Japan is planning a major new project that could transform travel.
The Japanese have been ahead of the curve in transport terms for a while, and while many countries are still plagued by extortionate public transport costs and sluggish trains, those in Japan can whizz by on bullet trains.
It's not just super-speedy trains that Japan wants to be known for, with bold plans to install a giant conveyor belt between Tokyo and Osaka. This is apparently to combat a lack of truck drivers in Japan, but instead of doing a recruitment drive, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) could throw millions at this three-lane corridor to transport products.
As reported by the Associated Press, the automated cargo transport corridor has already been dubbed a 'conveyor belt road' and is generating quite a buzz.
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A CGI video shows how the automated cargo transport corridor would work.
Loading is automated using forklifts, with an impressive network that's coordinated with airports, railways, and ports.
Boxes measure around six feet by 3.6 feet (about the size of a big closet) and will be used as a way for businesses to ship their products. Humans will likely be needed at the other end to reach people's doors, however, driverless technology is also being looked into. If a success, conveyor belt roads like this could be expanded to other routes.
There no set budget just yet, although a trial system is expected to start runs in either 2027 or early 2028 - aiming for full operation by the mid-2030s.
Discussing the idea, Yuri Endo, a senior deputy director overseeing the effort at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, explained: "We need to be innovative with the way we approach roads."
As well as serving as a solution to the dwindling labor force, Endo hopes the scheme can help with carbon emissions: "The key concept of the auto flow-road is to create dedicated spaces within the road network for logistics, utilizing a 24-hour automated and unmanned transportation system."
It's not just Japan looking at the idea, with both Switzerland and the United Kingdom keen to explore their options. The Switzerland initiative would use an underground pathway, while one in the UK could be run on on low-cost linear motors.
Japan's drop in truck drivers comes from new labor laws that were introduced in early 2024. Drivers are now limited on how much overtime they can log, and while it's been beneficial to reduce overworked drivers and potential accidents, it's expected that Japan’s overall transport capacity will plummet by 34% before 2030. The Japan Trucking Association notes that almost 91% of Japan's 4.3 billion metric tons of domestic transport capacity comes from trucks.
Whether a giant conveyor belt can be used to fix Japan's trucking problem, or this is just another ambitious project that never gets built, it's a bold glimpse into what the future could look like.