Company to offtake from solar farm in Kudamatsu City Amazon has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to procure solar power in Japan Eneos Renewable Energy Corporation this month announced it has entered into a corporate PPA with Amazon to provide renewable energy from a 9.5MW solar power plant in Japan Eneos will start operations at Kudamatsu Fourth Mega Solar Power Plant currently under construction in Kudamatsu City It will supply an estimated 20,000MWh of solar energy annually Having invested in 20 solar projects in Japan Amazon is now the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in the country according to data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance Eneos Renewable Energy Corp is owned by Japanese oil company Eneos Holdings and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank The company has 1.2GW of installed capacity and another 101MW in development The company has previously signed a number of solar PPAs in Japan, including with Itochu and Mitsubishi the company has invested in four solar farms outside Tokyo totaling 91MW Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia The new facility is designed to enhance the production capacity of the company's etching systems by integrating digitalised and automated production lines the facility has been developed with a focus on employee well-being and sustainability incorporating renewable energy sources to achieve carbon neutrality The semiconductor market is expected to experience continued growth driven by the increasing demand for technologies such as generative AI and autonomous driving Hitachi High-Tech aims to address customer needs by reducing development timelines The new production facility offers Hitachi High-Tech 35,000 new square metres of space – essentially doubling the company's production capacity The Japanese government has certified a negative electrode developed by Toyo Kohan for a solid state battery ahead of mass production is part of the supply chain assurance scheme for batteries from the Ministry of Economy The current collectors are made at the company’s Kudamatsu Plant in Yamaguchi Prefecture which plans to make at least 3GWh of batteries a year in 2027 indicating a ramp up next year for mass production for electric vehicles built in Japan Toyo Kohan started out with a process for rolling iron films and copper-clad laminates for RF applications The electrode is an iron nickel alloy that is stable in the presence of hydrogen sulfide and the company has a patent for a solid state electrode co-filed with the world’s largest car maker The Japanese government recognizes solid state battery technology as a crucial resource and is working to expand the domestic battery industry’s supply chain and enhance its competitiveness METI has established guidelines for ensuring the stable supply of batteries and is strengthening the production infrastructure for batteries which have been specifically designated as important materials Companies that are part of the supply assurance plan for batteries of the Ministry of Economy and Industry can receive financial support through grants from the New Energy Development Organization (NEDO) research and development agency www.tskg-hd.com/en Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Feature Articles Categories Articles which designs and manufactures rolling stock such as Shinkansen trains (aka bullet trains) and commuter trains mainly parents and children from the surrounding area and railroad fans visited the plant to see the manufacturing site was established in 1921 and is a design and manufacturing plant for rolling stock to be used in both the Japanese and international markets Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors this was the first time in five years that Kasado Works held an open-house event A popular attraction at this year's event was the newly constructed Hitachi KASADO MUSEUM On display at the museum is a restored rolling stock of the 500 Series Shinkansen train that was manufactured at the plant and shipped from 1996 to 1998 and which achieved Japan's first commercial operation at a maximum speed of 300 kilometers per hour Visitors can enter the rolling stock and feel nostalgic for that time period with its distinctive purple seats and luggage storage next to the seats in which visitors can confirm that bolts fastened to the rolling stock are properly tightened by tapping the bolts with a hammer and listening for differences in sound and a corner where visitors can actually get on the aluminum material used for the exterior walls of the rolling stocks to experience the material's strength Visitors had fun taking pictures and touching the rolling stock on display the site where rolling stocks are manufactured was also open to the public during the event Many visitors were able to see rolling stocks in the process of being assembled such as a skeleton rolling stock with no seats attached and a rolling stock without a bogie—all something which the general public would normally not see Workers at the manufacturing site are now trying to use recycled materials and materials that are made without emissions of carbon dioxide for rolling stock The plant itself is also working toward becoming carbon neutral Division Manager of the Rolling Stock Manufacturing Division commented: “Our mission is to realize carbon neutrality through new technologies.” who visited Kasado Works for the first time said with his eyes lighting up: "I never thought I would be able to see a train this close It was fun to see the trains from a different perspective than when I am at the station." who was born and raised in Kudamatsu City where Kasado Works is located recalls his childhood memories of the plant: "The plant was surrounded by a wall so from the outside I couldn't see what was going on." About his thoughts on the opening of the plant to the general public he added: "Seeing the joy in the eyes of the children who visited the event at the plant and saw the manufacturing worksite and rolling stock made me realize the importance of opening our plants to the public the event provides an opportunity for children to become involved in the rail business in the future.” Kasado Works has supported people's mobility through the manufacture of rolling stock Iwasaki intends to regularly plan open-house events at the plant and to open Hitachi KASADO MUSEUM to local residents and customers He is determined to "pass on the history of manufacturing into the future.” 2025 – Hitachi High-Tech Corporation ("Hitachi High-Tech") announced that the new production facility for semiconductor manufacturing equipment (etch systems) which had been under construction since December 2023 in the Kasado area (Kudamatsu City was completed and started the operation on March 17 We aim to increase production capacity through digitalized and automated production lines in the new production facility a comfortable work environment has been created with employee well-being taken into account while achieving carbon neutrality through the use of renewable energy Semiconductor-related markets are expected to continue to grow and expand due to increasing demand for generative AI and autonomous driving in the future With the start of the new production facility's operation we will continue to create new value and solve customers' issues by shortening development periods Hitachi High-Tech will continue to pursue and create new value together with our customers in order to contribute to sustainable industrial development that supports cutting-edge manufacturing and digital society and to the realization of a sustainable society by solving social issues Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement but may be subject to change without prior notice Japan's bullet trains are a symbol of the country's high-tech prowess but it still often takes a craftsperson relying just on a pair of skilled hands and a hammer to give them their "face." employs around 30 artisans to shape the long sleek aerodynamic noses of shinkansen -- the most distinctive feature of their appearance the year before bullet trains debuted on the Tokaido Shinkansen line connecting Tokyo and Osaka the company has worked on trains from the first-generation "0 series" to the "E7 series" that now runs on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line in central Japan Utilizing a technique known as "3D sheet metal forming," individual craftsmen with hammers create three-dimensional shapes with subtly curved surfaces by stretching and shrinking the metal sheets The manufacturing method is ideal for small-volume custom products like the new models of shinkansen regularly rolled out a highly skilled craftsman at Yamashita Kogyosho has been involved in the production of approximately 350 bullet train noses since the company's inception Renowned for his ability to bend the metal sheets with the fewest number of hits among his colleagues Fujii was recognized as a contemporary master craftsperson by the Japanese government in 2010 -- an honor awarded to only 150 individuals each year Fujii continues to visit the company two or three times a week to pass on his knowledge and expertise to younger workers "I will never forget the feeling of accomplishment when I saw a train I had created running on its track," he tells them Some workers joined the company after they were inspired by the work of craftsmen such as Fujii While he incorporates the use of machines in the process his hammering skills are said to be the "closest to Mr have seen a rise in the number of shinkansen built completely mechanically such as the "N700" series that runs on the Tokaido Shinkansen line "We have no choice but to keep thinking about what can win against machines and improve our skills," Shiomi said FEATURE: Japan's shinkansen bullet trains gearing up for automatic driving To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox, subscribe here. Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription. Please check your inbox for a confirmation email. If you wish to change your message, press 'Cancel' to go back and edit. Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible. Support non-profit journalism and perspectives from around the world. See all those languages? The Lingua project at Global Voices works to bring down barriers to understanding through translation. In early January, devoted railfans in western Japan welcomed the country's newest bullet train (known in Japan as the shinkansen, or super express). As spectators lined up to catch a glimpse of the new N700S train cars as they left the factory others questioned the utility of the new West Kyushu shinkansen line itself 西九州新幹線「かもめ」です。背後の古ぼけた工場は、下松の日立製作所　笠戸工場です。 