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Airport Concession Policy in Japan by Sarah Fraser Earlier this year, in February, JITI USA held a workshop regarding airport redevelopment using public-private partnerships or P3s. I would like to take a moment to check in with this issue and see what developments or changes have been happening since this time. As you may remember from our workshop, we had speakers from a variety of organizations such as the Eno Center for Transportation, as well as a speaker from the LaGuardia Airport and MLIT Japan. In the seminar we discussed recent cases of airport redevelopment using P3 in the United States, such as the LaGuardia Airport Terminal B project, as well as the efforts in Japan, such as the Sendai Airport and the Fukuoka Airport. In addition, we discussed many of the challenges and benefits there are in utilizing P3s in airport redevelopments. JITI staff, former president, and the speakers of our 2018 Airport Workshop From left: Hiroki Sakamoto (JITI), Makoto Washizu (JITI), Robert Puentes (ENO), Lysa Scully (LaGuardia), Azuma Kato (MLIT) I would like to take a moment to review the Japanese approach to airport concession, as explained by Mr. Kato during our seminar. Regional economies and airports in Japan are and were facing a tough time which created the idea to call for airports to serve as points of regional revitalization. In this way, areas could attract tourists and there would be more flexibility to fly in and out of Japan's regional airports as opposed to hub airports. Concessions would also give the addition benefit of improve efficiency for airport governance. When the airports were governed by MLIT for aeronautical activities and private companies were in charge of non-aeronautical activities there was a disconnect between the management strategies. The idea behind using a concession system was the ability to unify this strategy and attract airlines to various airports. In addition, by using a concession strategy, there would more incentive for efficient airport management and operations across the board, as well as more incentive to promote individual airports for tourism or in connection with local business and other entities. With concessions in place, there are a variety of important benefits, such as improved accessibility to destinations, a stimulus for Japan's overall airline industry, and local revitalization, one of the main focal points. For more information, you can find Mr. Kato's presentation here (link to presentation) via the JITI website. Attracting airlines is one benefit of implementing concessions systems. ( Airport by Jorge Díaz is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 ) Recently, MLIT has announced that starting in 2020 they will outsource the operation of four national airports, as well as two specific municipal airports and one municipal airport, to the private sector. In accordance with this, MLIT has developed an application guidelines document, which contains conditions and procedures, the selection methods for P3s, and schedules/deadlines for applications and selections. According to the schedule, the terminal building operations will begin in January of 2020 with runway operations continuing at later dates from June of the same year to March of 2021. Using the private-sector know-how and P3s, MLIT hopes to promote tourism and improve the regional activation of the seven airports in Hokkaido. It will be interesting to see the process and the fruits of this extensive P3 project in Hokkaido. Back to All JITTI Journals July 2018 Feature Article

The Latest Trends in Japan's Railroad Business: Management Strategies to Strengthen the "De-rail" Business By Akito Okabe Introduction Japan's railroad business is currently undergoing a major transition. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has calmed down and railroad operators are making steady progress in recovering their business performance, the trend of teleworking remains unchanged and ridership has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The rail ridership in Japan is generally at 70-80% of its pre-pandemic level, with a particularly sharp decline in commuter pass users. In addition, the future outlook is that ridership is not expected to return to its pre-pandemic level, and an aging and declining population is also expected. Under these circumstances, many railroad companies are struggling to establish a new revenue base by strengthening their non-railway businesses, and this article will introduce some initiatives thatJapanese railroad companies are currently doing. Real Estate Business Japanese railroad companies and the real estate business have had a close relationship since before the pandemic. Many railroad companies have built hotels, apartments, office buildings, and shopping centers near their lines to generate revenue. By increasing the attractiveness of towns through development along their lines, they also aim to increase the population along their