Toyosu, Kitakyushu, and Osaka Bay Area - 2000-2023 Current Status of Brownfield Reuse

Toyosu, Kitakyushu, and Osaka Bay Area - 2000-2023 Current Status of Brownfield Reuse

It is estimated that there are more than 200,000 brownfield sites in Japan that have been contaminated by past industrial activities and industrial waste disposal. Of these, approximately 2,000 are subject to investigation each year under the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Law, and contamination is confirmed in approximately 20-30% of these sites.

In the Toyosu area of Tokyo, approximately 350,000 cubic meters of contaminated soil was removed during the redevelopment of the former gas plant site, and the cleanup cost amounted to approximately 58 billion yen. The land was reused for the Toyosu market, commercial facilities, and residential areas, making it a successful example of urban development. The Kitakyushu Eco-Town project involved approximately 500 hectares of land and treated more than 90% of the contaminated soil using bioremediation and soil cleaning technologies. The total cost of the project was approximately 80 billion yen, but it generated an annual economic impact of approximately 120 billion yen.

In the bay area of Osaka City, more than 100,000 cubic meters of contaminated soil was cleaned up at a former factory site at a cost of approximately 15 billion yen. This land has been converted into shopping malls and logistics facilities with annual sales exceeding approximately 30 billion yen.

Furthermore, in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Hitachi, Ltd. spent more than 10 billion yen to clean up a former factory site of approximately 100,000 square meters. In Chiba City, Japan Steel Corporation cleaned up a 500,000 square meter site at a cost of more than 30 billion yen, and the site is now being used as a logistics facility and shopping mall, generating an annual economic impact of approximately 50 billion yen.

Although the high cost of remediation is an issue for brownfield reuse, the effective use of land is being promoted through subsidy programs by the national and local governments and the introduction of advanced technologies. These redevelopment efforts not only compensate for land shortages, but also contribute to local economic revitalization and environmental improvement.