“Symposium on Social Acceptability” of Autonomous Driving Technology to be Held

1. Purpose

As a number of regions in Japan are facing serious challenges in safe and smooth mobility, e.g., preventing traffic accidents and maintaining and securing public transportation, they have been advancing discussions towards the introduction of autonomous driving services into their regions.

The symposium will explain expectations of local residents for autonomous driving services and efforts by the government and related industries in response to these expectations, and also convey useful information for municipalities and related businesses to succeed in operation of autonomous driving vehicles in their towns in cooperation with each other.

Moreover, Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture, will take advantage of the results of the demonstration tests conducted by METI and MLIT and is scheduled to start full-fledged operation of driverless autonomous driving mobility services using remote control systems at the end of March 2021 as a pioneering effort ahead of the rest of Japan. To explain the town’s effort as a leading case example, METI and MLIT, taking the opportunity of the symposium, will hold a Launching Ceremony of Autonomous Driving Services in Eiheiji Town by connecting the venues in Eiheiji Town and Tokyo online in time with starting the full-fledged operation of the services.

2. Date and time

March 25 (Thur.), 2021; from 12:00 to 14:35 (doors will open at 11:00.)

3. Venue

Convention Hall West, fourth floor, TOC Ariake (the symposium will simultaneously be held online.)
(Address: 3-4-10 Ariake, Koto Ward, Tokyo)

4. Program

(1) Symposium on social acceptability (12:00 to 14:00)

1. Opening remarks

   Dr. Suda Yoshihiro, Director, Mobility Innovation Collaborative Research Organization, the University of Tokyo

2. Part 1: Demand of local residents and government’s efforts for realization

   Ms. Miyaki Yukiko, Director and Chief Researcher, Life Design Research Division, Dai-ichi Life Research Institute Inc.
   Mr. Ueki Kenji, Director, ITS and Autonomous Driving Promotion Office, Automobile Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau, METI

3. Part 2: Efforts for safety assessment (privately owned vehicles and service vehicles)

   Mr. Yokoyama Toshio, Director, Autonomous Driving Subcommittee, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc.; Executive Chief Engineer (Specially Appointed Engineer), Department for Development Planning and Management of Electronic Controls, Headquarters for Automobile Business, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
   Mr. Hasegawa Hiroshi, Director, ITS Research Division, Japan Automobile Research Institute

4. Part 3: Case examples of leading efforts for raising public awareness of autonomous driving services in regional areas

   Mr. Tsuda Keiji, Consultant for Brand and Innovation Designs, Hakuhodo Inc.
   Mr. Murase Shigetaka, President, WILLER, Inc.

5. Q&A session

   Moderator: Mr. Shimizu Kazuo, automobile journalist

6. Closing remarks

   Dr. Suda Yoshihiro, Director, Mobility Innovation Collaborative Research Organization, the University of Tokyo

(2) Launching Ceremony of Autonomous Driving Services in Eiheiji Town (14:05 - 14:35)

1. Broadcasting a video clip on past efforts

2. Speeches

   Mr. Kawai Hisamitsu, Mayor, Eiheiji Town
   Fukui Prefecture (speaker is not fixed yet.)
   METI (speaker is not fixed yet.)
   MLIT (speaker is not fixed yet.)

3. Ribbon-cutting ceremony

4. Launching of the first autonomous driving vehicle

5. Comments by the project leaders

   Dr. Kato Shin, Prime Senior Researcher, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
   Mr. Yamamura Toru, Director, Comprehensive Policy Division, Eiheiji Town

References

• METI and MLIT have been advancing the demonstration project for autonomous driving technology and services since FY2016.

• Taking advantage of the results of the demonstration project, in December 2020, the ministries have started test services of three driverless autonomous driving vehicles in which one operator remotely monitors the vehicles (i.e., in the manner equivalent to Level 2 Autonomous Driving Technologies in which one operator remotely monitors three vehicles at all times) on public roads exclusively for bicycles and pedestrians in about a 2-km limited zone.

• The ministries aim to further sophisticate target vehicles and shift to full-fledged operation of autonomous driving vehicles with no driver by the end of FY2020.

• 
  Operation of three driverless autonomous driving
  vehicles by one operator who remotely monitors them
• 
  Remote-monitoring and operation room

5. Referential information

Taking the opportunity of the symposium, a Regional Automobile Driving Summit and a Briefing of Interim Results of the Second Round of SIP will be held as well. For details, see the following website.

6. How to attend

If you wish to attend the symposium and a variety of side events, please complete prior registration.

• Website for prior registration (in Japanese)

Related document

• Overview of “Symposium on Social Acceptability” of Autonomous Driving Technology (in Japanese) (PDF:2,025KB)

Division in Charge

ITS and Autonomous Driving Promotion Office, Automobile Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau