JITTI Journal Cultural Article November 2020 Back to All JITTI Journals November 2020 Cultural Article A Recent Style for Domestic Traveling in Japan by Daisuke Miyamoto Introduction I hope that all JITTI Journal readers and their families are in good health during this pandemic. Covid-19 has stopped our movement itself, like commuting and traveling around the world. This has also caused devastating damage to the tourism industry in Japan, as well as the transportation and other industries. Under these circumstances, the Ministry of Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan has started a promotional campaign called ‘’Go to Travel,’’ which helps people sightseeing in Japan by discounting travel fees and/or distributing coupons for activities, restaurants and so on. On the other hand, people who want to lower the risk of infection as much as possible may prefer to go traveling near their homes. Thus the “Go to Travel” campaign is a reasonable idea for many people who were frustrated by the quarantine but hope to travel shorter distances. The Shuzenji Area With this in mind, as I have lived in Tokyo and am familiar with the surrounding locales, I want to recommend going to the Shuzenji area, which takes about 2 hours by train, or 3 hours or less by bus or car from Tokyo. The area’s name comes from the Shuzenji-temple, which was established about 1,200 years ago, and the region is called the “Small Kyoto of Izu,” so to speak. The most symbolic spot in this area is the Tokko Onsen, which is among the 100 most famous hot springs in Japan. Of course, there are also many “must-visit” spots here too, like Japanese traditional gardens, scenic streets, and restaurants. I’d like to introduce two of these must-visit spots, Bamboo Street and an area with a series of love bridges. Bamboo Street This street is a signature tourism location in Shuzenji. Visitors can enjoy and relax while walking. It’s beyond description, so please appreciate the picture below. Bamboo Street A Series of Love Bridges If you want a boy/girlfriend, you must visit the series of love bridges. The five bridges are named “Togetsu Bridge,” ”Kokei Bridge,” ”Katsura Bridge,” ”Kaede Bridge,” and ”Takishita Bridge,” which all span over the Katsura River. It is said that your wish for love comes true when you cross over all the bridges. Kaede Bridge A trip to Shuzenji will surely allow you to be able to feel relaxed!!

JITTI Journal Cultural Article July 2020 Back to All JITTI Journals July 2020 Cultural Article The Sounds That Remind Japanese People of Summer by Daisuke Takagi Here comes a hot summer! By the way, what kinds of sounds make you feel like summer is coming? When I talked with my wife about this topic, three typical sounds that remind Japanese people of summer came up. An impressive display of fireworks choreographed to Mozart's Marriage of Figaro Overture at the Nagano Ebisko Fireworks Festival The first is the sound of fireworks. When speaking of fireworks during this time of year in the United States, many American people may think of the Fourth of July rather than summer itself. In Japan, fireworks festivals take place in almost every region of the country throughout the summer every year. The largest fireworks festival in Japan is held in Nagano Prefecture, where 40,000 fireworks are displayed over the lake. Unfortunately, almost all of large fireworks festivals were or will be canceled in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19, but I believe we will see greater firework shows next year. Bug catching, like in the video above, is a popular pastime for kids in Japan. It was even the inspiration for Pokemon, which has taken the world by storm. The second sound is the buzzing of cicadas. In Japan, when summer arrives cicadas are terribly noisy, shrilling all day from morning till night, and are almost everywhere. Most Japanese, especially men, likely have caught cicadas or collected cicada shells during their childhood. There are about 30 kinds of cicadas in Japan, but only about 10 of them are the ones we can often hear chirping. I came to the U.S. two years ago, but I very rarely hear them. It seems that there are cicadas in the United States, but they’re often in forests away from people. Furin, or Japanese wind chimes, are carefully hand blown and hand painted, and were traditionally purposefully crafted with uneven holes. By doing so, the chime make a different sound based on where the bell hits the glass opening. The third quintessential sound of summer are the song of wind chimes. Japanese people have felt a coolness from hearing the sound of wind chimes and been able to withstand the hot and humid summers in Japan from the time before there was air conditioning. Therefore, even in modern times, listening to the sound of wind chimes reminds us of summer. I don't know when we started hanging wind chimes in our houses, but it is said that those that were used to divine fortunes in China were introduced to Japan, and even now in Japan they are used as charms against evil. Japanese wind chimes are generally made of glass, but the glass manufacturing method was introduced from the Netherlands in the 18th century, and became popular in the late Edo era (19th century), spreading throughout Japan. Iron wind chimes are also traditionally made in some areas. If the day comes when the current situation improves and you can travel to Japan, would you like to bring back wind chimes as souvenirs (as you can not bring back fireworks and cicadas) and feel the summer of Japan?