pic.twitter.com/t14uzCrDDm — Bb go home (@Bbgohome) January 3, 2022 Here's the new West Japan shinkansen (bullet train The weathered old buildings in the background make up the Hitachi Kudamatsu plant The N700S’s rolling stock (train cars) already travel on the Sanyo and Tokaido shinkansen lines that connect Fukuoka and Kyushu island in western Japan with Tokyo about 1,000 km to the east, at speeds of up to 300 km/h. The train will travel at 265 km/h on the new West Kyushu route The new train cars were manufactured by engineering giant Hitachi at its facility in Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi, on the western end of the island of Honshu, north-east of Kyushu. Hitachi's Kudamatsu plant is already a major destination for railfans partly because newly completed train cars are paraded through town from the factory on their way to the port — TNB📺️TV D101 ㊗️拠点移転二周年㊗️ 次回地方撮影日変更 (@tnb_tv_d101) January 6, 2022 Loading the West Kyushu shinkansen cars for sea transport at Kudamatsu manufactured at the Hitachi facility in Kudamatsu Linked article: Loading the West Kyushu shinkansen cars for sea transport at Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi with its “Kamome” (seagull) N700S rolling stock promises to link the western city of Nagasaki with the existing high-speed rail network on Kyushu when service begins in fall 2022 it takes nearly three hours to travel by conventional limited express train to relatively isolated Nagasaki from Fukuoka After the new train cars were loaded onto barges at Kudamatsu enthusiastic trainspotters continued to track their progress through the Inland Sea and on to the neighboring island of Kyushu 西九州新幹線「かもめ」が海を渡ってやってきたよ～。#海上輸送#西九州新幹線#かもめ pic.twitter.com/b6nvhvwL7r — JR九州長崎支社公式ハッケン君 (@NTKiJRnagasaki) January 12, 2022 #marine transport #West Kyushu shinkansen #kamome 針尾送信所を背に走る西九州新幹線かもめ号は胸アツでした☺️ pic.twitter.com/6bMrkr78q3 — たいちょー (@Cloudy_hermit) January 8, 2022 The ‘Kamome’ passing by the Hario radio transmission towers in Sasebo (quite near the final destination of rail cars The new West Kyushu shinkansen route, which will connect Nagasaki with Kyushu's existing high-speed rail network, is not without controversy. When the route comes on stream sometime in fall 2022, only 66 km of track will be in service, with just three stations, according to the Asahi Shimbun A journey on the new high-speed route will last just 25 minutes before passengers will need to transfer to slower limited express trains The new route has nevertheless been hailed as an economic revitalization tool for Nagasaki prefecture, which is experiencing the sharpest economic decline of all prefectures in Kyushu In front of JR Nagasaki Station in August 2019. The entire station complex has been demolished, and a new shinkansen station has since been built. Trams are part of the city's electric light rail network. Photo by Nevin Thompson. Image license: Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)  With traditional industries such as shipbuilding being phased out Nagasaki is pinning its hopes on increased tourism the new route potentially saves only 30 minutes in travel time while increasing the number of transfers to other trains and modes of transportation Map of new West Kyushu shinkansen route (red line) that provides service to Nagasaki so travelers will need to transfer one or two times to reach Fukuoka (green line) travelers can transfer from a super-express rail line from Fukuoka or even Tokyo to an existing limited express service that travels directly to the Nagasaki terminus travelers will need either make two transfers or travel on a longer limited express route as the West Kyushu shinkansen will replace the existing direct service to Nagasaki many Nagasaki residents were waiting to welcome the new train cars to Kyushu and posted their photos to Twitter and other social media platforms 西九州新幹線かもめ号が千綿駅を通過しました！ pic.twitter.com/PJtsriLYCW — たいちょー (@Cloudy_hermit) January 9, 2022 The (new) West Kyushu shinkansen ‘Kamome’ cars are passing through our neighborhood made the trip to Nagasaki from her home just outside of Tokyo to greet the new shinkansen cars ERROR: SECURITY TIMEOUT - Please copy your message to a backup location Global Voices stands out as one of the earliest and strongest examples of how media committed to building community and defending human rights can positively influence how people experience events happening beyond their own communities and national borders Please consider making a donation to help us continue this work Donate now Authors, please log in » Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Stay up to date about Global Voices and our mission. See our Privacy Policy for details. Newsletter powered by Mailchimp (Privacy Policy and Terms) Global Voices is supported by the efforts of our volunteer contributors, foundations, donors and mission-related services. For more information please read our Fundraising Ethics Policy Special thanks to our many sponsors and funders What do we know about the empirical support that links democracy and population health? The chart shows the cross-country correlation between an aggregate measure of health – life expectancy – and an aggregate measure of democracy, the Liberal Democracy Index. there is a general correlation: all countries with a high score on the Liberal Democracy Index have long life expectancies and all countries with relatively short life expectancies have low scores Does democratization actually cause improved health outcomes Controlled experiments are a popular way to establish causality If we could randomly pick some countries and make them more democratic and wait 30 years to evaluate the impact of democracy on health While such an experiment is obviously out of the question sometimes there are 'natural experiments' that enable us to learn about causal relationships following a similar logic The above-mentioned research from Thomas Fujiwara suggests that public service delivery was the key channel through which democracy affected health outcomes in Brazil So what do we know about the link between democracy and public service delivery more generally Several studies have found a link between democratic elections and spending on public goods.6 the conclusion is that (i) there is a strong raw cross-country correlation between population health outcomes and the strength of democratic institutions; (ii) there is evidence that these correlations also hold if you control for other variables but there are some studies that suggest conditional correlations are less robust; (iii) going beyond correlations there is good evidence suggesting the observed cross-country correlations are likely causal hence suggesting that democratization leads to better health; and (iv) the causal mechanism is likely driven by a mix of both higher expenditure on public services DemocracyHow has democracy spread across countries Are we moving towards a more democratic world Explore global data and research on democracy This article of ours describes the Varieties of Democracy data in detail the fact that the enfranchisement of the less educated affect policy is consistent with political economy theories of redistribution: Poorer Brazilians rely mostly on a public-funded system for health care services while richer voters are more likely to use private services; so the less educated have thus relatively stronger preferences for public health services and a shift in spending toward health care can be interpreted as redistribution to the poor The fact that public health spending increased reflects a shift where elected politicians try to get closer to the preferences of the newly enfranchised voters The full reference of the paper is: Fujiwara, T. (2015). Voting technology, political responsiveness, and infant health: Evidence from Brazil. Econometrica, 83, 423–464. Available online here Kudamatsu, M. (2012). Has democratization reduced infant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa? Evidence from micro data Journal of the European Economic Association - Martinez-Bravo, M., Padró i Miquel, G., & Qian, N. (2012). The effects of democratization on public goods and redistribution: evidence from China. Working Paper available here - Stasavage, D. (2005). Democracy and education spending in Africa The value of democracy: evidence from road building in Kenya For more information about how government effectiveness is measured, see http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/ge.pdf Our articles and data visualizations rely on work from many different people and organizations please also cite the underlying data sources Esteban Ortiz-Ospina (2019) - “Does democracy lead to better health?” Published online at OurWorldinData.org Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/democracy-health' [Online Resource]BibTeX citation All visualizations, data, and code produced by Our World in Data are completely open access under the Creative Commons BY license provided the source and authors are credited The data produced by third parties and made available by Our World in Data is subject to the license terms from the original third-party authors We will always indicate the original source of the data in our documentation so you should always check the license of any such third-party data before use and redistribution All of our charts can be embedded in any site Kamome's exterior is mainly white, while the bottom is red as a nod to JR Kyushu's corporate color. It was designed by Eiji Mitooka, an industrial designer who worked on the luxury sleeper train Seven Stars in Kyushu. Before the new Shinkansen line, which will run between Saga Prefecture's Takeo Onsen and Nagasaki stations, will go into operation, the railway company plans to build four Kamome trains, each of which will comprise six cars, and transfer them to a railroad depot in Nagasaki Prefecture. Govt waives permit requirement for rooftop solar panels under 20 kg/m²  BRN denies targeting civilians, calls for transparent investigation into Deep South violence  Cabinet delays 3rd phase of 10,000-baht handout pending input from govt agencies Thaksin case shifts politics, conservatives may rethink strategy Marketing Oops! Summit 2025 returns bigger than ever with new global & SME stages  By 2020-04-09T09:31:00+01:00 JAPAN: The latest design of prototype Series L0 maglev vehicles for the Chūō Shinkansen line has been unveiled by JR Central at Hitachi’s Kasado works in Kudamatsu with one end car and an intermediate car to be replaced by the latest versions for trials on the Yamanashi maglev test line in late May JR Central said the latest design offers 13% less air resistance than the previous prototype which would significantly reduce noise and power consumption The older prototype uses gas turbine generators to power the interior lighting and air-conditioning while the newer design uses a wireless connection to the ground supply JR Central hopes to begin commercial maglev services between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027 with the Nagoya – Osaka section planned for completion by 2037 CHINA: A maglev line has opened to provide a scenic connection to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative Listed Fenghuang Ancient Town The maglev runs for 9·1 km between the old town and Fenghuang station on the Zhangjiajie – Jishou .. JAPAN: Construction of the first of two maglev vehicle maintenance facilities for the Chuo Shinkansen began on October 14 at Nakatsugawa City in Gifu prefecture ITALY: The technical and economic feasibility of operating 550 km/h magnetic levitation vehicles on existing railway alignments in addition to conventional trains is to be studied by infrastucture manager RFI and Polish-Swiss maglev and hyperloop technology company Nevomo The organisations have signed a one-year memorandum of .. Site powered by Webvision Cloud Yamaguchi prefecture: The Japanese company plans to use eco-friendly aluminum to make such products as train cars.  