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What is LABV?

LABV (Local Asset Backed Vehicle) is attracting attention as a new way to utilize vacant land owned by local public organizations. In this model, each of the public and private sector invests to create a business entity that develops a complex of public and private revenue-generating facilities, with both parties sharing risks and benefits equally. We talked to Nobuyoshi TAKAGI and Tomoki ONISHI from the PPP Project Sec., PPP Management Dept., Social Innovation Div. of PACIFIC CONSULTANTS who are also providing support for its implementation.

What are Microplastics?

Addressing plastic waste that persists in the environment for extended periods is a major global challenge. In particular, there are concerns about the impact of microplastics on marine life and human health, but the sources, movement, and diffusion of these plastics are not fully understood, making effective countermeasures difficult. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS is developing technologies to elucidate the dynamics of plastic waste from its generation in terrestrial areas (watersheds) to its transport. This time, we spoke with Hiroshi UEHARA and Taro SHOJI from the Water Management Sec., Watershed Planning Dept., Land Infrastructure Div. who are in charge of this initiative.

Odagawa River Confluence Point Relocation Project

The "July 2018 Heavy Rains" caused widespread damage across western Japan. In particular, the collapse of the Oda River levee in Mabi-cho, Kurashiki City, resulted in severe damage, including 51 deaths. The government decided to expedite the completion of the already-started project to relocate the confluence point with the Takahashi River by five years to ensure the safety of the river basin as quickly as possible. Numerous construction consultants and construction companies rallied together for this emergency project. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS also handled many of the tasks. We talked to Kenji KIMURA of the River Structure Sec., River Basin Structural Dept., Land Infrastructure Div., who oversaw the entire project as the project manager.

Narita Airport's Further Functional Enhancement Project Vol. 2

The ongoing construction project to further enhance the functionality of Narita Airport is a large-scale undertaking that aims to nearly double the existing airport area through runway extensions and new construction, and increase the annual takeoff and landing capacity (the maximum number of safe takeoffs and landings per year) to 500,000. Environmental impact assessment is essential. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has been commissioned to conduct survey work since the planning stage, which dates back more than 10 years, and has supported the creation of the environmental impact assessment report published in September 2019. They are currently continuing their efforts to protect the environment. We spoke with three people from Yuji HIRONAKA of Geotechnical Engineering Dept. Land Infrastructure Div., Hiroo WATANABE and Tomonori FUCHIZAWA of Environmental Symbiosis Dept. Social Innovation Div., about environmental impact assessment.

The "Tamagawa Sky Bridge" Blends Seamlessly into Landscape of the Estuary

The "Tamagawa Sky Bridge" opened in March 2022. Designing and constructing it under challenging conditions, such as airspace restrictions at Haneda Airport, preserving the tidal flat ecosystem, and maintaining the horizontal landscape unique to the river mouth, presented many difficulties. However, PACIFIC CONSULTANTS spearheaded the detailed structural studies of the bridge. They contributed to the realization of a slender and beautiful girder bridge with the longest span in Japan at 240m. We talked to Daisaku ISHIHARA from the Bridge Section 2, Structural Dept., Transportation Infrastructure Div., PACIFIC CONSULTANTS who played a central role in the project.

Villages Revitalization Project in Nishihara Village, Kumamoto Prefecture

The Kumamoto Earthquake in April 2016 was unprecedented in recorded history, with two magnitude 7 tremors occurring within 28 hours. Nishihara Village in Kumamoto Prefecture, located near the epicenter, suffered extensive damage. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS became involved early in Nishihara Village's disaster restoration efforts, providing ongoing support for the regeneration of six villages, focusing on both earthquake-resistant land development and urban planning. Shunichiro KANEKO from the Geotechnical Disaster Prevention Sec., Geotechnical Engineering Dept., Land Infrastructure Div. and Hiroto YAMAGUCHI from the Integrated Project Sec., Social Innovation Dept., Kyushu Headquarters, who played a central role in the project, reflected on their work.

Developing a passenger ship terminal to support Okinawa's tourism industry.

The number of cruise passengers from Asia surged in the latter half of the 2000s. However, at that time, Naha Port did not have a dedicated berth for cruise ships, and cargo berths were used for both. Fearing that this would inevitably damage the image of Okinawa's gateway, the government launched a project to develop a passenger ship terminal at Naha Port. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS was responsible for designing the new passenger ship berths, terminal facility site, and connecting road bridge, playing a major role in the realization of Naha Port's first passenger ship terminal (Naha Cruise Terminal). We spoke with Nobuo Suzuki of the Ports and Harbors Dept., Land Infrastructure Div. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS Consultants, who was in charge of the design.

