Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan hosted the 5th ASEAN-Japan Smart Cities Network High Level Meeting on October 26 and 27 in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Approximately 250 officials and executives from government and private sectors involved in smart city development in Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries gathered to discuss the promotion of digital transformation for enhancing urban resilience. The event emphasized not only Japan's expertise in hard measures for urban disaster prevention but also highlighted soft measures, utilizing the latest digital technologies for evacuation planning and collecting disaster-related information.

The meeting, held annually since 2019, targeted ASEAN countries where the formation of smart cities is progressing rapidly due to urbanization. It serves as part of Japan's initiative to support the export of "high-quality" infrastructure created by Japanese companies.

In addition to presentations showcasing Japanese companies' technology and expertise, the meeting featured advanced cases from cities in ASEAN and local governments in Japan. The "Japan-ASEAN Smart City Network Public-Private Consultative Council" (JASCA), established in 2019 as a platform for Japan, played a role in facilitating business matching between member companies and relevant agencies in ASEAN. The meeting was co-chaired by Shinichi Sakaki, Vice-Minister for Land, Infrastructure and Hokkaido Affairs, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, and Safrizal. ZA, M.Si, Director General of Regional Administration, Ministry of Home Affairs of Indonesia.

During the opening ceremony on the 26th, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tetsuo Saito delivered a video message. He pointed out the intensification and increased frequency of disasters associated with climate change, recognizing the enhancement of urban resilience as a global issue. Minister Saito expressed confidence that by sharing initiatives in the field of resilience during the meeting, valuable insights contributing to problem-solving in various countries and cities could be obtained.

The meeting included presentations on urban disaster prevention DX initiatives by the Ministry, Tsukuba City, and Akashi City in Hyogo Prefecture. Seiichi Onodera, Deputy Minister for International Projects of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, conveyed the effectiveness of integrated soft measures, which, alongside hard measures such as dam and levee maintenance and seismic reinforcement, can be executed promptly at a low cost.

The outcome document compiled at the end of the meeting indicated that the integrated promotion of hard and soft measures incorporating digital technology could lead to the creation of disaster-resistant smart cities from the planning stage. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism plans to organize the exemplary cases shared at this meeting until the next session scheduled for next year. The ministry reaffirms its commitment to providing comprehensive support for ASEAN's smart city development. (2023/11/08)