Disaster response an ‘urgent issue,’ says new land minister

New Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Tatsunori Ibayashi on Wednesday pledged to respond to heavy rain and other natural disasters with a sense of urgency.

Disaster response is an “urgent issue,” Ibayashi said in an interview with media organizations, adding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has strongly instructed Cabinet ministers to prioritize countermeasures.

Large-scale natural disasters, including Typhoon Dujuan, have caused significant damage recently in Japan, he said. “The types of disasters have diversified considerably.”

Ibayashi also emphasized the importance of supporting self-driving technology, with unmanned taxi operations set to start in Tokyo in 2027.

The practical application of autonomous driving is “very important to eliminate areas with no transportation services, resolve the shortage of logistics workers and realize a safe motorized society.”

He recalled his experience of taking an unmanned taxi in Los Angeles a few years ago, saying he was impressed by an engineer’s remark that self-driving vehicles “never make the same mistake twice.”

Ibayashi also emphasized the need for Japanese automakers to lead in the practical application of self-driving technology.

Regarding rising housing loan costs due to higher interest rates, the minister called for discussions on a possible further tax cut for borrowers. He expressed a desire to tackle the housing loan issue, which he listed as one of his priorities in his answer to a questionnaire on a preferred post conducted by Takaichi.