TOKYO -- Hitachi will by next March make all its aluminum products manufactured in Japan from "green aluminum" produced through less carbon-intensive processes than conventional methods The Japanese industrial giant uses about 10,000 tons of aluminum domestically to make everything from refrigerators and washing machines to railroad cars Cutting emissions from aluminum production is a key step to the company reaching its goal of net-zero carbon emissions across its entire supply chain by 2050 Manufacturing Today India Home > Electronics & Semiconductors > Hitachi High-Tech opens new semiconductor manufacturing facility Hitachi High-Tech expands semiconductor manufacturing with new high-tech facility Hitachi High-Tech Corporation has completed its new semiconductor manufacturing equipment facility in the Kasado area of Kudamatsu City The facility focuses on producing etch systems which are essential for semiconductor fabrication By integrating digitalised and automated production lines Hitachi High-Tech aims to increase production capacity addressing the growing demand in semiconductor markets driven by advancements in generative AI and autonomous driving technologies the new facility is designed to achieve carbon neutrality using renewable energy sources including the adoption of solar power and power monitoring systems have been implemented to reduce energy consumption the work environment has been designed with a focus on employee well-being Hitachi High-Tech is set to create value and address customer challenges by shortening development periods The company remains committed to supporting sustainable industrial development and the evolving digital society Top Page > Press Release 2022 > MOL to Participate in 'J Blue Credit' Carbon Offset for Supporting Restoration and Conservation of Seagrass Meadow - Offsetting CO2 Emissions from Repositioning World's 1st EV Tanker - (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) today announced that it will participate in the carbon offset (Note 1) by using "J Blue Credit" (Note 2) issued by Japan Blue Economy Association (JBE) (Note 4) an association approved by Ministry of Land The "J Blue Credit" targets blue carbon which is carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbed by marine and coastal ecosystems such as seagrass meadow and is attracting attention as a new credit aimed at accelerating steps to mitigate climate change The project began on a trial basis in fiscal year 2020 credits were issued through restoration activities of seagrass meadow and tidal flats in Yokohama City at the Port of Tokuyama Kudamatsu in Shunan City a ceremony for issuance of certificates was held for sellers and purchasers MOL will contribute to enhancing the implementation and sustainability of initiatives to restore and protect seagrass meadow in each area through purchase of credits for about 11 tons among the total about 65 tons of credits issued Blue carbon ecosystems such as seagrass meadow not only fix and absorb carbon but also provide diverse benefits including food supply [Details of J Blue Credit Project and Credit] * CO2e stands for CO2 (carbon dioxide) equivalents MOL-purchased credits are planned to offset CO2 emitted from world's first zero emission electric tanker "Asahi" (Note 5) which is newly built by its group Asahi Tanker Co. Tokyo) and is slated to be delivered at the end of this month will be repositioned from the shipyard in Marugame City Kagawa Prefecture to Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture where the power supply facility is located the vessel will contribute to CO2 reduction of about 280 tons 60% (Estimated values) annually compared to conventional vessels by using renewable energy-derived electricity MOL strives to expand its use of electric propulsion (EV) vessels in coastal shipping in cooperation with Asahi Tanker The MOL Group engages in creation of negative emissions (Note 6) including blue carbon with the aim of achieving net zero emissions targeting all of scope 1 as stated in the "MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1" (Note 7) established in June 2021 it will ensure a prosperous future from the blue ocean by contributing to the sustainable growth of people for all life living in the next generation on Friday unveiled to the media the ALFA-X the test bed of the next-generation "shinkansen" bullet train which sports a sleek 22-meter nose on the No is expected to run at a speed of 360 kilometers per hour During the test phase JR East hopes to push the train to speeds of 400 kph the silver train is being jointly manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd (cars 7-10) and its completion is expected in May which was unveiled to the media last December JR East will analyze pressure and sound differences between the two noses when the train enters tunnels The longer nose means a reduction in pressure and noise because that will mean fewer passenger seats will look at ways to make the most suitable design head of the frontier railway system development center of JR East "The extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line will begin but our aim is comfort and convenience and will we will continue developments with that objective." To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible Search Global