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JITTI Journal Cultural Article November 2022 Back to All JITTI Journals November 2022 Cultural Article Honeymooning in Japan: Worth the Wait! By Suzannah Nevas When my boyfriend and I got engaged on Christmas Eve, 2019, we had no idea a global pandemic was on the horizon. By April 2020, it became clear that COVID-19 was going to be around for the foreseeable future, and while we didn’t want to wait to be married, we were willing to wait for our dream honeymoon. We’d had our hearts set on Japan. We held fast for over two years, but as soon as the Japanese government announced they were lifting restrictions after October 11, we booked our tickets for the following week! At the airport about to board My husband and I were fortunate enough to be among the first wave of international tourists flooding to Japan in mid-October. With only two weeks to plan, our honeymoon itinerary almost fell into place as we compared our bucket lists of places, foods, and cultural experiences we were interested in. We arrived at Narita airport on Sunday, October 16th. Though our flight was nearly full, disembarking and going through customs was easy and efficient, thanks to great signage and many helpers stationed every 15 feet or so to help you through the process. We made it smoothly out of customs, exchanged some currency, rented a pocket WiFi device and we were on our way! Our Goals Our goal for the trip was to enjoy a balanced array of all that Japan has to offer: urban and rural, commercial and cultural, extravagant and affordable, familiar and new, planned and spontaneous. Our time was spent in 1-3 day stints in Tokyo, the Fuji 5 Lakes District, the Izu Peninsula, Kyoto, the Tajima area, Osaka, Wakayama Prefecture, and Gifu. Enjoying the view at Super Nintendo World Urban & Rural Highlights from our time in the big cities include visiting the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo, the Manga Museum in Kyoto and Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. Many delightful hours were also spent exploring the plethora of underground shops and food malls around major train stations! Rural gems include the gorgeous cliffscape along the Jogasaki Coast, and the stunning natural beauty along the Kumano Kodo Trail in Wakayama Prefecture. One night we stayed in the town of Kawayu, where the scalding hot spring water bubbles up on the shores of the cold mountain river and you can dig your own hole in the bank and mix the two waters together to create an outdoor bath. (Note that it takes constant vigilance and movement to keep from burning or freezing yourself!) Living like royalty at Himeji Castle and Takeda Castle Ruins Commercial & Cultural As far as the Japanese government is concerned, I think we were the ideal tourists, spending money left and right, buying so many goods and souvenirs along the way that we ended up buying not one but TWO additional suitcases to bring everything back with us! A lot of this spending though was also cultural. During our stay in the onsen town of Kinosaki, we enjoyed meeting the local bamboo, straw art and leather artisans there and a sizable part of our return luggage was traditional Japanese art. In Kyoto we arrived in time for the massive monthly flea market at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. It’s hard to go anywhere in Kyoto without tripping over a World Heritage Site. Kinkakuji was as beautiful as every picture, and visiting on a weekday morning meant it was far less crowded than the absolutely PACKED Arashiyama we visited on a Saturday. In general, the less crowded a place, the more we enjoyed it. The serene mountain top landscape of the Takeda Castle ruins at sunrise proved more enjoyable than the bustling, grandiose architecture of the reconstructed Himeji Castle. We got to learn about, experience and enjoy Japanese culture through several interactive experiences including a tea ceremony, a Buddhist vegetarian meal in a temple, and making a New Year’s wreath out of rice stalks at a festival stall. Kaiseki restaurant shashimi course & conbini desserts Extravagant & Affordable Although we did splurge on some fancy kaiseki meals, and a stunning traditional ryokan, Japan can be enjoyed with a much lower budget: the youth hostel we stayed at in Ito was 80% as beautiful but only 10% of the cost of the fancy ryokan! And a cheap meal we got at a combini was among our favorites from the trip. Familiar & New Because I lived in Japan for three years, I had many places I wanted to take my husband, many foods I wanted him to taste, and many people I wanted him to meet. At the same time, it was important to us that we created some new memories together in places neither of us had ever been. I think striking this balance of familiar and new is a good idea for people visiting Japan for the first time too. There are many famous Japanese sites you may already be familiar with and visiting them in-person will