Infrastructure In Japan Research Articles

Survey of in vitro fertilization add-ons in Japan (Izanami project).

To identify any correlations between evidence levels, adoption rates, and additional costs of in vitro fertilization (IVF) add-ons. Online survey. The survey was conducted in 621 assisted reproductive technology-registered facilities that are members of the Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology from December 22, 2021, to February 13, 2022. The survey included details regarding the specific add-on modalities employed and their associated costs; inquiries pertained to the fertility healthcare infrastructure in Japan before the implementation of the National Health Insurance scheme. The correlation between the adoption rate and cost of IVF add-ons and their evidence levels were analyzed. The evidence level of the add-on treatments was classified into Green, Amber, and Red categories based on the United Kingdom's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and Cochrane systematic reviews. A total of 438 eligible responses were analyzed, with clinics constituting 70.9% of the respondents' facilities. A total of 18 add-ons were assessed, and 96.5% (423/438) of facilities used at least one add-on. A positive correlation of the adoption rate and an inverse correlation of the cost with the evidence level of the IVF add-on treatment were observed (not significant). Outpatient clinics, defined as medical facilities with no beds, had a significantly higher adoption rate (Amber, 65.7%; Red, 52.0%) of add-ons than other facilities, regardless of the evidence rating, although the costs were similar across all site attributes. Accumulating evidence on the efficacy and safety of add-ons will lead to the development of medical care with a high-cost benefit, as an increase in the adoption rate and a decrease in cost are expected when limiting to medical care with a high level of evidence.

Potential of Tambo Dam implementation as a flood control measure

AbstractRecent climate change has resulted in severe and frequent natural disasters globally, prompting the need for adaptation to these events. As an adaptation measure, disaster prevention and mitigation using natural processes and mechanisms (or ‘green infrastructure’) have become widely recognized in many countries. Ecosystem‐based disaster risk reduction has been promoted in Japan since 2015. The ‘Tambo Dam’, a flood mitigation project using paddy fields in which the authors have participated, has the potential to become one of the most extensive forms of green infrastructure in Japan. This study outlines the runoff control mechanisms of Tambo Dams, demonstrates their effectiveness in reducing flood damage at the watershed scale, and discusses two key factors for successful sustainable efforts: the design of appropriate runoff control equipment and administrative schemes that support incentives for the efforts of farmers. The results indicated that Tambo Dam implementation represented a crucial strategy for managing agricultural resources. The functionality of paddy fields could be preserved by managing them as Tambo Dams. This approach not only contributes to flood control but also ensures a swift return to rice cultivation during emergencies. Moreover, establishing a system akin to the Tambo Dam initiative of Mitsuke City, supported by the ‘Direct Payment Scheme for Multifunctional Activities’ for maintenance and management, could ensure the feasibility of Tambo Dam implementation.

Application of climate change projections in drainage project planning for agricultural infrastructure in Japan

Application of climate change projections in drainage project planning for agricultural infrastructure in Japan

Infrastructural casualties: educational intermediaries and casualization of Nepali student workforce in Japan

ABSTRACT This article explores the mutual restructuring of migration infrastructure and international student mobility in contemporary Japan. Through ethnography in an emergent Nepali migrant community, specifically, the experience of student-workers, the essay elucidates the joint effect of migrant labor subordination and casualization of student workforce. Using the case of former and current Nepali students enrolled in Japanese language schools (nihongo gakko) and vocational colleges (senmon gakko) and employed as part-time workers, the essay zooms into the role of educational intermediaries in reproducing and restructuring migration infrastructure in Japan. It shows how foreign student recruitment from low-income countries like Nepal is self-disciplined to enter low-wage labor shortage sectors through Japanese language socialization, legalization experience, and discourse surrounding educational aspirations.

Transnational scientific advising: occupied Japan, the United States National Academy of Sciences and the establishment of the Science Council of Japan.

Given that the practices and institutions of knowledge production commonly referred to as 'science' are believed to have 'Western' origins, their apparent proliferation entails negotiations and power dynamics that shape both science and diplomacy in specific locales. This paper investigates a facet of this co-production of science and diplomacy in the emergence of knowledge infrastructure in Japan during the Allied Occupation. It focuses on the 1947 delegation from the United States National Academy of Sciences to Japan and its role in creating the Science Council of Japan (SCJ). While historians view this mission as having been dispatched to provide advice on the foundation of the SCJ, it was in fact an unintentional outcome. The original plan was to recruit long-term scientific advisers on science policy to Douglas MacArthur's headquarters. The creation of the SCJ was not the brainchild of any individual but the result of an unforeseen alteration of the original idea through negotiations among various actors. By examining the transnational aspects of this process and the complex social process underlying it, and drawing on Manuel DeLanda's assemblage theory, this paper proposes the concept of 'techno-diplomatic assemblage' for understanding the transnational construction of knowledge infrastructure such as the emergence of the SCJ.

Development of current estimated household data and agent-based simulation of the future population distribution of households in Japan

In response to the declining population and aging infrastructure in Japan, local governments are implementing compact city policies in the form of location normalization plans. To optimize the reorganization of urban public infrastructure, it is important to provide detailed and accurate forecasts of the distribution of urban populations and households. However, several local governments do not have the necessary data and forecasting capability. Moreover, current forecasts of gender- and age-based population data only exist at the municipal level, and household data are exclusively available by family type at the prefecture level. Meanwhile, the accuracy is limited with an assumption of the same rate of change of population in all municipalities and within each city. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop an agent-based microsimulation household transition model, with the household as the unit and agent. Household data was estimated for all cities in Japan from 2015. Estimated household data comprised of family type, house type, and address, age, and gender of household members, obtained from the national census, and building data. The resulting household transition model was used to forecast the attributes of each household every five years. Simulations in Toyama and Shizuoka Prefectures, Japan from 1980 to 2010 provided highly accurate estimates of municipal-level population by age and household volume by family type. The proposed model was further applied to predict the future distribution of disappearing villages and vacant houses in Japan.

Bicycle lane planning: A site appraisal in Fukuoka, Japan

Cycling is one of the most sustainable modes to commute from one place to another. However, not everyone views bicycles as a fundamental component of the overall transportation system because presently, societies are heavily reliant on private vehicles. In reality, most see it only as a tool for recreational and exercise purposes. This paper seeks to identify the planning and design of bicycle lanes in Fukuoka, Japan. The research applies the site appraisal technique which involves gathering information about comparable site values within four areas i) Hakata station, ii) Ohori Park and Nishi Park, iii) Island city and iv) Fukuoka residential area. The findings identified various policies, guidelines and designs for bicycle infrastructure in Japan. There are significant differences between bicycle road, bicycle lane and sidewalks in Japan and Malaysia. Some of the findings show that Japan is gearing towards an even more bicycle friendly environment with the promulgation of the Promotion of Bicycle Use Act. However, there are also some setbacks such as the ineffectiveness of colored lanes to differentiate between bicycle lanes and pedestrian or vehicle lanes. Malaysia needs a blueprint and guidelines at the state and local levels to designate bicycle lanes and guarantee users’ safety and enjoyment. A specific unit for cycling in transportation related agencies is proposed to make Malaysia a bicycle-friendly city. Keywords: Bicycle, bicycle lane planning, Fukuoka, Japan

Key Drivers behind the Development of Fluorocarbons Destruction Infrastructure: A Case Study of Japan

The Montreal Protocol has been ratified to progress phase-out of CFCs and HCFCs globally. HFCs have come into wide use as alternatives to CFCs and HCFCs, but as we know today, it was found that HFCs have a huge negative influence on global warming, and the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol entered into force to promote phase-down of HFCs. Since the enforcement of the Fluorocarbons Recovery and Destruction Law (F-gas law) in 2002, Japan has been undertaking fluorocarbons collection and destruction by environmentally-sound manners. However, no study has been reported investigates on how the Japanese fluorocarbons destruction infrastructure has been developed over the past several years. To analyze the development, we studied key drivers that contributed to encourage fluorocarbons collection from end of life electric appliances and to promote fluorocarbons destruction by environmentally and commercially sustainable technologies. We showed that recycling laws and the F-gas law have made progress in encourage fluorocarbons collection and destruction by making relevant stakeholders take physical and financial responsibilities for proper fluorocarbons disposal. This study also researched fluorocarbons destruction technologies that destruction operators used as of 2004 and 2019, and found that three specific destruction technologies have long been used practically in Japan. Finally, we discussed influencing factors that have made these technologies accepted, installed and practically used by fluorocarbons destruction operators. In conclusion, we identified that existence of political frameworks as well as application of fluorocarbons destruction technologies that are commercially sustainable and socially acceptable were key drivers behind the development of fluorocarbons destruction infrastructure in Japan.