Hitachi GroupProducts & Services Hitachi GroupCorporate Information A carbon-neutral factory that will double production capacity for etching systems Semiconductor-related markets are expected to continue to grow and expand as society becomes increasingly digital through practical applications of AI and IoT and technical innovations such as 5G communications and automated driving The new production facility will double Hitachi High-Tech's current production capacity by promoting digitalized and automated production lines including the introduction of manufacturing verification in a virtual space in order to improve production efficiency and accelerate mass production in response to demand fluctuations In addition to achieving carbon neutrality through the use of renewable energy we will further reduce power consumption through energy-saving initiatives such as proactive adoption of solar power and power monitoring systems The construction of the new production facility in Kasado Area will enable Hitachi High-Tech to provide solutions by integrating products with digital technology through co-creation with customers successful in cutting-edge businesses while working to improve QoL (Quality of Life) for people Hitachi High-Tech has formulated its "Sustainability 2030" declaration in order to create societal issue-driven value and is working to realize its 2024 Mid-Term Management Plan which was formulated by using backcasting from our Stated Aims for 2030 We will continue to strengthen our ability to flexibly respond to changes and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society by solving social issues utilizing our core Observation Japanese version Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Foreseeing no market growth in Japan's future due to the falling birthrate and the aging population is hitching a ride aboard its rail business operations overseas with the annual sales figures likely soon to top the 1 trillion yen ($6.23 billion) mark The Japanese electronics giant has expanded the scale of its rail business through a succession of corporate acquisitions in Europe The company has been particularly eager to expand into Britain The company's overseas operations now account for 80 to 90 percent of Hitachi’s overall sales from the segment which support the operation of train services are likely to surpass those from the manufacturing of rolling stock the previous mainstay of Hitachi’s rail business a Britain-based subsidiary of the conglomerate on May 31 completed the acquisition of the signaling and other related businesses from Thales SA a French defense and electronic equipment giant which include operations related to traffic control systems and to control devices for rolling stock will serve as a foothold for Hitachi’s new venture into France Adding the operations acquired from Thales which are worth 200 billion to 300 billion yen a year will allow Hitachi’s annual proceeds from the rail business to exceed 1 trillion yen for the first time in fiscal 2024 The buyout has also added a workforce of 9,000 many of them with expertise in digital technologies thereby helping to expand the overall coverage of Hitachi’s operations has famously produced a number of train car products for Shinkansen and limited express train services Hitachi’s Kasado Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture where rolling stock is manufactured for both Japanese and overseas clients has totally changed in style during the last 10 years or so Hitachi now deals in so extensive a range of rail-related operations that it no longer has to rely on manufacturing rolling stock alone Hitachi won orders in Britain for large-scale projects that combined rolling stock manufacturing and maintenance checkups for high-speed rail services which involve long-term business commitments serve as a stable revenue base that is seldom affected by how many orders are received for rolling stock manufacturing Hitachi’s annual sales from the rail business totaled less than 200 billion yen with overseas operations accounting for only about 40 percent of that amount The buyout expanded Hitachi’s market coverage at a stretch because another group company based in Italy had one of the biggest signaling manufacturers in the United States and a French manufacturer of high-speed rail systems whose coverage includes automatic train stops and driver advisory systems tends to produce higher profit ratios than rolling stock manufacturing The larger the proportion that signaling accounts for in the rail business as a whole now account for 70 percent of Hitachi’s rail business in the value of orders received And that trend is also in line with Hitachi’s group-wide focus on data management businesses Hitachi officials are hoping to draw on the company’s data management expertise to improve rail maintenance efficiency and to implement “mobility as a service (MaaS),” a concept that refers to using information technology to combine different means of transportation The MaaS measures currently being considered include a system for unified settlement of transportation fees across an entire city the world’s leading rail manufacturer is China’s CRRC Corp. which has an overwhelming hold on domestic projects in the country which has acquired the rail business of Canada’s Bombardier Inc. and Germany’s Siemens AG comes in third place Alstom and Bombardier were previously called the world’s “big three” rail manufacturers Hitachi has been in the group of second-tier rail manufacturers lagging far behind the three industry leaders Hitachi has long competed against rivals Alstom