Narita Airport's Further Functional Enhancement Project Vol. 1

This is the first large-scale "Further Functional Enhancement Project" for Narita Airport since 1978. For over 10 years, PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has been involved in a wide range of tasks, including environmental assessment surveys and surveys, planning, and design related to infrastructure development. Currently, more than 100 people from various technical fields, mainly from Aviation Dept., are participating in the project team. We spoke with the team's General Project Manager, Kiyotsugu Nagai, along with Naoto Futamata and Mifuyu Kurosaki from Aviation Dept., Hiroyuki Nagai from Tunnel Dept., Yoshio Namiki from the Watershed Planning Department, Tomoki Sakata from Road & Highway Dept., and Shunichiro Kaneko from Geotechnical Engineering Dept..

Basic Knowledge of CCS Plants and the Role of Construction Consultants

One technology that is currently attracting significant attention as Japan aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 is CCS, which involves capturing and storing CO2. CCS is an extremely important technology, especially for industries where decarbonization is considered very difficult, such as thermal power plants and steel mills, and is said to be a key to achieving carbon neutrality in Japan. We talked to Toyomitsu KANAI from Facility Engineering Dept., Transportation Infrastructure Div. at PACIFIC CONSULTANTS, who is working on CCS projects.

What is area management?

The term "area management" is by no means new. The government spoke of the need for such initiatives nearly 20 years ago, in 2008. Even before that, they had been considering central urban area revitalization, town management, and new roles for regional management. And now, the role that regions must play is becoming increasingly important, and there is a demand for comprehensive improvement of urban capabilities that encompass elements such as disaster prevention, decarbonization, and biodiversity. What does modern area management entail? We spoke with Daisaku TANAKA, General Manager of the Business Design Department, Solution Business Division PACIFIC CONSULTANTS, and Sayaka YAMAMOTO, Project Manager, who are working on various social experiments.

Working as a Private Sector's Engineers Team to Quickly Complete the "Kamaishi-Yamada Road"

The Sanriku Coastal Road (Sanriku Road), which runs along the coast of the Tohoku region and connects Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, and Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, had been under construction before the earthquake, but only a portion of it was open. National Route 45, which also runs along the coast, suffered extensive damage in various parts from the Tsunami. The early reopening of the Sanriku Road was essential for the restoration from the earthquake. In order to advance this project at the exceptional speed of approximately 10 years, the government introduced a PPP to expedite the project, a first in the country. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS was awarded the contract for this work in the Kamaishi-Yamada construction section, making a significant contribution to the early completion of the road. Four people who played a central role in the project - Amane TOMATSU from the Structural Sec., Tohoku Transportation Infrastructure Dept. of the Tohoku Branch Office, Osamu YAMAKAGE, Masato SHIRAISHI, and Tomohiro OYAMA from the Roads Sec. of the same department - look back on that time.

Former Kitakami River Estuary Restoration and Reconstruction Project

Ishinomaki City, which has long thrived as an river port centered around the former Kitakami River estuary, suffered severe damage in Great East Japan Earthquake. New embankments are essential to protect the city from Tsunamis, storm surges, and flooding. However, building new embankments in a city that has developed a unique lively atmosphere in harmony with its waterfront precisely because it lacked embankments is no easy feat. How could an embankment be constructed to protect the lives and property of residents while maintaining the close relationship between the river and their daily lives? PACIFIC CONSULTANTS was deeply involved in the restoration and reconstruction project for the former the Kitakami River estuary, a difficult challenge. Takahito AMADA from the River Structure Sec., Watershed Structure Dept., Land Infrastructure Div., and Kiyoto TSUKA from the Waterworks Sec., Hokkaido Land Infrastructure Dept., Hokkaido Branch Office who were central contributors to the project, look back on the work, which spanned more than 11 years.