most definitely live up to their iconic pictures, (we felt this way about Nachi Falls and the Hongu Oyunohara Torii Gate). However, it’s also great to visit places you’ve never heard of, and have no expectations for. When searching for a petting zoo featuring capybara onsen, we were delightfully surprised to find (and ascend) the volcanic dome, Mt Omuro, across the street! The surprises continued when we reached the crest and discovered that nearly everyone there had brought a cute dog. Also, there was a Japanese archery field in the center of the crater, and Mt Fuji was visible on the horizon! My cute husband enjoying the 2022 Pudding Award Contest at the Nobunaga Festival Planned & Spontaneous In general, we planned our lodging and a few activities in each location, but otherwise left our schedule open enough to allow us to follow our in-the-moment interests. We also intentionally left two nights at the end of the itinerary blank in case we wanted to revisit somewhere we felt needed more time. As those days drew near, we decided we wanted to go somewhere entirely new, so we looked at a map and picked a spot along the general route of the bullet train back to Tokyo. We chose the city of Gifu, a little north of the major hub Nagoya. It wasn’t until after we booked our hotel that we found out that the famous Nobunaga Festival would be taking place that weekend! Although we missed the celebrity appearance by Takuya Kimura (and his hordes of fans), we really enjoyed the Pudding Award booths, where we tried two of the nation’s top 20 puddings of 2022. If you haven’t had Japanese pudding, you should immediately stop reading this and go try some- it will change your pudding standards forever. Overall Impressions When anyone asks me how our Japanese honeymoon was, I struggle to find adequate adjectives. “Fantastic”, “Magical”, “Wonderful” all seem to fall short. While it is easy to put Japan’s natural beauty into pictures, it is hard to put Japan’s unparalleled hospitality into words. You wouldn’t know that the tourism industry has been paused for the last two and a half years- it didn’t seem like any restaurant, hotel or shop worker was out of practice. We felt welcomed and cared for everywhere we went. Signs of the pandemic were apparent only in the cleanliness/safety measures being taken everywhere. Hands-free alcohol dispensers were located at every doorway in every building. Plexiglass partitions separated indoor diners, and even outside, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone not wearing a mask. Even at the tightly packed Kurama Fire Festival, all spectators wore masks the whole time and it still felt safe. COVID precautionary measures Travel Tips 1. Get a JR Pass If you intend to do some significant moving around in Japan, I highly recommend you invest in the JR Pass. This special, all-you-can-ride pass for non-residents allows you to use nearly all JR trains in the country, including bullet trains. I also recommend booking your trip for an even 7 day interval so you can maximize your use of the JR Pass which comes in 7, 14, or 21 day options. Please note that there are a few JR trains which are not included, and not all trains in Japan are JR trains. Which brings me to... 2. Get a SUICA or PASMO Card These tap-to-use cards act like debit cards- you can add a balance to them at most train stations and they are accepted as payment for non-JR trains and many buses as well. You can even use them to purchase things at shops near the train station, or to rent a coin locket to store your luggage for the day. 3. Pack Light With the yen as weak as it currently is, you will want to save as much space as possible in your suitcase for bringing things back. Layers are key, and keep in mind that Japanese hotels and ryokans provide sleepwear and basic toiletries. If you don’t pack light, take advantage of the very affordable suitcase delivery services available. We used Yamato Transport to ship our luggage ahead of us so that we didn’t need to store it while hiking. 4. Get Specialized Tickets through a Travel Agency If you plan to visit any special destinations that require reserving tickets ahead of time, I highly recommend booking them through a travel agent. Despite enlisting the help of several Japanese friends, getting tickets to the Ghibli Museum and Universal Studios Japan proved to be the most challenging part of the entire trip! 5. Look up Festivals and Events in any Area you Plan to Visit There’s nothing quite like a Japanese Matsuri, so if you get the chance to go to one, please take it! Even the smallest of towns usually has an annual event that it is known for. Once you have a sense of what’s happening when and where, you can plan the order of your trip accordingly. 6. Don’t Be Afraid to Wander! Some of the best hidden gems can be found when you get lost, so don’t schedule yourself too fully; leave time to wander around and find something that didn’t make it onto the cover of a guidebook.

