Social Background

   Recently, we can see decreasing working-age population and declining wage level of workers in Japan. These two factors have brought in shortage of Japanese workers. Business logistics industries have been a typical case of these situation. And then, weakening domestic business logistics system has brought about fragmentation of domestic linkages among local economies and further deindustrialization in Japan.

Objectives of activity

The direct purpose of this activity is to resolve  shortage of coastal sailors organizationally and institutionally and the then to set up self-reproduction system of the Japanese coastal shipping industry.

Overview of activity

Ocean Kyouiku Center has been established by many small and medium sized costal shipping companies for securing or recruiting and training coastal sailors in 2014. The center has secured about 400 new sailors. Additionally, the center plan to provide new coastal sailors with training programs of ready-to-use coastal sailors and to build skill improving programs for existing coastal sailors. Okayama University, faculty of Economics (Prof. Tsumori) was involved with establishing the center deeply and then faculty of Economics (Prof. Tsumori) has been offering advices based on research about coastal shipping industry including.

Expected effects

   The program will be able to obtain autonomy and sustainability of coastal shipping industry and to gain sustainability and recovery of industrial clusters in Japan.