lines and increase their rail ridership in the future. Tokyu, a leading company in the real estate business, is further accelerating its efforts after the pandemic. It has identified "Shibuya," its development hub, as its biggest growth strategy, and plans to invest a cumulative 450 billion yen (about $3.2 billion USD) in real estate-related activities by 2030. (This amount is approximately three times this year's EBITDA.) JR East, Japan's largest railroad company, also plans to focus on redeveloping the area around Takanawa Gateway Station, which opened in 2020. It plans to build a luxury hotel, offices, and one of the largest halls in Tokyo on the former railcar depot site, and expects the total project cost to be approximately 58 billion yen (about $4.2 billion USD). Image of the station area after redevelopment (Image Source: https://tokyoyard.com/ ) New Business In addition to the real estate business, a number of unique new businesses are being considered, which we would like to introduce below. Tokyo Metro Tokyo Metro, which operates subways in the Tokyo area, has opened a training gym for "e-sports" video game competitions in 2021, utilizing vacant buildings near its lines. (Co-operated with startup Gecipe ※1 ). In addition to monthly memberships to use the gym store, the company offers an optional service that allows users to take lessons from professional e-sports players in the store or online. The concept of the gym is "a bright and healthy e-sports facility that is easy for anyone to enter," and the company aims to "create a world where anyone can seriously enjoy e-sports at any time.” Image of Interior view of training gym (Image Source: https://esportsgym.tokyo/register-lp ) Tokyo Metro is also developing other new businesses, such as yoga classes with bouldering and robot programming classes. Osaka Metro Osaka Metro, which operates subways mainly in Osaka Prefecture, plans to launch a matching service in the spring of 2023 to connect land owners with businesses that wish to open food trucks (mobile vending vehicles for food and beverages). Under this service, Osaka Metro will act as an intermediary, receiving a fee from food and beverage operators for opening stalls and paying rent to landowners. In addition to the brokerage service, Osaka Metro plans to open food trucks under its direct management. Food trucks (Image Source: https://subway.osakametro.co.jp/news/news_release/20210930_foodtruck_kakudai.php ) By the end of FY2023, the company aims to enter the healthcare service business, which supports the health improvement of railroad users through a proprietary app. Conclusion As JR East President Fukasawa stated, "We need to stand on the premise that the number of rail ridership will not return to pre-pandemic levels.", and the business environment is expected to remain severe for railway companies. Given this situation, Japanese railroad operators are aiming to diversify their revenue sources through real estate and unique new businesses, and this trend is expected to continue. We will monitor this trend closely, as the initiatives of railroad companies focusing on businesses other than the railroad itself are unique to Japan and could serve as a useful reference for other countries. References ※1 https://gecipe.co.jp/ Back to All JITTI Journals March 2023 Feature Article

Back to All JITTI Journals May 2019 Feature Article The Japan Coast Guard’s New Challenge for Global Cooperation Among Coast Guard Agencies/ Functions by Yasuhiro Okamoto The Japan Coast Guard (herein after called “JCG”) has supported various countries’ coast guard organizations with their capacity enhancement since 1969, aiding over 81 countries and 3 regions. In addition, JCG has also played an important role in the establishment of the international cooperation framework in the region to facilitate further cooperation among coast guard agencies in Asia and the North Pacific. In this article, I would like to introduce JCG’s new challenge in creating an international framework for the Coast Guard Global Summit. The 1st Coast Guard Global Summit (hereinafter called as “CGGS”) was held in September 2017 and was co-hosted by the Nippon Foundation. The aim of this meeting was to enhance dialogue and cooperation beyond the existing regional framework, and to focus the experience and knowledge of the participants to resolve common issues that every country had faced. Although it was the inaugural meeting, representatives from 34 countries, 1 regional, and 3 international organizations visited Japan to attend. In this meeting there was recognition of the rarity for coast guard’s to gather and discuss the creation of global frameworks, the importance of doing so, and of the necessity to consider human resource development systems and the best forms of inter-regional and international cooperation. With continued interest by participants to further facilitate global cooperation among coast guard agencies, the 1st working level meeting of CGGS took place in November 2018 with the participation of 66 countries and international/ regional organizations. In this working level meeting, the following three agenda points were mainly discussed: Meeting guidelines for smooth future meetings Global human resource development Information sharing According to the meeting summary of the CGGS working level meeting, during the discussion on global human resource development, various advanced and unique programs were shared. Furthermore, there was broad support when JCG proposed to form the voluntary core member group for intensive study and discussion of this matter. It has already been decided that the 2nd CGGS will be held in Tokyo in November 2019. JCG’s new challenge has just started, and it’s not difficult to imagine that they will have additional obstacles that will need to be solved. For example, in comparison with their past cooperative activities, the JCG is unexperienced with organizing an international meeting of this size, with an increase in the number of participation confirmed as compared to the last two meetings. To plan and execute such an enormous event on a regular basis also must create budgetary and operational issues. Furthermore, there is the obvious struggle for JCG to convince participating agencies of the necessity of a global framework. As for the meeting agenda, it seems that human resource development will be a key topic. Unlike other regional cooperation frameworks, a global framework would require consideration of each regions unique issues and/or features. The first challenge for agencies from different regions is to try and cooperate for a unified goal, and to clarify ways to develop human resources in each region. I would like to closely observe the activities, discussion, and results of the 2nd CGGS to know the answer to this question, and I really hope this framework will bring great benefits to coast guard activities across the entire world. Image courtesy of the Japan Coast Guard

Back to All JITTI Journals November 2019 Feature Article 2020 Expansion of International Air Networks in Tokyo’s Haneda Airport by Hiroki Sakamoto While air passenger transport in the world has been steadily growing, Japan hopes to achieve even greater targets of 40 million foreign visitors in 2020 and 60 million in 2030, and is implementing policies in order to address these increasing aviation demands. One major policy is to enhance the functions of Tokyo metropolitan airports (Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) and Narita International Airport (Narita Airport)). Efforts are now underway for the two airports to jointly achieve take-offs/landings at the world’s top rates (approximately 1 million per year), roughly the same as those for New York or London. Specifically, efforts are being made to increase the airport capacity by such measures as reviewing the flight paths to and from Haneda Airport and developing a third runway in Narita Airport. In August 2019, the United States and Japanese Government officials in charge of aviation negotiations reached an agreement to increase daytime services (6:00-22:55) between Haneda Airport and U.S. destinations. Among the 50 new international slot pairs created at the airport, they allocate 12 new slot pairs (12 arrivals and 12 departures daily) for U.S. air carriers, and 12 new slot pairs for Japanese air carriers. The new flight services are expected to be available from March 29th, 2020, at the beginning of the Summer 2020 season, and in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. A control tower at Haneda Airport In September 2019, after considerations on how to expand the number of foreign visitors and strengthen Japan’s international competitiveness, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan announced the allocation of slots for 50 flights. For the first time, Russia, Australia, India, Italy, Turkey, Finland, Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden or Norway) acquired daytime slots into the country. The allocations of slots for the 50 flights are as follows by country: USA: 24 flights China: 8 flights Russia: 4 flights Australia: 4 flights India: 2 flights Italy: 2 flights Turkey: 2 flights Finland: 2 flights Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden or Norway): 2 flights Among the 50 flights, 25 flights were allocated to Japanese air carriers (ANA: 13.5 flights, JAL: 11.5 flights in total). USA: ANA 6 flights, JAL 6 flights China: ANA 2 flights, JAL 2 flights Russia: ANA 1 flight, JAL 1 flight Australia: ANA 1 flight, JAL 1 flight India: ANA 0.5 flights, JAL 0.5 flights Italy: ANA 1 flight Turkey: ANA 1 flight Finland: JAL 1 flight Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, or Norway) : ANA 1 flight An aerial view of Haneda airport, which is close to downtown Tokyo The details of slot allocations for each international region are as follows: 1) North America : Currently, both the U.S. and Canada have daytime slots, but for this most recent change, only the slots for the U.S. were expanded. Regarding U.S. air carriers, Delta Air Lines will have flights from Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, Portland and Honolulu; United Airlines will have flights from Newark (N.J.), Chicago O’Hare, Washington-Dulles and Los Angeles; American Airlines will have flights from Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles; and Hawaiian Airlines will have a flight from Honolulu. Delta Air Lines decided that it will fully transfer its U.S.