Public-private partnerships in Japan's cruise terminal operations

The rapid growth of the Chinese cruise market has resulted in a rapid increase in the number of cruise ship calls to Japan in recent years. The Japanese government has introduced tourism and port policies with the aim of developing Japan into a global cruise market, and has been working to establish international cruise hubs. Furthermore, as part of Abenomics, the promotion of public–private partnerships (PPPs) was announced, because of which private operators can now participate in cruise terminal operations. Two methods were prepared—concessions and a system for the formation of international cruise ship hubs—but the former still has no examples of application of the first one, and the latter also faces practical problems. In Japan, port administration is conducted as part of the local government's administrative duties, and there are very few foreign operators in the terminal operation market. This paper reveals how Japan's port governance system and its practices are linked to practical problems on PPPs in Japan's cruise terminal and proposes solutions such as the preparation of detailed guidelines and provision technical advice by the government based on the current situation.