Long-term durability and environmental safety of slurry type of coal ash mixed material

The combustion processes in coal-fired power plants generate a huge amount of coal fly ash (FA) as by-products. In Japan, there has been a continuous annual increase in the emission of FA due to the increased operation of thermal power stations after the Great East Japan Earthquake, which occurred in 2011. However, effectively harnessing these produced ashes has been a challenge. Coal ash mixed materials (CAMMs) (FA, cement and water composite) are being exploited mainly for the construction of port infrastructures in Japan, but their usage has been so far limited. One of the reasons for the lack of effective utilisation is that there are limited research opportunities and knowledge on the long-term durability of CAMM. Hence, this study evaluated the durability of CAMM under different exposure environments (atmospheric curing, water immersion and seawater immersion) in order to provide more understanding of the long-term application of CAMM. Results from this study indicated that the strength of CAMM increases with an increase in cement addition and curing days. However, under seawater exposure conditions, it is probable that the strength decreases after 1 year due to leaching of calcium ions from the CAMM. The deterioration of CAMM starts from the surface. Therefore, in conditions where direct contact with seawater is conceivable, attention should be paid to long-term durability.

Review of restoration processes for damaged social infrastructures in Japan and building a performance indicator for designing disaster mitigation policy

Japan has experienced many large-scale natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons accompanied by heavy rain and landslides, and tornadoes. Based on the data of damage caused by four recent major earthquakes in Japan (the Hanshin-Awaji, Niigata-Chubu, Great East Japan, and Kumamoto earthquakes), we investigate the restoration processes of public utilities for major social infrastructure including electricity, gas, water, and communication lines by comparing the differences regarding the speed and trends. The results of various statistical data analyses and mathematical modelling analyses are used to make policy suggestions. In addition, we attempt to build performance indicators (PIs) for water supply businesses to measure the robustness of the water supply network system. Using actual data related to the water supply in Japan, we illustrate the numerical results for the PIs, which can be used to design natural disaster mitigation policies.

Aging Infrastructure in Japan Based on Stock Data

Aging Infrastructure in Japan Based on Stock Data

Review of restoration processes for damaged social infrastructures in Japan and building a performance indicator for designing disaster mitigation policy

Japan has experienced many large-scale natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons accompanied by heavy rain and landslides, and tornadoes. Based on the data of damage caused by four recent major earthquakes in Japan (the Hanshin-Awaji, Niigata-Chubu, Great East Japan, and Kumamoto earthquakes), we investigate the restoration processes of public utilities for major social infrastructure including electricity, gas, water, and communication lines by comparing the differences regarding the speed and trends. The results of various statistical data analyses and mathematical modelling analyses are used to make policy suggestions. In addition, we attempt to build performance indicators (PIs) for water supply businesses to measure the robustness of the water supply network system. Using actual data related to the water supply in Japan, we illustrate the numerical results for the PIs, which can be used to design natural disaster mitigation policies.

History of the development of telecommunications infrastructure in Japan

Japan has one of the most well-equipped telecommunications infrastructures in the world. The rich Japanese information environment is the result of a long telecommunications infrastructure construction process. This paper describes the historical process of the development of Japan’s telecommunications infrastructure from the introduction of telegraph technology in the late 19th century to the recent expansion of mobile broadband. From the early stage of the construction of telegraph networks, an efficient geographical configuration for Japan’s international telecommunications has been sought. First, a westward route to European countries was built at the beginning of telegraph services and then the eastward route connected directly to the United States was opened. During the construction of the international coaxial submarine cables after World War II, the combined use of the westward and eastward telecommunications routes similar to the early international telegraph networks was retained. In the early 2000s, ultra-high-speed trans-Pacific telecommunications networks were constructed corresponding to rapid expansion of Internet use. The main route of Japan’s international communications shifted to the eastward one. In contrast, the geographical configuration of the domestic telecommunications in Japan has been essentially unchanged. The domestic telegraph networks had been steadily expanded from the large metropolises to local cities from the end of the 19th century to the early 20th century. Even the recent optical fiber networks maintain a similar configuration. Although new broadband services, e.g., DSL, optical fiber and mobile telecommunications, were installed corresponding to the expansion of Internet use, the geographical configuration of domestic telecommunications networks has been kept.

