The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is in charge of railways, and “steel geeks” such as Seiji Maehara, a member of the House of Representatives, have once held the top position. The same goes for current House of Representatives member Tetsuo Saito.
Shigeru Ishiba, former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, held positions such as Minister of Defense and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, but what were his thoughts on the post of Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism? In the fourth and final interview with him, we asked him about the future of railways in the Tokyo metropolitan area and what he would have done if he became Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. (Interviewer/Composition: Hiroshi Kudo, J-CAST News Editorial Department)
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Shigeru Ishiba, former secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party.He once wanted to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“Do you want to make it even more convenient when the negative effects of over-concentration in the capital have become so clear?”
— I would like to ask you about the route situation in the metropolitan area. As a member of Keio University (a graduate of Keio University; Mr. Ishiba graduated from the Faculty of Law in 1979, and the reporter graduated from the Faculty of Policy Studies in 2002), I would like to ask you about this, but when the Tokyu Shin-Yokohama Line opened in March 2013, the Shonandai (Shonandai) A train that directly connects the nearest stations to the three campuses has also appeared: Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture), Hiyoshi (Kohoku Ward, Yokohama City), and Mita (Minato Ward, Tokyo). The problem is the extension of Shonandai to Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC, Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture). Have you ever been to SFC for a lecture?
Ishiba: There is.
— You have to take a bus from Shonandai for about 15 minutes.
Ishiba: That’s an amazing place.
— That’s right…! That is why there has been talk of extending the Sotetsu Izumino Line from Shonandai to SFC to Kurami (Samukawa Town, Kanagawa Prefecture) in a report (2016) of the Transport Policy Council, which includes the Sotetsu Izumino Line’s extension plan to 2030. This is said to be the target year. There are only 7 years left, do you think that is realistic? On December 7, 2023, construction work on the Haneda Airport Island portion of the Haneda Airport Access Line (tentative name) has just begun. While we can expect to capture inbound demand here, how much demand can we expect in Fujisawa City and Samukawa Town?
Ishiba: I think it’s difficult. I think it’s okay for trains to be a little more inconvenient. Although there are some inconveniences such as transfers, the biggest advantage of trains is punctuality. There’s something about being on time and just doing your best. It would be nice if things like connectivity became more convenient, but with the price of land rising again, I wonder if it’s worth the huge investment.
I don’t particularly believe that it’s okay if only rural areas become better, but when the negative effects of concentration in the capital become so clear, do we want to make things even more convenient? There is a point, isn’t there? As with the story of Maglev and JR Hokkaido, as the population continues to decline and the economy is not growing, we need to answer the question of how we as a nation should think about the concentration not only in Tokyo but also in the metropolitan area. I find it very strange that the metropolitan area is becoming more and more convenient when I have to go out.
“It’s not like I’m partial to trains.”
Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC, Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture). It is now 15 minutes by bus from Shonandai Station.Will the day ever come when the railway will be extended this far?
―― You have held many positions so far, including Minister of Defense, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Minister of Regional Revitalization, but if you had the opportunity to join the cabinet in the future, what kind of post would you like to hold? He always ranks high in opinion polls asking who is the best person to be the next prime minister, but what do you think of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, who is in charge of railways? I tend to think that people like Mr. Maehara, who I mentioned earlier, and the current Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Tetsuo Saito, have risen to the top as iron nerds. Putting aside the practical circumstances such as the fact that you are currently in a post with Komeito, how do you feel about it?
Ishiba: (A hobby of trains) is not something that the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism can do. But it’s not that I don’t particularly like cars. In the 1960s and 1950s, you could tell all the types of cars that were driving around.
— Do you have a car too?
Ishiba: Anyone can say things like Sunny or Corolla, but I have a lot of attachment to cars, and I still love driving cars, and I also love airplanes. It’s not that I’m partial to trains.
However, in order to have a discussion about what the future state of transportation should be for Japan, I would like to take on the position of Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which is also the position of the New Komeito Party, and it may be too late to do so. I wanted to. When I was Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (editor’s note: I served as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 2008 to 2009), I appeared in several interviews with railways. At that time, I wanted to serve as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
――If some natural disaster were to occur and the bowls were to turn now…
Ishiba: I think it means that we should have another proper discussion on something like the Basic Transportation Act. ). I would like to once again talk about the “first place” of each type of transportation, such as airplanes, ships, and automobiles.What kind of transportation system can make the most of these characteristics? , I thought. Now that I’m 66 years old, I still can’t help it.
Shigeru Ishiba Profile
Shigeru Ishiba Member of the House of Representatives. Born in 1957 in Tottori Prefecture. After graduating from Keio University’s Faculty of Law, he joined Mitsui Bank (currently Sumitomo Mitsui Bank). In 1986, he was first elected to the House of Representatives as the nation’s youngest lawmaker. He is currently in his 12th term. He served as Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party, Minister of Defense, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Minister of Regional Revitalization and National Strategic Special Zones in the Cabinet.
2024-01-07 01:00:00
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