development policy has been drastically changed since 1985. In addition, urban waterfront redevelopment projects, especially for inner harbour districts with their long history and good access to the city center, are currently being carried out in many ports. This paper introduces the current conditions, basic patterns and major characteristics, as well as some successful examples of inner harbour redevelopment projects in Japan.