An Economic Analysis of Intra-governmental Account Transfers: Social Security and Public Infrastructure in Japan

In the context of limited local government resources, it is often targeted to secure financial resources for social security expenditures for the aging society and upkeep expenditures against the aging of public infrastructure facilities. This paper examines whether transfers from general accounts to special accounts and public enterprise accounts have a significant impact on the financial burden of local governments, using panel data from Japanese local governments. We find that transfer to special accounts and public enterprise can inflate the net liabilities.

The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War by S.C.M. Paine, and: To Stand with the Nations of the World: Japan's Meiji Restoration in World History by Mark Ravina

Reviewed by: The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War by S.C.M. Paine, and: To Stand with the Nations of the World: Japan's Meiji Restoration in World History by Mark Ravina Scott C.M. Bailey The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War. By s.c.m. paine. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017. 210 pp. $24.99 (paper). To Stand with the Nations of the World: Japan's Meiji Restoration in World History. By mark ravina. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. 312 pp. $29.95 (hardcover). Japan underwent tremendous economic, military, political, and cultural transformations during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Scholars of Japanese history and world historians who study Japan are involved in a process of intense debate about modern Japanese history, in an attempt to dissect how Japan made the transition to modernity. The process of that transitional period, between tradition and modernity, and how Japan emerged from the transition as a completely changed nation, and as a fully-fledged imperial state, is a main consideration in both of these very riveting studies. A common question addressed in both of these books is the degree to which the Japanese leadership, including the emperor himself, as well as the Meiji oligarchs or the later Diet party leaders and members of the imperial council, military leaders, were orchestrators of the changes which took place in the country. What drove the overall architecture of historical change in Japan, especially in terms of the planning of empire and military development? And did the other myriad changes which occurred during the Meiji era happen as a result of deliberate internal planning, or was it a natural outgrowth from an era of increasing international contacts, or a combination of the two factors? S.C.M. Paine of the United States Naval War College argues that Japan's modernization project in the Meiji involved a deliberate westernization of the country, which she contrasts with Qing China's self-strengthening movement, which rejected westernization (p. 6). This had major consequences for the immediate futures of both nations. Meiji Japan developed rapidly towards a militarized and industrialized nation, while the Qing's economic and military development was [End Page 448] minimal at best. This split in pathways for the two nations was a major contributing factor to conflict between the two in the first Sino-Japanese War. Paine writes that, "Japan took a U-turn on the road to civilization when it traded in sinification for westernization and the Chinese have never gotten over it" (p. 7). These deliberate choices also resulted in a relatively easy victory for Japan in the war because, "Japan westernized, China did not, and there were consequences" (p. 15). This was reflected in the enormous technological disparity between the two nations at the time, in which Japan's infrastructure was extensive, and China's was not, because, according to Paine, "Railways disrupt fengshui …" (p. 24). Paine found that the break which took place between the two nations in their attitude towards westernization has created an over one century long "downward spiral" of relations "from which … neither country has emerged" (p. 42). A strength of The Japanese Empire is its attention to the details of the many military campaigns which Japan has fought since the Meiji period. She includes chapters which are titled "The First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895)," "The Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905)," "The Second Sino-Japanese War (1931–1941)," and what she calls "The General Asian War (1941–1945)."1 Each chapter describes military strategy, outcomes of particular battles, underlying and proximate causes, and complex discussions of the intersection of military planning and international relations theory. For military historians, this book will be especially useful, especially since Paine has also effectively integrated source materials from Japanese historians. The intellectual scale of the book is immense, and Paine moves seamlessly from detailed discussions of battlefield tactics to larger strategic concerns of the military and the government. One of the major arguments she makes is that the Japanese leadership faced a tough strategic decision as to whether pursue its military strategy and relations from the standpoint of...

Creating knowledge and promoting innovation in logistics services with “personal-touch”: a case of Yamato transport

ABSTRACT“TA-Q-BIN” parcel delivery service by Yamato Transport Co., Ltd (hereafter Yamato Transport) is regarded equivalent to a social infrastructure in Japan. Since its start in 1976, Yamato Transport has extended services’ reach and volume, realising nationwide coverage in 1997 and achieving around 30 billion accumulated deliveries by the end of March 2017. Behind this achievement is the company’s continuous innovation of their service offerings not only by enhancing its digital information systems and its physical logistic networks but also by keeping analogue “personal-touch” and improving the service beyond customers’ expectation. Personal touch at the point of delivery triggers new knowledge which becomes the source of competitiveness. Grounding on the organisational knowledge creation theory, this paper aims to explain how Yamato Transport was able to enhance competitive advantage through creating new knowledge by pursuing both the “personal-touch” and the digitalisation, and ultimately realising innovation, and ultimately co-creating value for the society.

