Port Logistics Policy of Japanese Government for Strengthening Global Competitiveness of Industry in Case of Ocean Space Utilization

Abstract

A port logistics is classified into two kinds, a container logistics and a bulk logistics. In the field of a container logistics, a terminal operator pursues large-scale management of its container terminals by global M&A corresponding to the global growth of the container handling number, which resulted in container terminal operators’ oligopolization. In the field of a bulk freight logistics, the private enterprises, which invest in and improve port equipment by themselves, are changing in the direction to reduce number of handling ports and to invest in port equipment intensively corresponding to the vigorous resource demand of the world. The economic activities of the private enterprises are progressing on the basis of the management strategy which differs between “oligopolization” of a container logistics and “selection and concentration” of a bulk freight logistics. On the other hand, since management of ports is the basis supporting a national logistics, each country of the world carries out various public participations, such as a legal support and a financial support. For example, in Japan, although ‘a port authority system’ was brought to Japan almost 60 years ago by U.S.A. and the management right of main ports were transferred to local governments from national government, Japanese government has been taking the lead in implementation of many policies to strength global competitiveness of industry reflecting the flow of global privatization and concession. Recently, many countries have been changing their public participation policies. A country has established the system which increases private investment and reduces public financial support since capital investment remaining power has decreased according to aggravation of the finances of national government and local governments. The other country has established the system which backs up logistics activity with public support. This paper, to utilize ocean space, will show a port logistics policy of Japanese government, particularly the historical flow and the prospective view of the public participation to a port logistics based on the logistics trend of the world.