What lessons can socioeconomic changes in Japan give to the transportation industry?

• Technological innovation may impact maintenance of the transportation infrastructure.
• Improvements in standard of living foster expectations of demand for tourism.
• In terms of traffic safety, strategic measures against accidents are expected.
• Countries that may witness similar experiences to Japan may learn important lessons.

Currently, Japan is confronting several major socioeconomic changes, which in turn are the primary causes behind transportation issues surfacing in Japan. These changes in socioeconomics can be identified in the four categories of declining birthrate in an aging population, globalization, technological innovation, and improvements in standard of living. In private and public transportation, technological innovation may impact maintenance of the transportation infrastructure by complicating user behavior. Further, improvements in the standard of living foster expectations of profit from demand for tourism even though these expectations are fraught with issues created by globalization. In terms of traffic safety, strategic measures against accidents are expected, with flags raised regarding changes in human behavior due to technological innovation, and suggestions to aim measures toward bicycle transportation through improved standards of living. By sufficiently investigating these socioeconomic factors that color Japan today and the transportation issues that they cause, other countries that may witness similar experiences may learn important lessons.