Digital 3D Underground Map Visualizes Sewage and Gas Pipes

May 20, 2026 | News On Japan

MIE, May 20, 2026 (News On Japan) - As aging underground infrastructure becomes an increasing concern across Japan, the city of Yokkaichi in Mie Prefecture has developed a digital underground map designed to improve the management of sewer, water, gas, and electrical systems.

The initiative follows a road collapse accident that occurred in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, in January 2025, after which the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism requested inspections of sewer pipes that had been in place for more than 30 years. In the Tokai region, infrastructure judged to require replacement or repairs within one year totaled 15 kilometers in Aichi Prefecture, 0.9 kilometers in Gifu Prefecture, and 4 kilometers in Mie Prefecture.

The newly developed "digital 3D map" visually displays underground infrastructure using color coding to distinguish sewer pipes, gas pipes, electrical lines, and other buried utilities.

Developed jointly by Yokkaichi City and major architectural and engineering firm Nikken Sekkei, the system digitally recreated a roughly 1.6-kilometer section of Chuo-dori Avenue in three dimensions, allowing users to identify the precise locations of underground facilities.

Previously, contractors and utility operators had to individually investigate the location of buried infrastructure before carrying out construction work, as numerous systems such as gas, electricity, and water lines are concentrated beneath urban streets.

The city is now sharing the platform among infrastructure operators to improve coordination.

Nakamura Izuru, head of the CM and Surveying Department in Nikken Sekkei's Civil Group, said the system enables integrated access to information that had previously been collected separately from each utility operator.

"The advantage is that information integrated from multiple buried infrastructure operators can now be obtained all at once, making it immediately usable for excavation planning and construction work," Nakamura said.

Because the system allows authorities to comprehensively monitor underground facilities, officials believe it could also play a major role in disaster recovery operations. There is growing expectation that similar systems could eventually be adopted by municipalities nationwide.

Source: CBC

New Tropical Depression Threatens Flooding in Southern Japan

A newly formed tropical depression near Taiwan on June 9th is expected to intensify the seasonal rain front lingering over southwestern Japan, raising the risk of warning-level rainfall across Okinawa and the Amami Islands through around June 11th.

Japan Ranks Last Among OECD Countries in Sleep

Japan, which records the shortest average sleep duration among OECD countries, is launching new efforts to tackle widespread sleep deprivation, including the opening of specialized sleep disorder departments and programs aimed at improving children's sleep habits through sports and physical activity.

Japan National Team Holds First Training Session in Nashville

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America.

Sakurajima Eruption Blankets Kagoshima in Volcanic Ash

A prolonged eruption at Sakurajima on June 7th blanketed parts of Kagoshima City in volcanic ash, turning roads gray and prompting long lines of vehicles seeking car washes after a plume of smoke rose 1,300 meters above the crater.

Japan Lifts Tsunami Advisories After Philippines Quake

A powerful earthquake struck off Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines at 8:38 a.m. (Japan time) on June 8th, generating tsunami waves across parts of the Pacific, causing building collapses and casualties near the epicenter, and prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami advisories along a wide stretch of Japan's Pacific coastline before lifting all of them at 4:50 p.m.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Diabetes Drug Mounjaro Resold as Weight-Loss Injection Despite Health Risks

Three people in their 20s and 30s living in Osaka Prefecture and other areas were referred to prosecutors on June 2nd for allegedly illegally selling and transferring the type 2 diabetes drug Mounjaro without the required authorization, as concerns grow over the drug's popularity as a weight-loss treatment and the health risks associated with its misuse.

Akita Hot Spring Turns Rice Husks Into Fuel

A hot spring lodging facility in Akita Prefecture has introduced a biomass boiler that uses rice husks and buckwheat hulls as fuel, reducing reliance on expensive kerosene while creating a new use for agricultural waste.

Japan to Replace Up to Five Nuclear Reactors by 2040s

The Japanese government has unveiled a draft target to replace between two and five nuclear reactors by the 2040s, marking the first time numerical goals for nuclear power development have been presented since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster 15 years ago.

Japan's Rare Earths Island

The video explains how a tiny, remote Japanese island called Minami Torishima (Marcus Island) could become one of the most strategically important locations in the world due to enormous deposits of rare earth elements buried in deep-sea mud beneath the Pacific Ocean.

Fukushima Solar Plant Glare Lasts Up to 53 Minutes, Far Exceeding Forecasts

A large solar power facility built on a mountainside in Fukushima City is generating reflected sunlight for far longer than originally projected, with a city survey finding that glare at some locations lasted up to 53 minutes per day—more than ten times the maximum duration predicted by the operator.

Companies Flock to Japan’s Major Space Business Expo

Japan’s largest space business exhibition opened at Tokyo Big Sight on May 27th, showcasing a growing wave of companies from outside the traditional aerospace sector entering the rapidly expanding space industry.

Shizuoka Enters Final Stage of Linear Shinkansen Debate

JR Tokai held its first-ever resident briefing session in Shizuoka City on May 26th regarding construction of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, outlining measures for water resource management and environmental conservation as the company seeks to gain local support ahead of the start of construction in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Mysterious Crab Dance Returns to Wakayama Shoreline

A seasonal spectacle has begun on the Miwasaki coast in Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture, where tiny male chigogani crabs are emerging from their burrows at low tide and rhythmically waving their claws in a movement resembling a dance.

< 2 3 4 5 >