-Tokyo flights from Narita Airport to Haneda Airport, bringing its operations closer to central Tokyo. Regarding Japanese airline routes to the United States, ANA and JAL are each allocated 6 flights. Currently, ANA operates from Narita Airport to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, San Jose, Chicago, Houston, Washington D.C., New York, and Honolulu, and from Haneda Airport to Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Honolulu. From March 29, 2020, ANA is planning to offer new non-stop services from Haneda Airport to Houston, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington D.C. Also, ANA will be increasing the frequency of the Haneda - Los Angeles route in 2020. In addition, all routes from Narita Airport to Houston, San Jose, Seattle and Washington D.C., and some routes to Los Angeles, will be relocated to Haneda Airport. JAL operates from Narita Airport to Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Dallas, Boston, Honolulu, Kona and Guam, and from Haneda Airport to San Francisco and New York. From March 29, 2020, JAL is planning to establish new services between Haneda Airport and Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and Honolulu. Also, JAL will be increasing the frequency of the Haneda - New York route in 2020. Furthermore, all routes from Narita Airport to New York and Dallas, and some routes to Chicago and Honolulu, will be relocated to Haneda Airport. 2) Asia: China has acquired eight new flights, making it the country with the second most slots after the United States. Currently, both Japanese and Chinese airlines fly to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou during the daytime. India has newly been awarded daytime slots for the first time. There were no additional slots for South Korea. 3) Europe: Currently, there are landing slots during the day time for the United Kingdom, France and Germany. However, no additional slots for these countries were awarded. Slots for Russia, Italy, Finland, Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden or Norway) are newly being applied. From March 2020, daytime services between U.S. cities and Haneda Airport will be drastically increased. That means that US citizens will easily able to travel to local areas in Japan such as Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa by using the numerous and various domestic connecting flights at Haneda Airport. Why don’t you plan your next journey to Japan by utilizing the expanded and advanced aviation transport networks at Haneda Airport?

Railway in Japan During Rush Hour by Yoshitaka Araki ◆ On-time operation during rush hour In metropolitan areas such as Tokyo and Osaka, the terrible congestion of trains and people during the commuting rush-hour seems to be recognized as a kind of common feature for Japan. I think there are rush-hours during common commuting times in every country. However, in Japan, especially in the metropolitan area which highly depend on the public transportation of railways and subways, there are some sections where the congestion rate exceeds 250%. This is such a high rate of congestion that passengers can't move at all. On-time operation is essential for safety and quality of service, and this especially applies during rush hour. Each railway company in Japan has ways of mitigating the troubles caused by rush-hour commuters, as well as improving on-time operation. In this article, I'll introduce some of these methods. ◆ Facilities Some features located around train facilities to aid on-time and safe train operations are listed below: *Wide train doors One of the reason for delays is the time it takes for passengers to get in and out of train cars. Some train cars have been adapted to have doors that are a shoulder-width wider than the standard, which makes it easier for passengers to get in and out of the trains more smoothly. *Platform screen doors and Automatic operation Platform screen doors doesn't have a direct relation to on-time operation, but it contributes to the reduction of risk of passengers falling onto the train tracks, which aids on-time trains and safety. Furthermore, most of the screen doors contain Train Automatic Stopping Control systems, so that trains stop with precision at the right position. This system contributes to on-time operation as it shortens the amount of time necessary for braking, etc. . *Train protection system - Speed control by ATC (Automatic Train Control) During rush hour, it is necessary to increase the number of trains so that