This paper considers the causes of the serious understaffing problem within the Japanese truckdriving industry from the viewpoint of the worker. Since the easing of regulations in the 1990s, the number of truck companies has increased, producing excessive competition. The result of this has been a drop in fares, as well as in the standard wage within the industry. Working hours are considerably longer than in other industries, and the incidence rate of workplace accidents comparatively high. The low wage standard means that it is common for drivers to attempt to obtain an average income by working overtime, and thus the low wages and long working hours are interconnected. This working environment has led to the serious understaffing problems the industry currently faces. From 2013 on, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MITI) has been making concrete attempts to improve this situation. This paper discusses the strategies MITI uses to encourage a more ‘decent’ fare and deal with affairs affecting the consigners.

With an increasing demand for online shopping and a shortage of drivers, the home delivery crisis has become an important social issue. Parcel delivery companies have tried to increase the number of drivers, funded by raising fares, and e-commerce companies are developing their own delivery systems by hiring delivery providers. However, it is difficult to avoid the home delivery crisis in the long run by securing a large workforce because of the labor shortage. Thus, logistics innovation is needed. In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, PI (Physical Internet) is expected to become an important infrastructure network. From the PI point of view, e-commerce logistics has innovative features, such as the realization of individual item management, distribution center automation, de facto PI containers, transit transportation, and last mile sharing and automation. The challenges of e-commerce logistics innovation include the automation of the last mile, conditions for introducing sharing, and collaboration at the level of all industries.

Drone deliveries and the labor-saving technology behind them are expected to solve logistics problems, especially in depopulated or remote areas. On the other hand, there are still safety and security issues regarding the promotion of drone utilization and social implementation. There are also some barriers to commercializing drone delivery services. However, changing societal structures can be seen as a chance to unlock new market opportunities. From 2015, various initiatives have been carried out all over Japan to develop technology and improve the overall environment for the safe utilization of drones. This article provides an overview of advanced Level 3 BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) cases and other logistics uses, a concise description of immediate potential for drone delivery, and related legal perspectives.

In ASEAN countries, the strong need to build a cold chain is backed by the consumers' willingness to buy fresh and safe food and by the globalization of the food supply chain. By definition, the cold chain should be managed carefully in terms of temperature control. The temperature of cold stores or containers used in logistics operations is expected to be monitored and recorded. Unfortunately, however, not all entities involved in the logistics keep the same service level throughout the cold chain in the region. This paper introduces international standardization projects led by Japan on both BtoB and BtoC cold chain logistics services; “ASEAN-Japan Guidelines on Cold Chain Logistics” and “ISO Refrigerated Parcel Delivery Services.” We conclude that the standardization and its diffusion would improve the service level of cold chain logistics in ASEAN countries, which in turn would create new business opportunities, bringing benefits to the stakeholders along the supply chain and logistics service providers as well.

This article focuses on the current development of the global logistics network and its impact on the logistics industry in Japan. In particular, the paper summarizes the expansion of the Panama Canal (PC) in June 2016, the ‘revival’ of the usage of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) from 2010, and the implementation of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since 2013. The expansion of the PC brought on the enlargement of vessels which transit the PC, resulting in the enlargement of vessels which call at Japanese ports directly and indirectly (throughout the cascade effect), and allowed transit for LNG vessels. From the long-term perspective, the usage of the NSR will expand in the future as the ice in the Arctic Sea melts, but from the short-term view, usage depends on the progress of natural resource development in the Arctic region. China's BRI policy can be understood in the context of the developmental history of the Chinese economy and trans-Eurasian land transport, as it alleviates logistics handicaps found in the inland area of China and provides alternative routes to access the sea which can avoid chokepoints within Southeast Asia.

At the Tokyo 2020 Games, which will be held in July this year, many players and spectators will gather, lots of equipment and supplies will be transported. Transportation Demand Management (TDM) will be essential for reducing traffic and transport that is unrelated to the Games as much as possible. To realize TDM, shippers (manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, etc.) and logistics companies are expected to cooperate in the operations of the Games through efforts to reduce overall logistics demand. In addition, general citizens are expected to behave in a manner that refrains from unnecessary and urgent logistics.

This paper clarifies the concept and method of logistics TDM, which is considered to be a prominent measure for transportation during the event from a logistics perspective. It shows the effect of the Tokyo 2020 Games on logistics.