JITTI Journal Cultural Article March 2018 Back to All JITTI Journals March 2018 Cultural Article Do you take off your shoes inside of your house? by Tatsuya Izumi I take off my shoes at the entrance of my house. I even request that repair people and others take off their shoes when they enter my house. This is because I don't want to get germs or dirt that is clinging to the soles of people's shoes into my house. I think that this custom is fundamentally based in Japanese culture. Far back into Japanese history, Japanese people have believed that the outside ground is unclean or unhallowed, while the inside of house should be kept clean and separate. The entrance of a Japanese house is always a step up, in other words there is a small level between the ground and the floor of the house. The gap is recognized as a kind of sacred boundary to prevent unclean things from coming into the house. Putting your shoes neatly together is one of the important etiquette when you visit a Japanese house. This custom supposedly originated because of the humid and warm climate in Japan. In the ancient era, Japanese people lived in primitive pit houses before houses with an elevated floor were developed. They quickly became popular and widely used because people were able to stay relatively cool in the humid and warm weather thanks to the ventilating capability of such houses. Along with the spread of this type of house, Japanese people supposedly started the custom of taking off their shoes, and even washing their feet, before entering the house in order to keep the floor clean. These customs helped Japanese people maintain a hygienic house in the warm and humid atmosphere, which is rather germ-friendly. It also fostered the development of tatami culture. As a result, you can enjoy lying directly on tatami floors, without a couch or a mat, in a house in Japan. However, this strict separation of inside/outside facilitates Japanese culture in keeping things extremely clean these days. Also, there is a risk to badly hurt your pinky toe by hitting the leg of a table or a corner of a wall, and you can get cold very easily on hard floors such as marble, tile, and wood-all of which are very common in the U.S. You can enjoy a sense of release with your feet on Tatami floor, but you should take care not to hit your pinky toe at leg of table. It hurts very badly! Given the weather and what I have heard is the custom in the U.S. regarding shoes, I should maybe consider changing my mind and keeping my shoes on in my house. But I would have to ask my family before starting this new habit or I will definitely get in a serious trouble...

2019 International Civil Aviation Symposium in Tokyo “The Future of Civil Aviation in the Asia Pacific Region” Jointly Hosted by JTTRI and the Aviation Policy Research Association O rganized with JITTI USA Monday, November 18th, 2019 3:00 PM- 6:00 PM The University of Tokyo Ito International Research Center, Ito Hall 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyou-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 Cooperation： Graduate School of Public Policy Sponsorship: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,Transport and Tourism (MLIT-Japan) Opening Remarks: 　Masafumi Shukuri　/　Chairman, Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute (JTTRI) Honorable Guest Remarks： 　Kozo Fujita　/　Vice-Minister, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan 　Hugo Yon　/　Deputy Assistant Secretary, Transportation Affairs, U.S. Department of State Keynote Speeches： 　Jotaro Horiuchi　/　Assistant Vice-Minister for Int’l Aviation, Minister’s Secretariat, MLIT, Japan 　David Short　/　 Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation & Int’l Affairs, U. S. Department of Transportation 　Akihiko Tamura　/　President & CEO, Narita Int’l Airport Corp. Panel Discussion and Q&A Session Moderator： 　Hirotaka Yamauchi　/　President for Research, Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute (JTTRI) Panelists： 　Shuichi Fujimura　/　Exe. VP, Int’l Affairs & Alliances, All Nippon Airways 　Tadao Nishio　/　Managing Exe. Officer, Corp. Strategy & Planning, Japan Airlines 　Robert Wirick　/　Managing Director,　Regulatory & Int’l Affiars,　American Airlines 　Heather Wingate　/　Senior VP for Gov’t Affiars, Delta Air Lines 　Stephen Morrissey　/　VP, Regulatory & Policy United Airlines 　Akihiko Tamura　/　President & CEO, Narita Int’l Airport Corp. Event Summary: Air passenger transport in the Asia Pacific region has been steadily growing and reached 1.6 billion passengers in 2018.　 Japan hopes to achieve even greater targets of 40 million foreign visitors in 2020 and 60 million in 2030, and is implementing policies such as reviewing the flight paths of Haneda Airport,developing a third runway in Narita Airport and promoting airport management privatization utilizing the Concessions Method. In addition, the Asia Pacific region has drastically changed owing to the enhancement of long-haul direct flights from the U.S. to Asian destinations, the construction of mega airports in Asian countries, and the rise of Low Cost Carriers. JTTRI is pleased to invite experts in international civil aviation to discuss the future vision and strategies of international civil aviation in the Asia Pacific region. Link to Event Page on JTTRI Website

