Japan Innovates to Combat Infrastructure Crisis with New Technologies

Japan is confronting a significant infrastructure crisis that threatens daily life in its cities. Aging pipes and deteriorating bridges are at the heart of this issue, as the country grapples with the consequences of decades of neglect. This week’s focus reveals the innovative efforts of engineers and builders who are tackling these challenges head-on, employing advanced technologies and creative solutions.

In January 2023, a tragic incident in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, highlighted the urgent need for reform. A damaged foul water pipe caused a major road collapse, resulting in the death of a lorry driver when his vehicle fell into a sinkhole. Approximately 200 households were evacuated, and around 1.2 million residents were advised to avoid using drains. Local taxi driver recalls, “I had no idea the sewer pipe was 10 metres below,” reflecting the shock felt by the community.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, approximately 40,000 kilometers of sewer pipes in Japan have surpassed their 50-year lifespan, enough to circle the Earth. On average, road cave-ins due to sewer damage occur about 2,600 times annually. Projections indicate that by 2043, over 40 percent of all sewer pipes will have exceeded their intended lifespan, a significant increase from 7.4 percent in 2023. Inspection teams struggle to keep pace with the growing demands, facing budget constraints and a shortage of skilled workers.

In response to this crisis, technology has become a critical ally. Kosuke Nohira, a 37-year-old engineer from Liberaware, has been working with IBIS, one of the world’s smallest inspection drones. This innovative drone is designed for navigating “dark, narrow and dirty spaces,” and can convert camera footage into 3D data to detect cracks in hard-to-reach areas. In Yashio’s foul water pipes, which are hazardous for human inspection, IBIS managed to locate the driver’s seat of the submerged vehicle.

Despite its capabilities, IBIS faced a significant challenge: it lacked a GPS location tracking function due to the underground environment blocking signals. Nohira expressed the frustration felt by his team, stating, “From our side, as the creators, we came back thinking we had done something amazing. But not knowing the exact location left us with deep frustration.” This setback delayed rescue efforts, prompting Nohira and his team to develop a miniature distance measuring device. By May 2023, they created a 30-gram prototype that could accurately calculate IBIS’s position underground to within three meters. Local officials in Chiba City recognized the potential impact of this technology, with Masayoshi Ono from the sewage maintenance division remarking, “The cost and time required are completely different.”

The drone has also been employed in other critical situations, such as assessing damage in collapsed buildings following the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake and inspecting the reactor containment vessel at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. This technology has provided invaluable insights, capturing unprecedented footage directly beneath the pressure vessel.

As Japan addresses its underground infrastructure, the situation above ground is equally pressing. The nation has over 56,000 bridges that require repairs, yet work has not commenced on more than half of them. In Ube City, Takashi Yamamoto, president of MBS, is pioneering a new approach to bridge maintenance known as the “Skeleton Method.” This technique involves coating repaired areas with transparent glass fiber sheets rather than concealing them with paint. This innovative strategy allows cracks to reappear as cloudy white marks, indicating the need for further repairs.

Initially met with skepticism due to its unconventional appearance, the Skeleton Method has proven effective and efficient. It reduces repair times by two-thirds and costs by 30 to 40 percent. This method has been successfully implemented on the Second Keihan Road bridge for 15 years without any incidents of concrete falling off.

The demand for such innovative methods surged following the tragic collapse of the Sasago Tunnel in 2012, which resulted in nine fatalities. Yamamoto’s method not only improves the safety of the bridges but also facilitates future inspections, allowing engineers to identify repaired areas at a glance. For the Himi Yume Bridge in Nagasaki, Yamamoto adapted his technique to create a semi-transparent finish that blends seamlessly with its scenic surroundings. Takayuki Umebayashi from Mitsui Sumitomo Construction, which built the bridge, remarked, “Once we used this version, it became the standard. I haven’t seen anything better.”

Yamamoto’s innovations also include embedding QR codes beneath the coating, allowing future crews to access repair histories easily. “Even if decades pass, the repair information can still be passed on,” he explains. “Ultimately, it’s about protecting lives.”

This week’s episode demonstrates that Japan’s battle against infrastructure decay is not merely about deploying advanced technologies; it also involves shifting mindsets about maintenance and safety practices. For Yamamoto, the mission is deeply personal, embodying a commitment to comprehensive solutions rather than incremental improvements. He expresses his ambition succinctly: “I want to fix it all.”

Looking ahead, plans are underway to relocate the Nihonbashi expressway underground by 2040, which aims to restore blue skies to this historic landmark. The hope is that Japan will not only address its infrastructure challenges but also rebuild public confidence in the safety of the essential systems that underpin daily life.