It is our great pleasure to extend our sincerest congratulations to PIANC on its 125th anniversary. Various celebratory events are being held throughout the world and Japan is honored to be hosting the Asian event.
Since 1952, almost 60 years ago, when the Ministry of Transport (currently the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), first became a member of PIANC, the Japanese government has been building a close relationship with PIANC. To date, we have held two annual general assemblies, one in Tokyo and one in Fukuoka, and a congress in Osaka. We are now delighted to be holding this event, which represents another milestone in the history of PIANC.
To mark the occasion, we will hold an anniversary ceremony as well as two international seminars with presentations and discussions on issues concerning ports and waterways, such as coastal and inland waterborne transport and dredging. We are also planning to introduce aspects of Japanese culture to our guests from across the globe.
I look forward to welcoming you to Nagoya in September.
Hiroshi HAYASHIDA
The Japanese chief delegate to PIANC, and
Director-General, Ports and Harbours Bureau of MLIT
PIANC marked the 125th anniversary of its foundation this year and PIANC-Japan is pleased to announce that the celebration event will be held in Nagoya, Japan.
On 25 March 1885, the first Inland Navigation Congress (the predecessor of PIANC) was held in Brussels, providing a forum for European countries to exchange international information on inland navigation. PIANC has now grown into a major international organization providing guidelines on sustainable waterborne transport infrastructure for ports and waterways; it consists of 37 national sections, about 450 corporate members and about 2,000 individual members from 61 countries.
Japan first participated at the 11th International Navigation Congress in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1908 and PIANC-Japan started operations in 1977. Since then, PIANC-Japan has promoted PIANC activities in Asia, so it is our great pleasure to see various successes such as the establishment of PIANC-Korea in February 2010.
We will review the progress of PIANC through this event and consider how PIANC should develop in the future.
We look forward to welcoming you to the PIANC 125th anniversary celebration in September.
Yasuhiro KAWASHIMA
President, PIANC-Japan , and Vice President, PIANC
This year Nagoya City celebrates its 400th anniversary. The city was established in 1610, when Nagoya Castle was completed and the town of Kiyosu moved here. The city is holding various commemorative events throughout the anniversary year, and will also host the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10) in October. This year, Nagoya will attract both national and international attention.
Being home to the 1900-year-old Atsuta Shrine, which houses the ancient sword Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, Nagoya City is one of the most traditional cities in Japan. The city is also renowned for its manufacturing industry. By focusing on both tradition and industry, we are committed to making the Port of Nagoya the best port in Japan. We look forward to introducing you to the Port of Nagoya and demonstrating Nagoya's vitality and attractiveness. Welcome to Nagoya!
Takashi KAWAMURA
President of Nagoya Port Authority
Mayor of Nagoya City
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