Design of "Nakahashi Bridge" in Minamisanriku Town

The roadside station "Sansan Minamisanriku," which was developed in the new urban area, with the earthquake reconstruction memorial park built on the opposite riverbank. The bridge was designed by a joint venture between PACIFIC CONSULTANTS and Kengo Kuma & Associates. Based on Kuma company's image perspective, PACIFIC CONSULTANTS was responsible for the design and construction of a bridge that would be a fitting symbol of the town's reconstruction, balancing delicate design with a high level of structural safety. Completed in 2020, Nakahashi Bridge won Tanaka Prize from Japan Society of Civil Engineers in the same year. We talked to Norio SAITO from Structural Dept., Transportation Infrastructure Div. who was responsible for the design work as the managing engineer.

Use of SAR Satellites in Disaster Prevention

The "Long-Term Assessment of the Probability of Earthquakes" by the government's Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion predicts a high probability of a massive earthquake, and as natural disasters become more severe and frequent due to climate change, the efficiency and sophistication of disaster prevention and mitigation measures through DX are becoming an urgent issue. As an important tool for this, commercial SAR satellites are attracting attention because of their ability to observe the ground at high frequencies regardless of time of day or weather conditions. We interviewed Mr. Toshiki YANAGIMACHI, Technical Manager of the Resilience Promotion Sec., Mr. Tsukasa MITOGAWA, Assitant Manager of the Disaster Prevention DX Promotion Sec. of Disaster Prevention Dept., Digital Service Div. and Mr. Nobukazu SASAKI, General Manager of Technology Development Sec. of Advanced Technology Center of PACIFIC CONSULTANTS, who are working on satellite applications in the field of spatial information technology.

Redevelopment Project for Shinjuku - the Hub with the World's Highest Number of Passengers

In 1958, Shinjuku, along with Shibuya and Ikebukuro, was designated as a sub-center of Tokyo. Over 60 years later, it has grown into the world's busiest terminal. However, issues have emerged, including limited space for people to stay, complicated transfer routes, and the aging of the station and station building. In 2018, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government formulated the concept "Shinjuku Grand Terminal", which involves a large-scale reorganization of the area immediately surrounding the station. Construction began in 2021, with the goal of roughly completing the project by 2035 and completing it by 2046. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has been supporting the project from an early stage, including through business plan review. Tetsuya KAWAMOTO and Takayuki YOSHIMI from the Project Management Dept., and Takuto MIKUNIYA from the Global Company's International Smart Planning Dept., talked about the progress of the ambitious Shinjuku redevelopment project.

Responding to the Issue of Replacing Wind Power Generation Equipment

Japan's onshore wind power generation, which began full-scale deployment in the 2000s, now has a cumulative installed capacity well over 5GW, and is expected to reach 18GW by 2030. The country plans to further increase onshore as well as offshore wind power generation in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, but along with new installations, the replacement (upgrading) of currently operating power plants will be essential. We spoke to Kentaro HAGA, Yamato IRIE, and Kana YAMAGUCHI of the Wind Power Promotion Project, Project Management Project Management Dept. Project Management Business Headquarters, who are responsible for wind power generation design at PACIFIC CONSULTANTS Consultants, about the challenges of replacement and key points in formulating an implementation plan.

What is Floating Offshore Wind Power Generation?

In order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the Japanese government has set a target of 40-50% of renewable energy in the energy mix by fiscal year 2040. Wind power, particularly floating offshore wind power, is expected to play a major role alongside solar power. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has a proven track record in the wind power field since the early 2000s. We spoke with three people about the current state and future outlook for floating offshore wind power: Takehiko SANO, General Manager of the Wind Power Promotion Project Sec. in the Project Management Dept. of the Project Management Div.; Katsuhide FUJISHIMA, Chief Engineer; and Aya IWANAMI, Assistant Technical Manager at the Earthquake Resistance Center in Structural Dept., Transportation Infrastructure Div.

Energy-related Project in Rankoshi Town, Hokkaido

Rankoshi Town in Hokkaido is known nationwide as one of the best producers of delicious rice. It is a beautiful town blessed with abundant nature. However, like many local municipalities, it faces many challenges due to a declining population and an aging population with a low birthrate, and it also needed to take immediate action to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS noticed that Rankoshi Town was considering utilizing "Energy Structure Advancement and Conversion Understanding Promotion Project" of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and supported its efforts, such as developing solid fuel using rice husks and utilizing wastewater heat from hot springs, which have produced many results. Katsunori AMEJIMA of the Regional Energy Sec., Hokkaido Social Innovation Department, looks back on the project.

