AIF2011 Urgent Proposal on Japan's National Revival Plan
"Creating a Project that Will Impress the World:
Japan's Revival under the Unified Efforts of East Japan"

On September 20~21, 2011, Quantum Leaps Corporation hosted the Asia Innovation Forum under the theme, "Japan at the Brink: Choices for the Next Generation."  New businesses were proposed with the aim to enhance Japan's competitiveness and contribute to disaster recovery.

Attracting Overseas Investments through Dynamic Projects

To realize disaster recovery and reconstruction, and to enhance Japan's competitiveness in the 21st century, two initiatives are necessary: one that involves a "unified East Japan" including Tokyo, and another that "bridges Japan and Asia" and brings in foreign economic resources.

xFor example, Tokyo can work with disaster-striken areas and make a bid for the "East Japan Olympics."  This will have positive economic impact as well as help restore Japan's brand image as a safe country.  In addition, using Japanese technology as a springboard, Tokyo can build the world's leading smart eco-city in the Tokyo bay area, a world renown resort and casino complex and other appealing projects to attract investments from Asia and other overseas countries, which will contribute to disaster recovery efforts and Japan's economic revival.

This collaboration between Tokyo and Tohoku could also promote further cooperation between local governments, and become a model case for decentralization that capitalizes on the strengths of each local resource.

At Asia Innovation Forum, we propose two business plans and a way to lay the groundwork to achieve the above.

Plan 1：Developing the World's Most Advanced City in the Tokyo Bay Area: Tokyo Bay Active E４City Plan

Our plan calls for the development of the Tokyo Bay area into the world's most advanced smart city. It will use cutting-edge IT technologies and involve a number of promising projects, including the construction of new entertainment facilities, F1-style electric car racing, and an industry-academic open innovation center, which will be linked with satellite facilities in three Tohoku prefectures. Rules will be put in place that specify that at least 50% of casino and resort profits must be used toward recovery efforts in the Tohoku region for 10 years.
＊E４: Energy, Entertainment, Education, Entrepreneur

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To develop the Tokyo Bay area into the world's most advanced smart city / eco-city with cutting-edge IT technologies, "Active E４ City," we will launch a number of promising projects to attract foreign investment.

The plan has four pillars, described below, with the aim to increase the number of overseas tourists, create new jobs and spur the development of industry.

By directing profits from the Tokyo Bay development toward rebuilding the Tohoku region, East Japan will act as one in disaster recovery efforts.  Methods and systems developed here will be applied nationwide to other regional development efforts.  In addition, over the years, using expertise accumulated through building the world's most advanced smart city, we will strive to export related know how in systems development.

●New energy plan (Energy)

In addition to Tokyo Metropolitan's plans to build a natural gas power generation plant, we will strive for greater self sufficiency in electrical power distribution by using off-grid power generation and natural energy sources, such as wind power, solar power, hydro power and methane gas from garbage incinerators.
Modes of transportation within the development region will be eco buses, eco ports, electric cars and other ecological transportation means.

●Active entertainment (Entertainment)

In addition to existing facilities in the Tokyo Bay area, international entertainment content, such as Formula One eco-car races and casinos, will be used to attract a greater number of overseas tourists and make the bay area an enjoyable area for adults and children alike.  Rules will be put in place that specify that at least 50% of casino profits must be used toward recovery efforts in the Tohoku region for 10 years.

●Education and new human resources development (Education)

We will build an innovation center that strives to bring forth bold new ideas that can be linked to business to create new values.  Through this, we want to nurture human resources and the development of state-of-the-art technology in such areas as ecology and new energy.

●Entrepreneurs and new industries (Entrepreneur)

Through new energy development and active entertainment planning, we will strive to nurture entrepreneurs and new industries that will help make Tokyo the world's leading smart city.

Plan 2：Tohoku Sky Village - Creating a safe and appealing regional community that co-exists with nature

In low-lying Tohoku coastal areas, this plan calls for the construction of "Sky Village," a cluster of man-made islands that will form a nature-friendly compact city, as well as the development of a system that nurtures unique regional industries.