JITTI Journal Cultural Article September 2019 Back to All JITTI Journals September 2019 Cultural Article Hakata Gion Yamakasa: An Introduction of One Local Japanese Festivity by Yasuhiro Okamoto Have you experienced Japanese traditional festivals?? Even though Japan is not a big country, each region has unique traditions and cultures, and all those cultural elements are reflected in their local festivals. Today I would like to focus on my hometown’s festival, which is named “Hakata Gion Yamakasa”. (It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 1979 and a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2016.) “Hakata Gion Yamakasa” is a unique festival in Japan. You will be so surprised when you see the attire of the participants. During the festival, the town of Hakata (one of the districts of Fukuoka city) is filled with men called “Shimekomi,” or another name for them is “Hundoshi”. Rikishi (Sumo wrestler) also put on the Shimekomi, so you might have seen this attire on TV or in a magazine before. While no longer prevalent, it was commonly worn as underclothes for Japanese men and broadly wore until 1940. During the festival, the men wearing “Shimekomi” participate in float-racing by carrying and running with floats, called “Yamakasa,” which weigh around one ton around the city. Meanwhile, people splash water at the processions to cool down the men’s body temperatures and to reduce the floats’ friction with the ground. The history of Yamakasa goes back for more than 700 years, and the origin of the festival is said to be from a time when people tried to purify the land from disaster and disease by splashing water from a wooden stretcher. Men dressed in traditional shimekomi attire carry a float through the streets of Hataka ward in Fukuoaka City, Japan. ( IMG_8967 by koem is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 ) The festival starts from July 9 th and goes for seven days. The climax of the festival is on July 15 th , and this is also the last day of “Hakata Gion Yamakasa”. The program of the last day consists of two races. One is “Kushidairi,” which is a short course (the distance is 112 meters (367 feet)), and the other one is “Oiyamakasa,” which is a long course (the distance is about five kilometers (3.1 miles)). Seven teams compete for the fastest time in the short and long courses. If you have a chance to visit Fukuoka during this term, of course I strongly recommend that you see the last day of the festival. However, it starts 4:59 AM, so you might miss your chance to see it. Nonetheless, don’t worry, as during July 1 st to July 15 th , there are fourteen “Kazariyamakasa.” These decorative 13 meter (43 feet) high floats are not carried during the races, but are stationed around the town. These too are also very exciting to see, and you can compare the designs and decorations made by Japanese traditional artists which adorn the “Kazariyamakasa.” Fukuoka is also especially known as a sacred place for Tonkotsu ramen (a famous type of ramen where pork bones form the base of its soup broth). So before or after seeing this very exciting festival, having the great taste of Tonkotsu ramen must be the perfect combo for visitors. For your next trip, please go a little further to the south part of Japan to explore another Japan that you still may not know. Decorative floats, such as this one, showcase the skills of local artists. ( 山笠 by Yukiko Yamamoto is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 )

Links Organizations Related to JITTI USA Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute (English) Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute (Japanese) The Nippon Foundation Other Relevant Organizational Links U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Federal Aviation Administration U.S. Federal Railroad Administration U.S. Federal Transit Administration U.S. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Transportation Security Administration U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Travel & Tourism Office (NTTO), U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation U.S. House of Representative Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure American Public Transportation Adminsitration Brand USA Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (English) Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Japanese) Japan Tourism Agency (English) Japan Tourism Agency (Japanese) Japan National Tourism Organization (English) Japan National Tourism Organization (Japanese)

JITI 2015 Railway Workshop Challenges for Railroad Improvements and Projecting New Lines March 23rd, 2015 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Choate Room 1779 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. The American economy will suffer without updates to the Northeast Corridor. The surrounding region currently generates 20 percent of the country's gross domestic product. But how do we go about updating the nation's busiest rail corridor? Federal planners are working on a strategy for investing in the Northeast Corridor through 2040, and alternatives range from simple service improvements to a new high-speed corridor between Washington and Boston. JITI invited speakers to discuss the technical challenges in the Northeast Corridor improvement initiative, and how the United States can learn from rail development projects in Japan. The event will also showcase innovative rail models, including Japan's new Shinkansen trains. Opening Remarks Taro Kobayashi Senior Representative, JITI USA Keynote Speeches Yasutake Kojima Director of Administration and Treasurer, East Japan Railway Company Bio PPT Presentation Drew Galloway Assistant Vice President, Policy & Development , Amtrak Bio Presentation

