Planning and mapping of subsurface space in Japan

The Subsurface Planning Working Group of the International Tunnelling Association organized a survey of planning anal mapping of subsurface space and issued a general report summarizing from various countries in 1999. The contents and volume of the contribution from Japan were significantly reduced for want of space when, it was included in the general report. For this reason, we present here the entire contents of the report from Japan for reference, though the volume was unfortunately reduced to half the original report, again for want of space. Japan is predominantly mountainous, and urban areas have developed mostly on alluvial planes at river mouths. Such topographical conditions have activated the development of subsurface spaces in Japan. Various attempts have been made to utilize subsurface spaces, e.g., road and railroad tunnels as part of traffic infrastructures, underground shopping centers, waterworks, sewerage, energy-related urban facilities, such as power-transmission lines, and large underground spaces for energy storage. This trend is expected to continue. The current state of such subsurface space utilization in. Japan is summarized here, as well as the legal procedures for such construction, development procedure and database related to underground facilities and geography. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.