Eco-Town Development in Sendai– Recovery from the Japan Disaster

Osaka - Saturday, September 3, 2011




Nikkei, the leading Japanese newspaper specialized in economy and business, reported on September 1 that Sendai City and some 20 companies started studying to develop an eco-town in the devastated area of the Japan disaster.



This includes establishment of mega solar (huge solar generation plant), and using the power generated by the mega solar to start new businesses of hydroponic cultivation and food processing in the autumn of 2012. This will take place in the agricultural lands of the coastal area near Sendai City where it was severely hit by the tsunami.



The operating company will be established by the end of 2011. Thus, agriculture renewal and recovery from the disaster initiated by private sector is to start.



1. What is the background and positioning of the project?



On August 31 Sendai City announced the draft of the recovery plan from the Japan disaster, in which concept of creating an “eco-town (eco = ecology)” leveraging natural energy is stated. Energy shortage became a critical issue after the disaster; therefore, the project aims to develop a system that can supply minimum energy even in urgency. The new business will be a focus of the plan.



Sendai City’s Recovery Plan from the Japan Disaster (Outline of the Draft)

- Basic philosophy is “new dimensional town of disaster prevention and environment preservation”.

- Timing of the project is from 2011 to 2015.

- Anticipation of flooding from tsunami will be implemented by multiple protections of both software and hardware.

- Develop model of “eco town” implementing natural energy.

- Private sector will invest in agriculture. Production, processing and supply chain facilities will be integrated and arranged.

- Develop and attract industries related in new energy and disaster prevention.

- Adopt system of designated recovery zone to attract group relocation and land use restructuring.



2. Which companies are to join the project?



Companies that are to join the project include IBM Japan, Sharp, Kagome, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Itochu Corporation, Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc., Seven Eleven Japan (convenience store), York-Benimaru Co., Ltd. and local agricultural production related companies, which will be announced soon.



3. What are some examples of the focuses of the project?






1) Implementation of hydroponic cultivation that does not require water



Hydroponic cultivation that does not require water will be implemented leveraging know how provided by Kagome. This is to be implemented because it would require much investment to remove salt (included in the sea water) from the land that once was flooded by the tsunami and use the land again for agriculture.



The new company will establish a vegetable production factory with an area of 10 hectare (approximately twice as large as Toyo Dome, a large popular baseball stadium in Japan) and 1 hectare processing factory, to integrate and manage from vegetable production to processing.



2) Selling of the agricultural products



Approximately 2,000 tons of vegetables are to be produced then processed annually, which will be sold by retailers such as Seven Eleven and York-Benimaru Co., Ltd. Annual revenue of 2.5 billion yen is expected.



3) Enhance efficiency of electricity use generated by natural energy



Energy required to operate production and processing factories will be generated by mega solar capable of generating approximately 4,000 kW and thermal power generated by burning chaff in the boilers. System to enhance efficiency of energy use leveraging IT will be provided by IBM Japan.



4. How will Sendai City proceed?



Sendai City has set up a policy of making an application of designated recovery zone to the Japanese government because such application is required in constructing factories in the agricultural land.



Sendai City will conclude long term lease contract with agricultural land owners of the area and the revenue generated from the new business will be allocated as rent. The city is to start negotiating with agricultural land owners who is thinking of closing their business after the disaster.



5. The author’s final thoughts



So many people including the author have been advocating for months that the recovery from the Japan disaster should be taken as the opportunity of developing a new, advanced eco (ecological and economical) town resistant from natural and technological disasters.



To the author, the Nikkei’s report about the project is the long awaited first step in developing such a town.



What the author questions is the fact that the project is initiated by private sector and Sendai City, not by the Japanese government because the recovery from the disaster is a nationwide issue and therefore she feels it really should be initiated by the government. Following the election held on August 29, there was a change in the leadership; new Prime Minister and his cabinet just took off. She sincerely hopes the new Noda Administration will take stronger initiative for the recovery from the disaster and the Fukushima nuclear plant accident.





Resources:-

Sendai City and some 20 companies started studying to develop an eco-town in the devastated area of the Japan disaster. This includes establishment of mega solar (huge solar generation plant), and using the power generated by the mega solar to start new businesses of hydroponic cultivation and food processing in the autumn of 2012 in the agricultural lands of the coastal area near Sendai City where it was severely hit by the tsunami. This is a big step initiated by the private sector and Sendai City for the recovery, a nationwide issue, which is ideally to be initiated by the government.