many passengers can be transported. For smooth operation in such situations, train protection systems, such as signals etc., are essential. In Japan, most urban transit systems and the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) have ATC, or equivalent equipment, which enables high density transportation. A quick explanation of ATC in Japan follows: Most ATC has tracking circuits on the rails which recognize the spaces between trains and sets the speed limit. When trains exceed the speed limit, their speed is automatically reduced. This system also enables trains to stop with proper space between them and others. ATC is different from the recently popular type of systems such as PTC, CBTC, etc., systems which use wireless communication. Most ATC systems were introduced prior to the recently developed digital wireless communication technology, so wireless protection systems are not as popular in Japan. Of course, these newer types of systems have more advantages than the current ones, so some railway companies in Japan are considering introducing them. *Smooth ticket gate process In Japan, as in other countries, the purchase of fares using IC cards has been increasing in recent years. When passengers go through the ticket gate, they need to hold their IC card over the readers. If it takes a long time to read the card this can cause congestion in the station before even getting to the platform. The standard for IC cards for transportation in Japan requires that they can be read within 0.2 seconds. In this way, 60 passengers could go through the ticket gate per minute. ◆ Employees The companies' activities toward rush hour traffic consists not only of the facilities, but also service by the employees. *Controlling the distance between trains Especially during rush hour, the Railway Control Center adjust the positions of the trains so that their distances will be equal. The main adjustment, especially in cases where the gap between trains has become wider than originally intended, is delaying the departure of preceding-train to shorten the distance between it and the following train. If the timing of the trains is left widened, passengers at platform will be concentrated when boarding the following one, and that will cause further delays. In addition, the following-trains will have to stop before arriving at the platform to compensate for this delay and once the train stops, it takes time to restart, which can also cause more delays. An effective countermeasure to prevent these types of issues is for employees to adjust the distance between trains equally. *Part-time employees during rush hours on platforms Have you ever gotten your body or belongings stuck in the door when getting on the train, when in a hurry, or just because you got caught in the crowd? There are platform employees positioned during morning rush hour to help support passengers so that they can get in and out of the train cars smoothly. Of course, they are not only there for when the doors open or close, they also are there to answer passenger questions. ◆ Cooperation by Passengers In the above we discussed some of the ways that train companies are working to alleviate the problems associated with morning rush hour. Needless to say, it is also essential for smooth operations that train companies have the cooperation of riders. I would briefly like to discuss some of the requests made of rush hour commuters in metropolitan Tokyo. *Early Bird Morning rush hour occurs according to ordinary business hours, so passengers can avoid the terrible crowds by taking a train 1 or 2 hours earlier than the rush will be. To promote this, train companies promote deals for those who are willing to be "early birds". For example, passengers can get rewards if they go through ticket gates before certain times, and they can redeem these points for their daily travels or for shopping. *One-side Pedestrian Traffic on Concourses Have you ever bumped into to someone when walking on the concourse because you were both walking on the same side? Many stations in Japan indicate in which direction to walk, right side or left side, to help aid the smooth flow of passengers. *Manners It is essential for passengers to cooperate when they're on the platform, concourse, and trains. Since it's not rules but manners that are necessary, the train companies ask for everyone's cooperation, and have devised content, such as posters. Example related to rush hour are below: >>> Forming a line on the platform, Smooth boarding of trains While waiting the next train, passengers are encouraged to form a line on the platform. When getting in and out the train, have you ever had difficulty because of people standing near the door and not moving? In Japan, there are posters asking for cooperation in moving out of the way when the doors are opened. >>> Personal baggage in the trains Have you ever been hit by someone else's baggage when standing or sitting on the train? I think many people have had this experience, especially