The budding symbiosis between logistics and the environment in Yonehara" - Perspectives from around 2002

The budding symbiosis between logistics and the environment in Yonehara" - Perspectives from around 2002

Around 2002, Japan was in the midst of a prolonged recession following the collapse of the bubble economy, which led to regional economic stagnation and the hollowing out of industry. The government launched "special zones for structural reform" to revitalize regions through deregulation, and unique revitalization measures were sought in various regions. The "Special Zone for Logistics and Environmental Symbiosis (England Boat Green Special Zone)" in Maibara Town, Shiga Prefecture, is one such example.

Maibara has long been a strategic transportation hub, with the Maibara Freight Terminal and Junction at the nexus of the Shinkansen bullet train, conventional railways, and expressways. The aim was to take full advantage of this geographical condition to both improve logistics efficiency and create a concentration of recycling-related industries, thereby promoting the formation of a recycling-oriented society from the local community. By delegating regulatory authority to the municipalities, a mechanism was put in place to allow new businesses to develop flexibly on unused land and to actively encourage the location of logistics and environmental industries.

At the time, the recycling industry was attracting attention for its ability to both reduce environmental impact and expand its market, and the concentration of such industries at transportation nodes was considered a rational and strategic choice. In addition, the fact that the concept of "coexistence with the environment" was adopted was more than just an economic promotion measure; it was a pioneering effort that presented a sustainable regional model. Maibara Town's special zone concept attracted nationwide attention as an attempt by a regional city to create a vision for the future by linking logistics and the environment.