Climate Change Adaptation Measures in Ports and Harbors

With rising sea levels and larger typhoons due to climate change, how to protect ports from flooding damage has become a major issue. However, because ports are spread across a wide area and involve a variety of public and private entities, no single entity can take effective measures alone. What is needed is "collaborative protection," in which all stakeholders work together toward a common goal. The government has also published "Guidelines for Creating Collaborative Protection Plans," and in the future, each port will begin full-scale efforts. We spoke with Takayuki Ooie, General Manager of Section of Ports and Harbors and Coast Sec. in the Port Ports and Harbors Dept. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS, and Ryunosuke Kanno Chief Project Manager of Ports and Harbors Planning Sec. about the latest trends in collaborative protection efforts.

What is a Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (VII) System?

Efforts are underway to realize Level 4 autonomous driving. As navigating intersections on public roads is a major challenge, the development of a Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (VII) through road infrastructure development has been considered, and demonstration experiment have been carried out in various locations. From next fiscal year, the launch of technical standards and guidelines will finally begin, and the system will enter the widespread adoption phase. We talked to Naoki FUNAOKA from the Transportation Planning Dept., Social Innovation Div., Akira MITSUYASU from the Mobility DX Sec., DX Business Promotion Dept., Digital Service Div., Ryotaro TOMINAGA from the Transportation Strategy Sec., Social Innovation Div. of Chubu, and Daichi NAKAYAMA from the Transportation Policy Sec., Social Innovation Div. of Hokkaido, PACIFIC CONSULTANTS, who have all conducted numerous demonstration experiments tailored to local traffic conditions, about the current state and challenges of road-vehicle collaborative systems.

ペロブスカイト太陽電池の公共インフラへの導入

2025年2月、国は第7次エネルギー基本計画を閣議決定、「2040年度の電源構成に占める再エネの比率を4割から5割程度」とする目標を掲げました。その中心として期待されているのが太陽光発電です。特に開発が進むペロブスカイト太陽電池は非常に薄く、柔軟性に富むことから設置場所が一気に広がるものとして期待が集まっています。高市首相の所信表明においてもエネルギー安全保障としてペロブスカイト太陽電池をはじめとする国産エネルギーは重要であり、直ちに施策を具現化させていくと呼びかけており、既存の公共インフラへの太陽光パネルの導入検討を進めるパシフィックコンサルタンツ 国土基盤事業本部 流域構造部 再生可能エネルギー推進・開発室 室長の小森谷哲夫、交通基盤事業本部 設備エンジニアリング部 総合電気室の河合千里に話を聞きました。

水道管の老朽化問題に見るインフラ維持管理の現状

埼玉県八潮市の下水道事故をきっかけに上下水道のインフラの現状や今後の維持管理に対する危機感が高まっています。国の有識者検討会は異例のスピードで提言をまとめ「リダンダンシーやメンテナビリティの確保」、「管路の計画／設計の見直し」、「技術職員を含む広域連携の積極的な推進」など、従来にない踏み込んだ提案を行い、抜本的な改善を求めています。パシフィックコンサルタンツで上下水道分野の事業を担当する国土基盤事業本部 上下水道部 部長の八馬 正幸と同部 管渠設計室の新平 真史、水循環設計室 天野 充の3人に、今後、具体的にどういう対策が必要になるのか聞きました。

パシフィックコンサルタンツ長沼ダムプロジェクト

たびたび氾濫を起こし“あばれ川”の異名を持つ宮城県北部の一級河川迫（はさま）川。1971年には合わせて10ダム1遊水池を設ける総合的な治水計画が立案され、その中心となったのが自然湖沼を利用した長沼ダムだ。しかし周囲は低湿地で軟弱地盤が連続する。これほどの軟弱地盤にダムが築かれた例はなかった。40年に及ぶこの難工事の計画から完成までを支援した国土基盤事業本部 流域構造部 再生可能エネルギー推進・開発室 室長の小森谷哲夫、同部 ダム・砂防室の平塚毅彦、同本部 地盤技術部 舩山淳、東北国土基盤事業部 岡谷研の4人が取り組みを振り返った。

