Next-Generation Transportation System Makes Kashiwanoha Area a Smart City
Automated, high-frequency, round-the-clock passenger bus services, electric vehicles that can be fed with electricity wirelessly as they run, vehicle systems that can constantly inspect various infrastructures in real time just by running… The Kashiwa ITS Promotion Council began working in the Kashiwanoha area of Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, to make such future transport systems a reality. This is an initiative to use cutting-edge technology to solve the various problems of the current transport system, such as traffic congestion, accidents and air pollution.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Kashiwa City is conveniently located within 30 minutes from central Tokyo, and is a regional hub for many public research institutes, companies, residential areas, and commercial facilities.
On the other hand, the city faces various urban issues such as traffic congestion on trunk roads.
environmental load issues such as CO2 emissions, rapid aging of the population, and mobility issues in response to changes in the urban structure.
We established the Kashiwa ITS Promotion Council in 2010 to solve urban issues in the Kashiwa region by utilizing cutting-edge ITS technology, and we are promoting collaborative efforts among the public, private, and academic sectors.
In recent years, new concepts and services such as “CASE” and “MaaS” have become popular worldwide, and the state of transportation is undergoing a period of change. Various discussions and demonstrations are also underway in various parts of Japan. The Kashiwa ITS Promotion Council has taken the lead in these efforts, and has continued to work on various initiatives, including a long-term demonstration experiment for the social implementation of automated buses.
We hope that you will learn more about Kashiwa’s ITS efforts and we can contribute to the evolution of Japan’s transportation system and the resolution of its problems.
Kashiwa ITS Promotion Council Chairman
Takashi Oguchi