POSTPONED This event has been postponed until further notice. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause, and thank you for your understanding. We will inform you when this event has been rescheduled. 2020 INTERNATIONAL RAIL SAFETY SYMPOSIUM Promoting Safe Transportation: A Focus on Enhanced Rail Safety Co-hosted by the Japan International Transport and Tourism Institute, USA and the American Public Transportation Association Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004 Washington DC's cherry blossom trees will bloom at the Tidal Basin again this year during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The history of these trees, which began as an exchange of mutual appreciation, as cherry blossom trees were offered from Japan and a return of dogwood trees were sent from the United States, has marked a near 100-year friendship between these two countries. During this time of celebration and reflection, it is pertinent to ask what Japan and the US can give each other today to sustain this friendship. After taking the initiative through repeated talks to discuss this very question, JITTI USA and APTA are pleased to host a symposium on universal railway safety, an area where both the US and Japan strive for perfection, and where discussion on the unique safety measures of our two countries would lead to the collective betterment of mass transit systems and the day-to-day lives of Japanese and Americans as a whole. In the United States where passenger rail service is one of the safest modes, eighteen times safer than travel by car, the industry strives for continuous improvement and continues to implement upgraded safety measures, such as PTC. At-grade crossing incidents and human-error accidents remain a continuing concern. For railway operators, challenges include strengthening safety measures, utilizing new technologies such as AI and IoT, and fostering a safety culture. These endeavors have global interest. In Japan, past experiences with accidents have been a catalyst for the development of their own railway safety measures, including implementing mechanical fixes such as ATS (Automatic Train Stop) and ATC (Automatic Train Control), as well as promoting a safety culture among railway operators through streamlined safety management systems. These various railroad safety measures, which promote hardware, software, human, and regulatory solutions, have ensured that Japan is a global leader in transport safety. By inviting high-level representatives from Japanese and American railway authorities and operators, JITTI USA and APTA hope to foster a discussion on the current state of existing safety measures and the future direction for strengthening railway safety and safety philosophies. Through this discussion, JITTI USA and APTA trust that as representatives from Japan and the United States work and learn from one another in this specific field, they will foster understanding and sustain the friendship so long ago established.

JITI 2011 Air Cargo Transportation Seminar State of the Industry and Future Trends in Asia February 23, 2011 The Mayflower Renaissance Washington 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC Air cargo represents about 35% of world trade by value, underpins much of the global economy and is often a leading economic indicator. After a long period of stagnation, there are now signs of recovery. Yet even as business rebounds, the economy never returns quite the way it was, and industries must continually adjust to new business environments. Coming out of the recession, Asian economies have been growing rapidly, creating new opportunities for the air cargo industry. From a U.S. perspective, trans-Pacific air routes become more important as the historic U.S.-Japan Open Skies Agreement creates even more new possibilities. Considering these points, it is beneficial to examine developments in freight transportation around the world. We will look at how airlines are coping with increased competition and exploring new markets. JITI invited distinguished speakers to share information and insights on these topics and to discuss the future of the air cargo industry in Asia. Opening Remarks Makoto Washizu President JITI USA Bio Keynote Remarks John Byerly Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. State Department Bio Presentation Hirotaka Yamauchi Professor, Graduate School of Commerce and Management, Hitotsubashi University Bio Presentation Fariba Alamdari Vice President, Marketing and Value Analysis, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Bio Presentation Toshiaki Toyama Vice President, Cargo Marketing, All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA Cargo) Bio Presentation Bailey Leopard Senior Counsel, FedEx Express Bio Presentation Panel Discussion Kenneth Button (Moderator) Professor, School of Public policy, George Mason University Bio

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