ASEAN-Japan workshop on urban public transport
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) will hold a workshop 'ASEAN-Japan Urban Public Transport Expert Group Meeting,' designed to improve urban transport in the ASEAN nations using Japan's bus transport policy as an example, in Osaka, Kyoto and Nara on March 8-10.Some 20 central and local government officials in charge of bus transport policies as well as bus system operators from six ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) will participate in the meeting to discuss measures to ensure convenience for residents and tourists, and to reduce automobile-induced pollutions through the promotion of urban public transport. Japanese participants will include officials in charge of bus transport systems at the Policy Bureau and Kinki District Transport Bureau of MLIT, experts and officials of local transport authorities of Nara Prefecture, Kyoto City and other local governments.
In the plenary session (at Hotel New Otani Osaka, Chuo Ward, Osaka City) on March 8, the six participating countries from the ASEAN and Japan will report on current situations and problems in their bus systems.
The participants will visit Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau on March 9 and Nara Trasport Corporation on March 10 to see the present status of bus transport systems in Japan and exchange views with bus system operators.
Hyogo world conference on disaster reduction outlined
The Hyogo Prefectural government has made its first announcement for the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction to be held in Kobe on January 18-22, 2005.The conference is expected to draw approximately 10,000 participants, including approximately 800 (the official participants) in the delegations of 191 member countries and regions of the United Nations. The main venue of the conference will be Kobe Portopia Hotel (Chuo Ward, Kobe City), while International Conference Center Kobe (also in Chuo Ward, Kobe City) and Awaji Yumebutai (Higashiura Town, Hyogo Prefecture) and so forth will serve as auxiliary venues .
The conference will comprise the UN sessions (plenary sessions, sub-sessions and poster sessions) and related events to be sponsored by central and local government agencies and agencies related to disaster reduction. A new UN conference strategy will be formulated at the plenary session on January 22.
Exports/imports via KIX hits record high in '03
Both exports and imports via the Kansai International Airport (KIX) reached record levels in 2003, with the former rising 18.0 percent year-on-year to 3.7406 trillion yen and the latter increasing by 0.3 percent year-on-year to 2.1174 trillion yen, according to Kansai Airport Customs of Osaka Customs. The value of exports grew year-on-year for the second consecutive year while that of imports registered the fourth consecutive year-on-year growth.Among exports, communication equipment (up 86.6 percent), audio and video equipment parts (up 72.5 percent) and scientific optical equipment (up 24.5 percent) rose sharply. Among imports, increases were registered in audio and video equipment (up 38.6 percent), semiconductors and other electronic parts (up 5.9 percent) and organic compounds (up 4.2 percent).
Exports by destination show that exports to the United States declined 7.2 percent y-o-y to 732.3 billion yen, those to the EU increased 19.0 percent y-o-y to 654.5 billion yen while those to Asia (excluding Japan) rose 31.1 percent y-o-y to 2.1762 trillion yen. Imports by origin show that while imports from the United States declined 15.8 percent to 256.2 billion yen and those from the EU declined 1.0 percent to 574.7 billion yen while those to Asia increased 5.8 percent to 1.1006 trillion yen. Both exports and imports to Asia reached the highest figures ever. In trade with the rest of Asia, both exports (up 101.7 percent y-o-y to 425.9 billion yen) to and imports (up 15.2 percent y-o-y to 445.3 billion yen) from China stood at record levels, indicating the existence of vigorous trade from and to the Kansai region.
New material for light-waveguide developed
Osaka Municipal Technical Research Institute has developed a high-performance material for light-waveguide through the photo-decomposition of a hybrid of polysilane, an organic polymer, and silica, an inorganic material, which causes refractive index changes in this hybrid substance. The institute uses a low-cost method for the production of the new material, which can be extremely useful in large-capacity optical communication.The light-waveguide is an important optical device used in wavelength multiplexer and demultiplexer that are essential in transmitting information to optical fiber, which forms the basic circuit of optical communication. Its core, which forms the path for the transmission of light, must have high refractive index, while the clad part that surrounds the core must have low refractive index. The conventional method of etching quartz or fluorinated polyimide to make this device requires expensive equipment and a large number of processes.
The institute has made polysilane-silica hybrid thin films by dispersing on the order of a few dozen nanometers, polysilane copolymer, which has been prepared for hybridization, into silica made by a sol-gel process. These films were subjected to ultra-violet (UV) irradiation through a photo mask to photo-decompose the irradiated area, and the degraded thin film was removed by development. This has created a large difference (0.1-0.15) in the refractive index between the irradiated and non-irradiated areas. UV non-masked irradiation of the non-irradiated area for full photo-decomposition and hardening of the decomposed film by heating stabilize this state, so that discrete refractive indexes are maintained even when they are exposed to light or heat.
The use of the newly developed material allows the building of small light-waveguide bases and increases their efficiency. At the same time, the large difference in their relative indexes allows the building of complex circuits. Since the new technology does not rely on costly etching and other processes, high hopes are pinned on the new material as a high-performance material for light-waveguide that can be mass-produced at low costs.
