Chairman of the Board
Akira Nagao
In December 1957, just a year after the establishment of Japan Highway Public Corporation, the Expressway Research Foundation of Japan was founded in cooperation with industrial, government, and academic organizations for the purpose of research pertaining to expressways, including economics, engineering, traffic control, transportation, automobiles, and other related industries.
Facing with various changes in circumstances of expressways including the privatization of Japan Highway Public Corporation, the foundation has carried on this founding mission. We have worked to fulfill our role as an independent research institute supporting expressways industry. The basic principle governing our present activities is "to contribute to the sustainable development of society by enhancing the value and benefits of the expressways." We extend our deepest gratitude for all support and cooperation we have received for these years.
Nowadays, Japan is undergoing unprecedented transformations to address social structural changes, such as the decline in the working-age population due to low birthrate and longevity, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In addition, work style reforms are being promoted to adapt to the post-COVID-19 society.
Under such tides, expressways are suitably required to respond to various challenges such as the adoption of autonomous vehicles, increasing inbound tourism, the aging of drivers, and the so-called 2024 logistic issue, and to provide appropriate expressway functions and a variety of rest area services.
Expressways are no longer just spaces for vehicles to transport people and goods than indispensable infrastructure for national and economic development, transporting information and culture fast, effectively and fluently.
To sustain and develop these functions, expressways should be safer and more resilient to the severe natural disasters that are expected to occur in the future and to the aging of the structures.
We have recently created the mid-term business plan for 2024 to 2028. Moving forward, we will continue to actively pursue our activities, while developing human resources, to achieve fulfilling results in addressing expressway-related challenges.
We humbly ask for your continued unwavering encouragement and support.