when it is baggage on someone's back, such as backpacks. Railway companies in Japan suggest that passengers carry their baggage on their front, even backpacks. Carrying bags on your back can cause a bother for others in crowded cars but changing the way you carry them can improve flow in train cars. >>> Smartphones People with smartphones are increasing, and that can cause various problems in railway facilities. Railway companies ask passengers to observe some cellphone manners, such as refraining from talking in cars, turning off their cellphones near priority seats, and so on. Recently the issues resulting from walking while using smartphones are also increasing, such as people falling on the rails, hitting other passengers, blocking people who are trying to walk, and etc. The companies have asked passengers to be mindful of this while using their smartphones as well. Two examples of these posters follow: ◆ Conclusion Recently, the diversity of types of work in increasing in Japan. Workers can choose short-time work, staggering their office hours, telecommuting, and so on. However, at the same time, daily ridership in the metropolitan area is also increasing, as well as sales of commuter train passes. Regular sales of the commuter passes indicate how many people work regularly in the downtown area of the city and it indicates the concentration of people and economic activities there. The population in Japan is decreasing, and it's said that even in the metropolitan areas it will start to decline. In addition, the recent sharing economy for cars and bikes, development of autonomous vehicles, etc. are all threats to the vitality of the railway transportation industry. But, from the perspective of recent trends in the use of railways, railway companies will need to continue to solve issues related rush hour congestion. Back to All JITTI Journals March 2018 Feature Article

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!!

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The U.S. and Japan Sailed Out on a New Stage of the Coast Guard Alliance by Daisuke Komatsu Did you hear the whistle signaling the dawn of a new cooperative relationship between the United States Coast Guard (herein after called “USCG”) and the Japan Coast Guard (herein after called “JCG”)? Vice Adm. Michael McAllister, commander of USCG Pacific Area, and Vice Adm. Yoshio Seguchi, vice commandant for operations of JCG, signed a historic document to further strengthen their ties to address the current serious international security environment on the 18 th of May 2022. The Signing Ceremony of the USCG and JCG MOC Annex Historically, the USCG and JCG have taken a long voyage in the same boat since JCG was established in 1948. Since then, both coast guards have enhanced their cooperative engagements and signed a memorandum of cooperation to boost the strong relationship in 2010. Based upon this MOC, they have conducted a high-level bilateral meeting annually to share information and to affirm common interests. The world is now facing a paradigm shift in the economic and security realms, such as COVID-19’s impact on human activities and unilateral attempts to change the rules-based international order by force in the East China Sea and South China Sea. Both sides, under these circumstances, began to recognize the need to modify the MOC to be more practical and concrete in order to carry out joint operations to maintain and develop a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). On the 18 th of May 2022, the two Vice admirals formally signed additional Annexes of the MOC to expand cooperative engagements in order to enable both sides to conduct a joint operation called SAPPHIRE. “SAPPHIRE” is an acronym for “Solid Alliance for Peace and Prosperity with Humanity and Integrity on the Rule of Law based Engagement” and is regarded as a “precious gem that is an emblem of integrity and affection found throughout the Indo-Pacific” region. The additional Annexes consists essentially of three parts, (combined operations, personnel exchange, and capacity building support for foreign coast guards) which embodied the core elements of the MOC in 2010. In the part regarding combined operations, they agreed upon a mechanism of combined operations and exercises to respond appropriately to contingencies such as cases of maritime distress and other regional natural disasters. The combined exercises are expected to reinforce mutual understanding through shared principles, tactics, techniques and procedures to cope with all manner of contingencies or future operation. They have already conducted a combined search and rescue exercise off the coast of San Francisco on the 20 th of May, and also coped with actual maritime distress during a combined counter-narcotics exercise off the coast of Guam on the 7 th of June based on the annex. A combined exercise based on the Annex The part regarding personnel exchange encourages academic exchange and training as well as capacity