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What is Roadside Station?

"Roadside Stations", which began in 1993, are expected to have 1,230 registered stations as of the end of January 2025, and are expected to play a key role in revitalizing regional areas. However, while some are popular for selling goods, many are struggling with low user numbers. We interviewed about the current state of roadside station and their future direction to Ichiro MIYAMORI from the Infrastructure Business Management Dept., and Masaharu KATSURADA from the Project Promotion Sec. of Tohoku Social Innovation Business Dept. of Project Innovation Div. of PACIFIC CONSULTANTS which have been deeply involved in roadside station as a private business sector as well as providing consulting services to many local governments across the country, such as creating basic plans and conducting feasibility studies.

Corporate's Climate Change Countermeasures

In recent years, extreme weather events such as extreme heat waves and torrential rains have been occurring frequently in many parts of the world, causing severe damage such as floods and landslides. These weather disasters are believed to be caused by global warming in addition to the effects of natural variability. It is "beyond doubt" ("IPCC 6th Report") that human activities have caused global warming mainly through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and how to reduce GHG emissions has become an important issue not only for governments and local public organizations but also for private companies and individual citizens. We interviewed three people who are involved in the formulation of guidelines for national climate change countermeasures and at the same time provide a wide range of support for local public organizations and corporate carbon neutrality, from strategic planning to on-site implementation: Kimiko KAJII, Chief Technical General Manager and General Project Manager of ESG Sustainable Smart City, Ryota II, General Manager of GX Promotion Dept., Social Innovation Div., and Keizo IKEDA, General Manager of Climate and Resources Policy Sec., who is also a member of this department of PACIFIC CONSULTANTS, about how companies should promote climate change countermeasures.

What is a Bulk Plastic Waste Collection?

In April 2022, the "Act on the Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics" came into effect, requiring local governments to collect and recycle plastic waste other than plastic waste used for conventional containers and packaging in bulk. While there are some issues that need to be addressed, such as the need to review the collection and transportation system and the garbage collection calendar, the importance of this initiative is increasing in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. We interviewed Takuma KANO from the Resource Circulation Management Dept.,Atsushi TAKENOUCHI from the DX Business Promotion Dept. , and Gou YAMAMURA from the Disaster Prevention Dept. of PACIFIC CONSULTANTS, who provide various consulting services, including analysis of the current situation, identification of issues, and operation management systems for collection vehicles, to ensure smooth implementation of bulk collection.

Protecting Corporate Facilities and Factories from Landslides

In recent years, there have been many landslides caused by short periods of heavy rain, and the number of casualties per disaster has been on the rise. Protecting corporate employees, their families, facilities, and factories from landslides is a major issue for business continuity. However, when it comes to deciding specifically where to start, many people say they don't know where to start. We spoke with Takahiro Igarashi, who is in charge of supporting companies in formulating disaster prevention plans, business creation, and the development and operation of the landslide information service "Doshaburu®" in the Disaster Disaster Prevention Dept. of PACIFIC CONSULTANTS 'Digital Service Div. Headquarters, and Tatsuki Hirano of the Resilience Promotion Office in the same department.

<Pakistan, Punjab Province> Project for Improving Rural Road Network Maintenance Capacity

Punjab province, the most populous province in Pakistan, is said to have a total of 87,700 km of local roads within the province. However, maintenance was a major issue due to a lack of human resources and skills, as well as an underdeveloped database system. At the request of the Punjab provincial government, a JICA technical cooperation project was implemented, and PACIFIC CONSULTANTS participated as the prime company of a joint venture consisting of three companies. Shintaro Muto of Global Company International Infrastructure Development Department was appointed as Deputy Chief Engineer Consultant.

What is TOD?

TOD was first proposed in the United States in the early 1990s. Over 30 years have passed since then, and various TOD initiatives have been undertaken not only in Japan but also around the world, further developing the original concept and adding new elements, with great results and new possibilities becoming apparent. Yasuo KANNAMI, Vice President of Global Company and General Manager of the International Project Management Dept. who engaged in both domestic and internal TOD projects in PACIFIC CONSULTANTS, Masaya NAKANO, General Manager of the Urban and Transportation Sec. of the International Smart Planning Dept. of Global Company, and Hidetoshi TAMAOKA, Chief Project Manager, talk about the present and future of TOD as seen through their initiatives.

What is BIM/CIM?

As improving productivity at construction sites becomes a major issue, the introduction of BIM/CIM has progressed, and the enforcement of the principles has begin since fiscal 2023. Many benefits have become clear, such as smoother consensus building between stakeholders and the ability to check anticipated issues during construction in advance at the design stage. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has adopt BIM/CIM early, and is utilizing it in on-site operations and construction management while promoting and settling the development of related technologies. We talked to four people about the current status of BIM/CIM and its future expansion: Satoshi TOBIOKA from the Erosion Control Dept., Land Infrastructure Div., Masato KIKUCHI from Erosion Control Dept. and Advanced Technology Center, Tatsuji YAMAGUCHI from Ports and Harbors Dept. of the same division, and Miho TANAKA from Ports and Harbors Dept. and Advanced Technology Center.