Business matching seminar with European firms, Mar. 9
Hanshin-Awaji Economic Revitalization Organization (HERO) will hold a seminar to match Japanese businesses with European nanotech and environment-related firms at Kobe International House (Chuo Ward, Kobe City) on March 9.ANKA GmbH and TBE GmbH and Co. from Germany and SHINRYOKU Technologies from France will be invited to the event. ANKA is engaged in microfabrication and non-destructive analytical methods using synchrotron, while TBE designs, manufactures and markets centralized collection systems for chips that come out of machinery cutting and grinding machines. SHINRYOKU Technologies markets and provides technical support for industrial oil and fats resolution and cleansing equipment using the oil and fat resolution capacity of microbes as well as equipment for waste water and discharge treatment and air-purification equipment.
The three invited firms will make presentations on their technologies and products, as well as answer questions from local firms that participate in the event and engage in one-on-one talks.
'Kansai Window' attracts more foreigners in '03
'Kansai Window,' a portal site in Kansai operated jointly by the Kansai International Public Relations Promotion Office (KIPPO) and the Kansai Council (KC) in four languages (Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean), received some 6.43 million hits in 2003, with the annual number of hits topping six million for the first time since the site was opened on January 1, 2001.The number is about double that in 2001. The share of access to foreign language versions grew to 46 percent in 2003. Hits to the Korean and Chinese (traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese) versions, in particular, grew sharply, increasing by 70 to 100 percent over the levels of the previous year. It suggests that East Asian interest in the Kansai region has been increasing. By theme, attention was focused on 'history and culture' and 'tourism,' which combined accounted for 53 percent of all hits.
In order to respond to growing numbers of tourists from East Asia and increasing economic exchanges with China, KIPPO and KC plan to enhance the Korean- and Chinese-language pages on tourism, history and culture, and economy. The home pages can be visited at http://www.kansai.gr.jp or http://www.kippo.or.jp
Kansai in Focus: Midosuji Parade's theme float is a product built by a Frenchman with fertile sensibility
The chance of rain was 60 percent. But, the sky was wide and light blue. On October 12 last year, Osaka's Midosuji Parade 2003 (the 21st in the series) started from Oe Bridge at 2:00pm as planned, led by the theme float presented by the Osaka 21st Century Association. The top of the float was crowded with huge statues of the god of thunder, carp, Poseidon (the god of the sea), Zephyr (the god of wind) and a mermaid.A close observation gave the impression that they were shouting out the theme of the parade to one another. The theme was 'Bring the world together: Midosuji Parade.' The accompanying sub-theme was 'Sing, Dance, Splash-Aquapolis Legacy!'
The person in charge of the construction of the float was Stephen Eck (30), a French designer who was the director of the Parade Department of the Association, who walked with the float as if to guard it to the parade's final destination in Namba.
One day in February, approximately four months after the parade, I visited Mr. Eck at the office of the Osaka 21st Century Association on the fourth floor of Osaka Castle Hotel. The office had a view of the Okawa River right in front of it and a noted cherry blossom site (the government Mint, which allows the citizens to pass through its premises to view cherry blossoms during the season) was not far away on the opposite side of the river. 'I selected the motifs from legends from around the world. Cultures and performing arts of every country in the world are condensed into Midosuji Parade,' Mr. Eck said.
The Filipino float decorated with a floral arch represented Panagbenga, or Baguio Flower Festival, while members of Turkish Mehteran (Ottoman military band) in red and green uniforms reminded one of the great empire with their dynamic marching. To-Lucky, the mascot of the region's professional baseball team Hanshin Tigers, was also there. The production of the theme float that symbolizes the concept of the parade, requires a wealth of knowledge and fertile sensibility of a flexible mind. The Frenchman in front me met these tough requirements.
Mr. Eck hails from Alsace near the border with Germany. He studied modern arts at Arts University Strasbourg and a graphics school. 'France has many carnivals and parades. Since my childhood, I have enjoyed making costumes and floats for them. After graduating from the schools, I established an independent business and have continued to work.' He came to Japan in June 2002 and has come to work for Midosuji Parade through the introduction of a French person, who had been working for international exchange at Osaka City government.
The last year was the second time he worked on the parade. Midosuji Parade uses Osaka's main street. It does not have a cavalcade as parades in Europe and the United States do. Instead, it incorporates regional performing arts from around the world and has a story. This is a unique style, which expresses the theme of the 21 Century Association, which is 'Liberty, Dynamism and Creation.' Last year, approximately 10,000 people in 88 groups took part in the parade, which drew 1.2 million spectators along the main street.
'In France, there are no rules for parade. We can use fire, as well. At one time, three persons died in a parade. By contrast, Japan is very strict.' Japan has many wooden buildings. Fireworks at an event have burned down a cultural property. The statue of Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, in Asakusa was lost in fire as many as 12 times as it was struck by thunder or other disasters. 'Regulations! C'est la vie.' Mr. Eck understands very well.
'My hobbies? This. . .' He stood up and pretended to be cradling a baby in his arms. He and his Japanese wife have just had a baby. He is so devoted, he is beside himself. Midosuji Parade is backed up by a super top-class stage, called Midosuji. With its impressive skylines and facades, Midosuji is an honor student standing up straight and solemnly.
This beautiful space will be livened up by a sizzling parade again this year. The date is October 10. Mr. Eck is about to get busy for this year's big event. (H)