building. Professional exchange and academic exchange and training are keys to promote open communication between the two coast guards. The new scheme of academic exchange and training will provide faculties of the USCG Academy and the JCG Academy with better academic, educational, and training experiences for their cadets. The additional Annex, uniquely and interestingly, let the USCG and the JCG turn their eyes even towards foreign coast guard agencies in the shape of capacity building. Previously, the two leading coast guards in the world had for a long time separately provided capacity building support for recipient coast guards. In order to provide more effective and adequate capacity building support by deconflicting asset transfers to recipients, the two coast guards share their own initiatives and identify recipient nations. Furthermore, they are expected to conduct capacity building as a joint initiative, coordinating program and training implementation for recipients. They dispatched their capacity building expert team to the Philippines simultaneously to provide skills of towing other vessels and fire control from the 12 th to 25 th of June. The first attempt of joint capacity building for the Philippines Coast Guard The acclaim for the MOC ANNEX signing ceremony reverberated across the maritime corridor running from the Arctic Ocean to the Sea of Japan, through the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. In line with the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region, the role of a coast guard alliance between the U.S. and Japan is increasingly important to realize a FOIP. The two coast guards will involve Australia and India as well as other nation states with shared values to expand their vigorous efforts in maintaining the status quo in the region. A bunch of smiles seen among the US, Philippines, and Japan Coast Guard officials leading a FOIP Back to All JITTI Journals July 2022 Feature Article

Back to All JITTI Journals July 2022 Feature Article The U.S. and Japan Sailed Out on a New Stage of the Coast Guard Alliance by Daisuke Komatsu Did you hear the whistle signaling the dawn of a new cooperative relationship between the United States Coast Guard (herein after called “USCG”) and the Japan Coast Guard (herein after called “JCG”)? Vice Adm. Michael McAllister, commander of USCG Pacific Area, and Vice Adm. Yoshio Seguchi, vice commandant for operations of JCG, signed a historic document to further strengthen their ties to address the current serious international security environment on the 18 th of May 2022. The Signing Ceremony of the USCG and JCG MOC Annex Historically, the USCG and JCG have taken a long voyage in the same boat since JCG was established in 1948. Since then, both coast guards have enhanced their cooperative engagements and signed a memorandum of cooperation to boost the strong relationship in 2010. Based upon this MOC, they have conducted a high-level bilateral meeting annually to share information and to affirm common interests. The world is now facing a paradigm shift in the economic and security realms, such as COVID-19’s impact on human activities and unilateral attempts to change the rules-based international order by force in the East China Sea and South China Sea. Both sides, under these circumstances, began to recognize the need to modify the MOC to be more practical and concrete in order to carry out joint operations to maintain and develop a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). On the 18 th of May 2022, the two Vice admirals formally signed additional Annexes of the MOC to expand cooperative engagements in order to enable both sides to conduct a joint operation called SAPPHIRE. “SAPPHIRE” is an acronym for “Solid Alliance for Peace and Prosperity with Humanity and Integrity on the Rule of Law based Engagement” and is regarded as a “precious gem that is an emblem of integrity and affection found throughout the Indo-Pacific” region. The additional Annexes consists essentially of three parts, (combined operations, personnel exchange, and capacity building support for foreign coast guards) which embodied the core elements of the MOC in 2010. In the part regarding combined operations, they agreed upon a mechanism of combined operations and exercises to respond appropriately to contingencies such as cases of maritime distress and other regional natural disasters. The combined exercises are expected to reinforce mutual understanding through shared principles, tactics, techniques and procedures to cope with all manner of contingencies or future operation. They have already conducted a combined search and rescue exercise off the coast of San Francisco on the 20 th of May, and also coped with actual maritime distress during a combined counter-narcotics exercise off the coast of Guam on the 7 th of June based on the annex. A combined exercise based on the Annex The part regarding personnel exchange encourages academic exchange and training as well as capacity building. Professional