gui jun peng / Shutterstock
- Japan has long been an innovator of striking infrastructure projects.
- Today, Japan is involved in several projects around the world that could influence infrastructure for years to come.
- Here are eight Japanese infrastructure projects that could reshape the world.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Japan has a long history of striking infrastructure projects.
From the Horyu-ji temple, one of the world’s oldest-standing wooden buildings, to the Shinkansen, the first high-speed rail line, Japanese infrastructure development has wielded an outsize influence on international design for a country about half the size of Texas.
And Japan has several projects in the works that are pushing the infrastructural envelope in places like Kenya, India, and even the United States.
Here are a few of the international infrastructure projects Japan is involved in that could change the shape of the world in years to come:
Olkaria Geothermal Power Station, Kenya: $94 million
Michael Gottschalk/Photothek via Getty Images
China has been building much-needed infrastructure in Africa for years, specifically targeting natural resources like petroleum and other commodities, as the demand for natural resources in China increased with their economic growth.
Japan has followed suit by investing in African infrastructure projects that initially targeted primary education, health, and medical services, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affair in Japan. More recently, after observing the economic and political "strategic gains" China has made through infrastructure investments in natural resources, Japan shifted its focus to commodities like the Olkaria Geothermal Power Station plant in Kenya.
Chennai Metro Rail Limited, India: $9.8 million
REUTERS/Ajay Verma
Recognizing the economic potential in the emerging Indian market, Japan has also partnered with this India to become involved in projects like the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy, an initiative that seeks to increase connectivity between the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Additionally, Japan brings both money and technology to the table for the Chennai Metro Rail project, with the Japan International Cooperation Agency offering a "low rate of interest on the loan," according to The Hindu.
Shinkansen High Speed Rail, Singapore and Malaysia: $17 to $20 billion
gui jun peng / Shutterstock
The Shinkansen, the bullet train that connects Tokyo to other cities in central Japan, first opened in 1964. Though this iconic system remains the gold standard for high-speed rail travel, it’s only in recent years that Japan has been successful in exporting it to other countries.
The Shinkansen connection between Malaysia and Singapore, which according to The Strait Times is projected to be completed in 2026, will reduce travel time to 90 minutes, much faster than other trains that take 5 hours on average. Japan will provide some of the funding as well as the technology, The Straits Times reported.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Laura McCamy)