Taking Responsibility for the "Once In a Century" Shibuya Great Renovation  <Part 2>

The large-scale redevelopment of the area around Shibuya station is said to be a "once in a century" event, not because many skyscrapers will be built. It is because it is an attempt to reinvent the area into a completely new town through cooperation between the public and private sectors, moving the station, changing the flow of the river, and creating a new pedestrian network. Moreover, it is unprecedented in that it will be realized while maintaining the functions of a huge terminal. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has been involved in this project since the early planning stages and continues to support it up to day. We talked to five people who have been central persons in the project for many years: Ryuji KOWAKI, Hisashi KUBO, Takayasu NIWA, Yoshio NAMIKI, and Terue KAMINO.

Taking Responsibility for the "Once In a Century" Shibuya Great Renovation <Part 1>

The large-scale redevelopment of the area around Shibuya station is said to be a "once in a century" event, not because many skyscrapers will be built. It is because it is an attempt to reinvent the area into a completely new town through cooperation between the public and private sectors, moving the station, changing the flow of the river, and creating a new pedestrian network. Moreover, it is unprecedented in that it will be realized while maintaining the functions of a huge terminal. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has been involved in this project since the early planning stages and continues to support it up to day. We talked to five people who have been central persons in the project for many years: Ryuji KOWAKI, Hisashi KUBO, Takayasu NIWA, Yoshio NAMIKI, and Terue KAMINO.

What is final landfill site? An expert explains the remaining years and environmental measures

Although final landfill site of industrial wastes is an important facility that supports local economic activities, its construction entails great difficulties, including the formation of consensus with local residents. It is difficult for private business sectors to construct a facility by itself, and public-involvement type construction is attracting attention. We interviewed Ko SUGIURA, General Manager of Regional Environment Business Promotion Sec., Resource Circulation Management Dept. and Toshihiko TOKITA, Technical Manager of the same section, who have a great deal of experiences in PACIFIC CONSULTANTS' construction of final landfill sites, about points to keep in mind in public-involved constructio of fifinal landfill site, and points of maintenance and operation, including business support using PFI, a typical method of PPP.

Hokuriku Shinkansen Tsuruga Extension Project Vol.3 ~ Kakehashigawa Bridge ~

The Kakehashi River is a first-class river that originates at Suzugatake in Komatsu City, flows north through the mountains, enters the plains, then changes direction to the west before flowing into the Sea of Japan. The downstream area is surrounded by the Komatsu city area, making it a valuable open space and a place of relaxation for local residents, who go for walks, fishing, boating, etc. It is also in this downstream section that the Hokuriku Shinkansen crosses the Kakehashi River just before Komatsu Station, and because the river is wide, bridge piers must be built across the river channel. As well as flood control, it became more important than anything to reach an agreement with the river manager, who is promoting the development and conservation of the river environment that is loved by local residents.

Integrated Development Project of SAGA Sunrise Park + Eiko Bridge + Saga City Cultural Center - West Square

The National Athletic Meet, which has long been affectionately known as the KOKUTAI (National Sports), will be renamed the "National Sports Festival" and the first tournament will be held in Saga in October 2024. The shift from "physical education to sports" was also reflected in the concept of venue development, and the venue was required to be used as a base for everyday sports and health that would be popular in the local area for a long time even after the tournament ended. To achieve this, a total design that looks to the future is essential, without being bound by distinctions between prefecture and city, architecture and civil engineering, or hardware and software. Ryuji KAMIDE of the Urban Design Sec. of the Osaka Social Innovation Dept., who was in charge of the exterior design of SAGA Sunrise Park and the Cultural Center-West Square, and Shuichi NONAKA of the Structure Sec. of the Kyushu Transportation Infrastructure Dept., who was mainly responsible for the design of Eiko Bridge, looked back on the initiative.

What is PPP/PFI (Public-Private Partnership)?

Amidst financial constraints and a decline in local government staff, maintaining public facilities and services is becoming increasingly difficult. As a result, the government is strongly promoting PPP/PFI (Public-Private Partnerships) as a means of solving social issues and driving a growth-oriented economy. We spoke with Takashi Ishikawa, head of PPP Management Dept., and Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, General Manager of Section of the Infrastructure PPP Office in the same department, to learn about the advantages of PPP/PFI and the key factors for its success.

Sanjo City's Comprehensive Private Sector Outsourcing Project

Sanjo City, which has been actively promoting comprehensive private sector outsourcing for infrastructure maintenance and management, began Phase III (5-year) of outsourcing in the spring of 2024. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has been participating as a member of the joint venture (JV) that will receive comprehensive outsourcing since Phase II (April 2019 - March 2024), which precedes this. This is the first time for a construction consultant in the country to do so. Why did the local construction companies join a mainly made up JV, and what kind of results produced? Nobutaka INAMITSU, General Manager of the Spatial Creation Sect. of Infrastructure Management Dept., Transportation Infrastructure Div. who is at the center of the initiative, along with Ryo NAKAI and Masahiro MATSUOKA from the same section, explain the story.

Hokuriku Shinkansen Tsuruga Extension Project Vol.2 ~Miyama Tunnel~

The Miyama Tunnel, located just before the end of the line at Tsuruga Station, is less than 800 meters long. It is much shorter than the Shin-Hokuriku Tunnel (approximately 19.8 km) and the Kaga Tunnel (approximately 5.5 km). However, this tunnel was one of the tunnels that required particular environmental consideration in the construction of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension. Miyama is one of the water sources for the Nakaikemi Wetland - a wetland designated with Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and it was necessary to minimize the impact on the groundwater.