[국제물품운송 및 물류]日本の構造改革特區と首都圈港灣經營の課題

Special Area of Structural Reform in Japan and Some Issues on Metropolitan Area Port Management

The shift of production sites to overseas by many business firms will be further promoted due to the development of globalization. The resultant decline in the domestic industries' international competitive power is worried in the economic world in Japan. Under this circumstance, the revitalization of ports for the sake of the regeneration of the Japanese economy has been vocally called for. To cope with this kind of claim, actually the systems of Special Area of Structural Reform and Private Finance Initiative have been practiced as reform plans for the Japanese ports. However, I do not think these can be called thorough reform plans. I am afraid Japanese ports will further decline while losing their competitive power against many ports in other areas in Asia. I believe that the Japanese ports' competitive power in international logistics will be revitalized, should some preferential and deregulation measures be practiced and their overall efficiency be exhibited. I will discuss in this summary the subject of this revitalization of the Japanese economy making the most use of the Japanese ports, specifically those located in the Metropolitan area. I would like to study the superiority of the port management of wide area making the whole Tokyo Bay a single unit as the subject of such management. Furthermore, I would like to propose the necessity of establishing a free port in the Tokyo Bay.