JITTI USA is an independent research organization which studies various US-Japan and international transport and tourism issues, and disseminates the latest knowledge to the public.  Our scope covers all modes of transport, tourism, and common topics of interests to both the U.S. and Japan. 
 
Recent Topics Include:

 

Civil Aviation:  The trans-pacific aviation market between the U.S. and Asia is rapidly evolving.  As the economies of these regions grow, greater numbers of aircraft become capable of flying more passengers and/or longer distances.  International aviation policy and airport developments in Japan and other Asian countries have a great impact on both U.S. and Japanese aviation industries.  We will be hosting the International Civil Aviation Seminar in October 2019 to discuss the future vision and strategies of international civil aviation in the Asia Pacific region. In addition to holding events such as these, we also study trends on the aviation industry in the US, international civil aviation policies of the US government, and airport congestion and slot control.

Tourism:   Tourism has experienced continued growth to become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world.  In order to expand tourism and international exchanges, various policies are being implemented in both the U.S. and Japan, such as the creation of competitive and attractive tourism destinations, the promotion of destination marketing, and the advancement of the tourism industry. We co-hosted the “International Exchange and Tourism Seminar: The Future of the US-Japan Friendship” with JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization) in March 2019, and where we invited a team of tourism experts to discuss the current situation, issues in their field, and the measures which need to be taken to deepen international exchange and tourism between the US and Japan. Our studies of the subject include the recent development of tourism such as DMO (Destination Marketing / Management Organization) and IR(Integrated Resort) in the US. 

High Speed Rail:  Japan has a long record of operating safe and reliable high-speed rails (known as “Shinkansen”) and has started the construction of super-conductive magnetic levitation trains (MAGLEV).  In the U.S., high speed rail project plans are in place and are getting more attention. We hosted our High Speed Rail Seminar “The Future of High Speed Rail ~ U.S. and Japan~” in October 2018, and invited high speed rail experts to discuss the challenges of deploying high speed rail in the US and Japan, railway countermeasures against natural disasters, and connections between high speed rail and existing rail networks. As for our studies on this topic, we’ve also recently researched the recent development of high speed rail plans, trends on Intercity passenger rail in the US.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): As private development continues to sprout near transit and passenger rail facilities in both Japan and North America, transport and transit agencies and companies continue to seek ways to create value capture through transport and transit investments. We co-hosted the joint session “Revenue Opportunities from Value Capture” with APTA (American Public Transportation Association) in June 2019, and facilitated discussion from successful applicators of TOD on their experiences of transit-oriented development in Japan and North America, the methods to mitigate the risk of estate market volatility and how they offer affordable housing.  Our studies also include the examples and experiences of railway construction and transit-oriented development in North America.

Transport Infrastructure and Public Private Partnerships(PPP):  Both the U.S. and Japan have been facing issues with aging transport infrastructure.  Utilization of private funding to revitalize the infrastructure has been considered as one of the solutions to this important issue.  We study trends on airport development using PPP in the US.

Advanced New Technology and New Business Potentials:  Transport is entering its new paradigm as modern advanced technologies, such as the deployment of automated vehicles, development of artificial intelligence, and utilization of drones, are changing the norms of traditional transport.  We study trends on MOD (Mobility on Demand), the recent development and policies of drones in the US.