[JP] Shizuoka Prefecture Appoints MLIT Bureaucrat to Oversee Maglev Project

[Miss Maglev]

静岡県がリニア担当の幹部職員に国土交通省官僚を初起用
Shizuoka Prefecture Appoints Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Bureaucrat to Oversee Maglev Project for the First Time

Shizuoka Prefecture has announced a new personnel appointment involving the Linear Chuo Shinkansen (Maglev) project, which is currently under negotiation with JR Central. For the first time, a national-level bureaucrat from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) will be assigned to a senior prefectural role to oversee the issue. The official will act as a coordinator among related parties.

On July 7, the prefecture announced that, as of July 15, it will appoint three national bureaucrats from the MLIT and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to senior roles within the prefectural government.

Among them, Tomonori Murata (36)—Assistant Director of the Passenger Transport Division in MLIT’s Logistics and Automobile Bureau—will be assigned to the Department of Living and Environment, where he will be responsible for Maglev-related matters. This is the first time that a national government official has been appointed specifically to oversee the Maglev issue in Shizuoka.

According to the prefecture, Murata will be in charge of coordinating with key stakeholders, including the national government, JR Central, and local municipalities along the project’s route.

The other two appointees will focus on disaster-resilient infrastructure development and population decline measures. Shizuoka’s personnel division stated, “These appointments reflect our intent to respond effectively to increasingly complex issues, working in close cooperation with the national government and maintaining a broad perspective.”

Source: NHK https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/shizuoka/2 ... 28559.html Accessed July 8, 12:17 PM