Imagine your online order racing to your doorstep not on the road but underground. What sounds a bit like science fiction could soon become reality in Japan.
According to a panel of experts from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japannews made a corresponding proposal to accommodate the steadily growing number of online orders:
Automated logistics connections that transport goods on conveyor belts and/or through underground tunnels along highways.
Online commerce is booming and with it come challenges. According to Japannews, the number of parcel shipments in Japan has doubled in the last 30 years and this brings with it one major problem.
Among other things, it was predicted that by 2030, around 30 percent of packages will not be able to be delivered due to a shortage of workers.
The underground solution: The proposed system could reportedly replace the work of 25,000 truck drivers a day. The plan is for pallets that can carry up to a ton of cargo – from agricultural products to seafood to everyday items.
The ministry is initially planning a route between Tokyo and Osaka (approx. 515 kilometers), which is to be completed as early as 2034.
The question of costs: The elephant in the underground room
This is where things get exciting – and expensive. The cost per 10 kilometers of underground tunnel is estimated at 7 to 80 billion yen. For the entire Tokyo-Osaka route, this could mean up to 3.7 trillion yen, which corresponds to approximately 22 billion dollars (as of July 24, 2024).
The ministry is considering private sector involvement and is planning an organization that will enable broad corporate participation.
More on the topic of mega-structures: Work on the world’s largest structure is progressing – could be straight out of a science fiction film
Not just less traffic or a shortage of skilled workers: Tetsuo Saito, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, sees several advantages in the planned project:
»[Das Projekt] will not only address the logistics crisis but also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. […] We would like to continue the discussions on this matter expeditiously.”
What do you think? Is this the right way to solve the problems of modern logistics? Or are there perhaps more efficient alternatives? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments below!