Association for Planning and Transportation Studies held the International Student Seminar "Water Environment and Earth 2023," jointly sponsored by GRIPS, in cooperation with KANSEI Co., METAWATER Co., Ltd., Nippon Koei Co., Ltd., and Keihin River Office and Wide Range Dam Management Office for Sagami River System, Kanto Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. This seminar aims to help international students understand how Japan has promoted the basic water management, i.e., flood control, water utilization, and water environment management, through on-site observations and explanations. “Water Environment and Earth” seminar in this year was the third, but a first one-day bus tour, and was attended by 20 international students, 6 Japanese students, and 13 accompanying members.

【Retarding Basin Operation Center】

After listening to an explanation of the Tsurumi River Multipurpose Retarding Basin by the Keihin River Office on the roof of the Retarding Basin Operation Center a little after 9:00 a.m., we moved to the meeting room of the center to listen to a lecture by Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. on the role of consulting engineers in water administration as well as the outline of water policy in Japan, and exchanged opinions. Before 12:00 p.m., the group visited the facility named CERAROCCA in the Kawai Water Treatment Plant to learn about the advanced ceramic membrane filtration system of METAWATER Co.

【Atsugi Environmental Research Center】

After that, we had lunch in the bus and moved to the Atsugi Environmental Research Center of KANSEI Co. before 14:00 p.m. President Hasegawa and other staffs gave us a briefing, and we were exposed to the development of sewer maintenance technology, from traditional to cutting-edge technology.

【Miyagase Dam】

Finally, we visited the Miyagase Dam. After a briefing by the Wide Range Dam Management Office for Sagami River System at the Water Museum, we were divided into groups for a close look inside the dam, and the tour ended at 18:30 p.m. at Shinjuku Station.

Participants commented that it was very stimulating and instructive to learn and see facilities for the first time. Participants have rarely had the opportunity to learn about rivers and water supply and sewage systems as a whole. We hope to conduct this tour in the future for a variety of students.