Competition and collaboration among container ports

The development of new ports in China and the enhancement of port facilities in Korea will force major Japanese ports, which were the region's hub ports until the 1980s, to become local feeder ports for entry into East Asia. To consider the integration of cargo flow and liner networks, such Japanese ports need to collaborate with each other rather than compete with neighboring ports on an individual basis. Ports located on Tokyo and Osaka Bays started to share these concerns and jointly sought effective measures. It was suggested that they could advance their collaboration and be managed by a single port authority to strengthen their respective positions. This paper focuses on a strategy for container ports, especially those in Japan, for survival during the next stage under conditions of harsh competition.