JAPIC Kansai Proposes “Osaka Circular Bay Area Vision” — Revitalizing the Region Through Natural Capital
November 18, 2025 – Government / Organizations
(Photo provided by JAPIC)
Proposal Includes Underground Logistics Artery
The Kansai Committee of the Japan Project-Industry Council (JAPIC), chaired by Masatsugu Yagabe, Executive Officer of Nippon Steel and General Manager of the Osaka Branch, has focused on the Osaka Bay coastal zone, which plays an important role as a hub for human and cargo flows. The committee compiled a proposal titled “A New Hub to Shine Again Through Natural Capital — Osaka Circular Bay Area Vision,” aiming to promote the development of the Kansai region through infrastructure development.
In the era of decarbonization, the proposal outlines six major projects, including the construction of an automated underground logistics artery beneath the coastal zone—an area where logistics warehouses and related facilities are concentrated. On the 14th, Chairman Yagabe and others visited the Kinki Regional Development Bureau to present the proposal to Director Hiroyuki Saito (photo provided by JAPIC).
The proposal focuses on the “Osaka Circular Bay Area,” which includes Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture. With its high potential as a main artery for human and cargo movement—and momentum rising due to the Osaka–Kansai Expo—the vision aims to establish the area as both a “hub for continuous innovation” and a “base for new lifestyles and industrial models in the carbon-neutral era.”
In the Osaka Circular Bay Area, existing functions will be strengthened while pursuing the “re-illumination” of the region through the effective use of natural capital. The proposal emphasizes three themes:
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Coexistence of economic activity and natural regeneration (Nature Positive)
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Nature-based comfort and well-being spaces
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Places where people and goods flow (Smart Infrastructure Network)
Six Thematic Proposals
The proposals under each theme include:
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Promotion of water transportation to expand waterside access and enhance waterfront facilities
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Promotion of GX (Green Transformation)
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Environmental restoration such as expanding seaweed beds and other nature-based ecosystems
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Enhancement of flexible, decentralized accommodation facilities
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Improvement of bay-area roadways for efficient, functional logistics arteries
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Construction of logistics arteries and networks suitable for the decarbonization era
Highlights of the Proposal
Water Transportation Revitalization
JAPIC proposes reviving water transport through the use of small EV ships (electric propulsion vessels) and hydrogen-powered vessels, as well as creating new routes—such as those including access to Awaji Island—that allow full enjoyment of the bay area.
GX Initiatives
The proposal aims to establish the Osaka Bay area as Western Japan’s hub for receiving, storing, supplying, and producing hydrogen and other decarbonized energy sources.
It also recommends developing strategic charging/energy-supply bases and takeoff/landing facilities to support future technologies such as flying cars and next-generation EV vessels.
Smart Infrastructure Network
To support decarbonization and labor-saving logistics, JAPIC proposes constructing an automated underground logistics artery (tunnel) connecting Kansai Airport to Kobe Airport along the Osaka Bay coast.
This would also integrate energy pipelines capable of transporting hydrogen and other fuels.
Connecting the underground logistics artery directly to seaport terminals would reduce truck traffic and environmental impact.
The proposal further calls for:
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Early completion of the Osaka Bay Road Western Extension
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Continued examination of the Kitan Strait Link Bridge connecting to Awaji Island
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Strengthening of the region’s road network as a whole
