ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that it will start working on the construction of a dedicated center for Nippon Access, Inc. (headquartered in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Junichi Sasaki, President & CEO; hereinafter “Nippon Access”) on March 30, 2017, pursuant to the Act on the Comprehensive Improvement of Physical Distribution.

Today, the logistics business faces challenges such as an increase in users of online shopping services as well as a lack of drivers caused by frequent small-lot deliveries attributable to the enhancement and diversification of the needs of shippers and consumers.
The Act on the Comprehensive Improvement of Physical Distribution is a law introduced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to address labor shortages in the logistics business, specifying approvals and support measures for business plans developed to promote improvements in logistical efficiency. Approvals are given subject to the rationalization of transportation such as the comprehensive implementation of logistical operations (transportation, storage, cargo handling and distributive processing), the integration of transportation networks, modal shifts^*1, and joint operations of transportation and deliveries.

ITOCHU, Nippon Access Inc., Shinko Co, Ltd. and Fujita Corporation, which have jointly received certification for the comprehensive efficiency plan from the Kanto District Transportation Bureau, obtained development approval from Chiba City and develop a dedicated center in the prefecture’s urbanization control area^*2, a zone in which urbanization is controlled.

Nippon Access, a tenant of the property, will work on the streamlining and rationalization of transportation routes by establishing a new center (relocation) in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in conjunction with deliveries to stores located in the southeastern part of Ibaraki Prefecture, which are currently being undertaken by a center located in Kitasaitama. Reductions in the transportation distance will decrease CO2 emissions by approximately 13%, while at the same time, the waiting times of trucks are expected to be reduced by approximately 55% through closer communications between operators as a result of the establishment of the truck operation center by Shinko Co., Ltd, a transportation company, in the same facility.

ITOCHU and Nippon Access will work together with the ITOCHU Group which has comprehensive capabilities, and seek to further expand business opportunities.

Going forward, ITOCHU will continue to focus on logistical improvements and eco-friendly logistics businesses, thereby addressing environmental conservation such as the prevention of global warming and contributing to the creation of a recycling-oriented society.