and Siemens in Europe gives Hitachi an opportunity to break free from the lump of second-tier players and close the gap behind Siemens Hitachi announced plans for the acquisition in 2021 but European Union authorities intervened by citing competition concerns Hitachi addressed those concerns by selling off some of its own business arms caused completion of the acquisition process to be delayed from the initial schedule a senior vice president of Hitachi and CEO of the conglomerate’s Railway Systems Business Unit spoke to reporters during an interview session on June 19 Marino said that the buyout of Thales’ signaling and other related businesses has doubled Hitachi’s engineering capabilities from the pre-acquisition levels He added the buyout will also bring about synergy effects worth about 10 billion yen (on a profit basis) in the years to come He now doubles as Hitachi Rail’s group CEO Hitachi’s rail business now has 11 manufacturing bases both in Japan and abroad and a total workforce of 24,000 or so in more than 50 countries and regions Marino said that Hitachi has been working to introduce digital technologies and generative artificial intelligence systems into its rail business plants Preparations are under way to set up a new plant in the U.S Marino said the plant will open early next year and will showcase Hitachi’s capabilities and digital technologies even though operations overseas now account for the majority of Hitachi’s rail business Japanese technologies lie at its starting point and the company will continue to draw on them effectively The remark was a veiled reference to a train pack product of a new type that entered into service in Italy last year Trains of the product line can switch between the three power sources of electricity Marino said he believes that Japan has railroad technologies that are among the best in the world and also has a powerful ecosystem of technologies that support development work that Hitachi also has a pool of technologies and experiences that have been developed by various companies it has acquired He said Hitachi will draw on the best of those experiences to focus on designs and engineering for next-generation products that the company will be able to offer worldwide JSR buyout plan carries risk as analysts cite failures in past Skyline train is full steam ahead in Honolulu beginning July 1 Toshiba win contract for Taiwan’s new high-speed train Electronics giants lose way in auto market due to R&D costs Bain Capital not planning to sell stake in Japanese chip maker Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Public Relations Office, Government of Japan Home > Highlighting JAPAN >Highlighting Japan December 2013>Japan's technological achievements No article or any part there of may be reproduced without the express permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries should be made through this form About us | Advertise with us | Contact us Posted: 7 January 2015 | | No comments yet Hitachi has announced that it has begun shipment of the first completed pre-series Class 800 train unveiled in November 2014… A Class 800 train is being loaded for shipment Hitachi has announced today that it has begun shipment of the first completed pre-series Class 800 train unveiled in November 2014 The train has been produced for the UK Department for Transport’s (DfT) Intercity Express Programme (IEP) and following its recent completion is now being shipped from Kasado Works in Kudamatsu City  This project is being undertaken based on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme led by the DfT Financial support is being provided by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI)   The train being shipped will arrive in the UK in March 2015 after which it will be equipped with various measurement devices for testing This train is scheduled to begin running tests as well as serving for training of on-board staff The running tests are to be carried out on the UK rail network by Hitachi Rail Europe the special-purpose company that will own the trains and who will provide the trains for the operating companies First Great Western and Inter City Railways   The train shipped today will arrive at Kobe Port on 22 January 2015 and will be bound for the UK after being loaded on a large ship   Hitachi is currently in the process of building a Rail Vehicle Manufacturing Facility at Hitachi Rail Europe in Newton Aycliffe which represents an investment of approximately £82 million and production of Class 800 series trains is scheduled to begin in 2016 The hiring of employees for the train plant has already begun and a total of approximately 730 staff members are eventually expected to be hired including research and development facilities staff said: “After unveiling this train in November 2014 I am immensely proud that we today see the first shipment leave our factory in Kasado Our engineering teams in the UK and Japan have been working exceptionally hard with all stakeholders to ensure that this train will be ready for testing in the UK from April 2015 onward.” , No comments yet All subscriptions include online membership giving you access to the journal and exclusive content Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "acf0bb8738ff56d4f64389b8371fd884" );document.getElementById("j0f0bb4fb4").setAttribute( "id" Write for us | Advertise with us Global Railway Review is published by: Russell Publishing Ltd.Court LodgeHogtrough HillBrasted © Russell Publishing Limited Website development by e-Motive Media Limited Japanese version reporting from Hitachi's Kasado Works in Kudamatsu City