Patterns of radiotherapy infrastructure in Japan and in other countries with well-developed radiotherapy infrastructures

In high-income countries, the number of radiotherapy machine per population reaches a sufficient level. However, the patterns of infrastructure of radiotherapy in high-income countries are not well known. Among 29 high-income countries with gross national income of $25,000 or more per capita, we selected 23 countries whose total number of newly diagnosed cancer patients in 2012 was reported in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Health Statistics 2017. The numbers of radiotherapy centers and teletherapy machines in each of these 23 countries were collected using the Dictionary of Radiotherapy Centers database. The number of cancer patients per teletherapy machine was 452.35-1398.22 (median 711.66) with a three-fold variation, whereas the number of cancer patients per radiotherapy center varied even more widely, from 826.16 to 5159.86 (median 2259.83) with a six-fold variation. The average number of teletherapy machines per radiotherapy center also ranged widely, from 1.24 to 8.29 (median 3.11) with a seven-fold variation. The number of teletherapy machines in each country was almost proportional to that of cancer patients, and the number of teletherapy machines per radiotherapy center was inversely related to the number of radiotherapy centers per cancer patients. The number of teletherapy machines per radiotherapy center in Japan was 1.24, the most fragmented among the high-income countries. The percentage of large radiotherapy centers having three or more teletherapy machines in Japan was the smallest among 23 high-income countries. Optimization of the radiotherapy infrastructure in Japan should be carefully considered.

Implementation of information collecting tools using mobile terminals useful for efficient infrastructure maintenance

While the aging of social infrastructure in Japan is advancing, the number of technical experts responsible for infrastructure management has drastically decreased, which has become the major problem to solve social infrastructure aging problems. In order to build a social infrastructure management system with the collaboration from citizens, a 'citizens' participation with ICT technology' was constructed in this research to make it possible for citizens to report the malfunction of social infrastructure, including the situation, the position and the details to the administration of the government. Then a social experiment utilising this system was conducted in two different municipalities with the participation of citizens. Finally, the effectiveness of the system and the problems for dissemination were verified through a questionnaire survey.

Study of Ground Treatment on Improvement of Pile Foundation Response in Liquefiable Soils

In light of the disastrous the 2011 Tohoku Pacific Earthquake, the government of Japan has conducted studies to revise the seismic design code, and elevated peak ground accelerations have been adopted. Consequently, revisions on existing design to comply with the updated code are required for public projects that are still undergoing. The design safety needs to be reassessed, and implementation of strengthening measures is required if deemed necessary. For liquefaction countermeasures, ground treatment techniques that could increase the density of soils are often the preferable alternatives. The treatment usually increases the in situ SPT-N or CPT-qc values, which in turn would increase the resistance of soil against liquefaction. For many public infrastructures in Japan supported by bored piles embedded partly or entirely in sandy soils, reevaluation of design safety against soil liquefaction would be required. In an assessment of possible retrofitting countermeasures for an infrastructure foundation, ground treatment has been considered. In this case study, effect of ground treatment on response of piles in liquefiable soils was investigated with numerical analyses using FLAC. Results provide insights into this ground treatment effect and useful information for consideration in future design or decision making.

Public charging infrastructure in Japan – A stochastic modelling analysis

Electric vehicles (EV) are treated as a breakthrough technology in the automotive market. The novelty of this technology also implicates that the incidence of these vehicles worldwide is still low. An important issue regarding EVs is the existence of proper charging infrastructure as waiting at charging stations due to an inadequate number of chargers can discourage EV owners. However, as the number of EVs and charging stations are low at present, real world experience is not available, so computer simulations are required for the planning of such charging stations.We developed a stochastic model in this paper that includes driving and charging behaviour of EV owners in Japan. The model is based on Monte Carlo methods and was implemented in MATLAB. We conducted simulations with this model to find out whether the existing infrastructure is adequate for the charging of a large number of EVs. The results indicate that Japan is well prepared for an increase in plug-in vehicles (PHEVs) in the near future: currently the country has 6 fast chargers for 100 electric cars and for this ratio - on average -, waiting probability at DC (direct current) fast chargers ranges lower than 5%, which is an acceptable value for EV owners. If, however, the ratio decreases, waiting probability increases exponentially.