群マネとは？

建設後50年以上を経過する社会インフラの割合が急速に拡大しようとしています。しかし多くの自治体では、人員・資金の不足から維持管理が難しい状況に直面しており、そのため今検討されているのが、広域での行政連携や、多分野のインフラを束ねて効率的に維持管理する「地域インフラ群再生戦略マネジメント（略称：群マネ）」です。現在全国で11のモデル地域が選定され導入に向けた検討が行われています。これらのモデル地域のすべてに関与するなどパシフィックコンサルタンツでは群マネを積極的に支援しています。その先頭に立つ交通基盤事業本部 インフラマネジメント部 インフラ経営室の戸谷康二郎と大阪交通基盤事業部 インフラマネジメント室の田中滋士に群マネの現状と今後の見通しについて聞きました。

道路のカーボンニュートラルとは？

猛暑や集中豪雨、山林火災など異常気象に起因する災害の頻発化・激甚化が世界で人々の生活を脅かしています。その原因となっている地球温暖化の進行を食い止めるためにも、2050年カーボンニュートラル実現に向けた施策の着実な展開が欠かせません。日本全体の温室効果ガス（GHG）排出量の約18％を占める道路分野でも取り組みが急がれており、国は2025年4月に改正した道路法に「道路脱炭素化の推進」を掲げ、2025年10月から施行しています。今後道路管理者には何が求められるのか、社会イノベーション事業本部 交通政策部 部長の和田 裕行、同部・都市モビリティ室の齋藤 紗代と、交通基盤事業本部 道路部 道路推進室の高橋 伸夫、大阪本社 大阪デジタルサービス事業部 都市・防災DX室の内山 直浩の4人に話を聞きました。

＜モンゴル＞エネルギー・トランジション促進に係る情報収集・確認調査

2015年に採択されたパリ協定の批准国であるモンゴルでは、温室効果ガス（GHG）の排出削減に向けた長期目標を掲げ、その達成を目指している。しかし国内に豊富な石炭資源を持つだけに石炭依存からの脱却は難しい。日本にどのような支援が可能なのか、その指針を策定するためのJICAの情報収集・確認調査プロジェクトが2024年にスタートした。パシフィックコンサルタンツはプロジェクトを担うJVのプライムとなり、交通基盤事業本部 設備エンジニアリング部 国際設備室の小林裕典がプロジェクトマネージャーを補佐する立場で現地で活動した。

スマート林業とは？

世界有数の森林国である日本。森林の価値は木材としての活用だけでなく、カーボンニュートラルの実現や防災、生物多様性の保全などの観点からも見直されていますが、一方で日本の林業は低い生産性や深刻な人手不足に悩まされています。その解決策として期待されるのがスマート林業の推進。パシフィックコンサルタンツで取り組みを進めているデジタルサービス事業本部 情報事業部 中村 尚と社会イノベーション事業本部 環境共生部 兼 先端技術センター 櫻井恭介、プロジェクトマネジメント事業本部 プロジェクト統括部 南 智好の3人に話を聞きました。

ウォーターPPPとは？

さまざまな社会課題の解決と経済成長を同時に実現する手法として期待の大きいPPP/PFI。推進を加速させるため、国は2023年に新たなアクションプランを定めました。その柱の1つとして打ち出されたのが「ウォーターPPP」です。そもそもウォーターPPPとは何か、そのメリットや導入に当たっての留意点は何か――民間側で積極的な取り組みを進めるウォーターエージェンシーとパシフィックコンサルタンツの担当者が事例を交えて対談しました。

エコグリーン とちぎプロジェクト

産業廃棄物の不法投棄発覚を機に栃木県が取り組みを開始した最終処分場建設は、住民の反対運動もあって容易に進まなかった。しかし県内に最終処分場を持たないままでは不法投棄の根絶も難しい。パシフィックコンサルタンツは環境に配慮した完全クローズド型で、かつ民間の事業運営ノウハウを最大限引き出す独自のPFI方式での取り組みを提案、最終処分場「エコグリーン とちぎ」の誕生に貢献した。支援に当たった資源循環マネジメント部地域環境事業推進室の技術課長である時田敏彦と同室の室長、杉浦航が取り組みを振り返った。

エリアマーケティングとは？

企業が展開するマーケティングや自治体が進めるサービスやまちづくり施策の立案に、商圏や地域特性の分析は欠かせません。さまざまなビッグデータも得られるようになり、その活用に注目が集まっていますが、どういう効果が得られるのかがわからない、という声も少なくありません。人流統計サービス『全国うごき統計』開発の中心メンバーの一人であるデジタルサービス事業本部 DX事業推進部の札本太一に、ビッグデータを使ったエリアマーケティングとは何か、何がわかり、どう活用できるのか聞きました。