exchange and academic exchange and training are keys to promote open communication between the two coast guards. The new scheme of academic exchange and training will provide faculties of the USCG Academy and the JCG Academy with better academic, educational, and training experiences for their cadets. The additional Annex, uniquely and interestingly, let the USCG and the JCG turn their eyes even towards foreign coast guard agencies in the shape of capacity building. Previously, the two leading coast guards in the world had for a long time separately provided capacity building support for recipient coast guards. In order to provide more effective and adequate capacity building support by deconflicting asset transfers to recipients, the two coast guards share their own initiatives and identify recipient nations. Furthermore, they are expected to conduct capacity building as a joint initiative, coordinating program and training implementation for recipients. They dispatched their capacity building expert team to the Philippines simultaneously to provide skills of towing other vessels and fire control from the 12 th to 25 th of June. The first attempt of joint capacity building for the Philippines Coast Guard The acclaim for the MOC ANNEX signing ceremony reverberated across the maritime corridor running from the Arctic Ocean to the Sea of Japan, through the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. In line with the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region, the role of a coast guard alliance between the U.S. and Japan is increasingly important to realize a FOIP. The two coast guards will involve Australia and India as well as other nation states with shared values to expand their vigorous efforts in maintaining the status quo in the region. A bunch of smiles seen among the US, Philippines, and Japan Coast Guard officials leading a FOIP

Back to All JITTI Journals November 2018 Cultural Article Movember in Japan by Mamiko Kim ( Hugh Jackman by Eva Rinaldi is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 ) This summer, a colleague returned from a long vacation with a full beard. It was neatly kept, trimmed so that no hair strayed out of place, and suited him nicely. If you picture a Japanese Hugh Jackman, you may be imagining my colleague. When I complimented him on his new mane, he replied a little sorrowfully that he would be needing to shave it soon, as it wouldn’t be appropriate in the work environment in Japan. I was taken aback by this, because in the United States there has been a boom the last few years. Austin, Texas hosts the annual World Beard and Mustache Competition, and every November there is a movement called Movemember (or Mustache November) that encourages men to stay unshaven during the month to bring awareness to men’s health issues. Because this month is Movember, I wanted to explore the facial hair culture of Japan. ( Ewok samurai armour by Ruth Hartnup is licensed under CC BY 2.0 ) Historically, Japan has had various trends and connotations of facial hair. Samurai often sported facial hair, which invoked power and manliness. Supposedly Hideyoshi Toyotomi, a shogun during the Sengoku warring period, made the effort to put on a fake beard because he was unable to grow one naturally. Looking at Samurai armor, you can even find examples of facial hair added to helmets to complete the overall look. During the Edo period, when stability was established and prized, facial hair went out of vogue, as it became linked to the aggression of the previous period. While there have been times since then when a resurgence of facial hair has occurred, with the spreading of cheap and easily accessible razors after WWII, it has become an endangered trend. This ad for a bear trimmer states “Ah, it’s hot! Summer, and you too.” ( Ad for a beard trimmer on the Tokyo metro. Shockingly pink. by Marco40134 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) What about modern Japan? What is the current mood towards facial hair? I asked a few of my Japanese colleagues these questions. While no one was outrightly opposed, they warned that particularly in a work setting in Japan, those with facial hair may be considered “brazen” or “rebellious.” In fact, there have been court cases between employees with facial hair and their companies, such as a 2004 case where Noboru Nakamura sued for his right to keep his mustache after the Japan Post created strict grooming regulations. Not everyone is anti-beard, however. Since 2007, Japanese artist Takao Sakai has created fake facial hair for people to wear out of azuki red beans and other candies. His azuki beards have gained popularity, and were featured in the New York City Fair in 2014. Since even Hideyoshi was unopposed to a fake beard, I look forward to seeing how these azuki beards spread in Japan. Happy Movember everyone! ( アズキ bean beards, by Takao Sakai V by antjeverena is licensed under CC BY-NC- ND 2.0 )

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