#PPP

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.

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.

What is a Final Landfill Site?

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.

What is PPP (Public-Private Partnership)?

As it becomes more difficult to maintain public facilities and services due to financial constraints and a decline in local government employees, the government is strongly supporting the promotion of PPP (public-private partnership) initiatives as a means to solve social issues and drive a growth-oriented economy. We spoke with Takayuki Ishikawa, head of PPP Management Dept., and Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, General Manager of Section of the Infrastructure PPP Office in the same department, about the benefits of PPP and the key to 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.

What is Comprehensive Entrustment of Infrastructure to Private Sector?

How to protect infrastructure such as roads with limited personnel and budgets is a major issue for local governments. One promising method that is garnering attention is "Comprehensive Entrustment to Private Sector." We spoke with three people from PACIFIC CONSULTANTS who have pioneered this field and have achieved many successes: Nobutaka INAMITSU of the Spatial Creation Section, Infrastructure Management Dept., Transportation Infrastructure Div.; Kazuya MURAMATSU of the Infrastructure PPP Section, PPP Management Dept., Social Innovation Div.; and Shigeto TANAKA of the Infrastructure Management Section, Transportation Infrastructure Dept., Osaka Headquarters.

What is Disaster Resilience?

Since Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, adopted at the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, called for "strengthening resilience against disasters," resilience has become an important keyword in disaster prevention. We talked to with Takashi ITO, General Manager of the Disaster Prevention Dept., Digital Service Div., about what resilience is, which is said to be a step forward from conventional thinking of disaster prevention and reduction, and how it can be realized.

What is a Sounding Research?

"Sounding-type Market Research" is rapidly expanding in PPP projects. As citizen needs become more diverse, it is becoming increasingly important to listen to the voices of private business sectors in order to create and succeed in business. We talked to Toru OGAWA in the Social Good Creation Sec., Integrated Project Dept., Social Innovation Div. about the current status and challenges of sounding research.

Strategic Use of Public Real Estate (PRE) for Urban Development

Utilizing unused public land has become an urgent issue for local governments, and PPP are on the rise. How do you define a business vision, how do you build a business scheme, and what is important for successful public-private partnerships? We interviewed Toru OGAWA of the Social Good Creation Sec., Integrated Project Dept., Social Innovation Div.

Protecting the Roots that Support Society

Have you ever thought about the underground infrastructure that lies beneath our feet? We have summarized our thoughts on the maintenance and management of the ever-changing sewerage business.

6th Regional Industrialization: Roadside Station Seseragi no Sato Koura x Farm Kanaya x Odaidoko Yasachi

At roadside station Seseragi no Sato Kora, which is managed by our company, we developed a new specialty product together with local business sectors in 2022. This time, we talked to Agricultural Producers' Co-operative Corporation Farm Kanaya, which was involved in the projects for "fresh pickles made from Kora-grown fresh vegetables" and "delicious dried fruit (persimmon) made from Kora-grown ingredients," about the inside story behind the development.

Challenge to Develop the Sixth Industry in the Region Using Roadside Station as a Base

We would like to introduce you to the "sixth industrialization within the region" project that we have undertaken through our designated management of roadside station, in which the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries work together to utilize each other's strengths and develop, manufacture, and sell original, attractive, and competitive processed foods.

6th Regional Industrialization: Roadside Station Seseragi no Sato Koura × Hikone Brewing

Through our designated management of roadside station, we are working to promote "6th regional industrialization" in collaboration with roadside station, producers, and business sectors. How are these efforts progressing?

<Part 2> Using "Municipal Power Producers and Suppliers (PPS)" as the Engine for Area Management

In the second part, we will explain the key points for introducing and operating Municipal Power Producers and Suppliers (PPS) and the future vision for Municipal Power Producers and Suppliers (PPS).

Let's Create a New Tourism Movement with Takamatsu Airport as the Gateway!

It has been five years since Takamatsu Airport was privatized in 2018. The spread of COVID-19 has had a major impact on tourism-related personnel across the country. How has tourism demand, and the businesses and regions that receive it, changed before and after the pandemic? What kind of future should we aim for? We spoke with local businesses about this.