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In low-lying areas, such as Sendai Hirano where the earthquake resulted in extensive tsunami damage, we will build Sky Village, a cluster of man-made islands built on a foundation the size of Tokyo Dome set 20 meters above sea level.  Numerous islands will be clustered together with the central island having such public facilities as a ward office, elementary and junior high schools, hospitals, etc.  Each surrounding village will have its own residential island to make it the world's first nature-friendly compact city.  With the plan, the following three will be realized.

●The construction of safe regional community facilities

Without moving to higher elevations, residents can safely live in their home towns.  In addition, by making each region compact, all residents from the elderly to children alike will be able to interact more easily.

●Coexistence with nature: Living compactly with nature

Unlike the coast levees of the past that built "lines" to prevent disasters, systems that deflect water will allow "points" to prevent disasters.  With this, coexistence with nature becomes possible.

●Unique regional industries

Space inside the Sky Village has diverse potential, such as for hydroponic farming, seafood processing, semiconductor manufacturing, or even as a duty-free shopping zone.  Using its geographical and environmental characteristics, Sky Village has the potential for a number of different applications.  By applying manufacturing technologies from secondary industries and services and other expertise from tertiary industries to agriculture, fisheries and other primary sector industries, we will strive to create industries unique to the nature-rich Tohoku region (sixth sector industry) to create new jobs.

Laying the Groundwork: Establishment of a Basic Law & Creation of a National Fund

To realize the above plans, we propose laying the groundwork in terms of capital and government-initiated legislation.

・Establishment of a Basic Law regarding Disaster Recovery and Revitalization:  Regulations on Special Economic Zones, Act on Special Measures Concerning Urban Regeneration, etc.

・Creation of a National Fund:  In addition to existing policy finance, our proposal is to newly establish a national "Japan Sovereign Wealth Fund" and create a structure that will match it with overseas wealth funds in Asia to finance the project.

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Realizing the proposed Plan 1 and Plan 2 will first require laying the proper groundwork in terms of capital and legislation.  For capital, in addition to considering government financing, we will make plans with the assumption that capital will be injected from Asia and other global markets.

Establishment of a Basic Law regarding Disaster Recovery and Revitalization

●Have areas related to the Tokyo Bay development and Sky Village construction designated as special development regions

●Have profits generated from the Tokyo Bay development be used for Tohoku recovery efforts

Creation of a National Fund

●In addition to existing policy finance, we wish to newly establish a national "Japan Sovereign Wealth Fund" and create a structure that will match it with overseas wealth funds in Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, China and other countries to finance the project.  This investment, which will support the development of a nation built on a network of the world's most advanced nature-friendly smart cities, will not only contribute to disaster recovery, but also to mid and long-term development of Japanese industry overall.  Areas related to the Tokyo Bay development and Sky Village construction will be designated as special development regions.

<<Supporters>>

Gen Isayama, Partner, DCM
Atsuki Ishida, CEO, Member of the Board, FreeBit Co., Ltd
Toshiro Kawamura, President & CEO Collabo Business Consulting
Kiyoshi Kurokawa, Academic Fellow, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies; Chairman, Health and Global Policy Institute; Chair and Founder, IMPACT Japan
Ken Kusunoki, Professor, Hitotsubashi University, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy
Keiichiro Sako, Architect; Founding Principal, SAKO Architects
Hideya Sugio, Vice President of the TBS News
Hisashi Tateishi, CEO, Next Capital Partners Co., Ltd
Mamoru Taniya, Founding Partner, Chief Executive Officer, Asuka Asset Management
Kazumasa Yoshida, Representative Director and President, Intel K.K.; Vice President, Sales and Marketing Group, Intel Corporation
Shiro Wakui, Professor, Tokyo City University

(in alphabetical order, as of October 28, 2011)

For further information, please contact:

AIF Secretariat
Quantum Leaps Corporation
Tel: +81-3-5224-6540 Fax: +81-3-5224-6541
E-mail:info@qxl.jp