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- Resolving Common Issues Confronting Major Asian Cities
To resolve common issues that confront major Asian cities, bureaus of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) has conducted a variety of study programs for employees of member cities of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC21). Although ANMC21 suspends its activities, TMG will continue to hold study programs for officers of foreign cities. On this occasion, we report three of these study programs that were held during the autumn of last year.
Waterworks Technology and Business Management Workshop
As one of its ANMC21 activities, the Bureau of Waterworks holds the Waterworks Technology and Business Management Workshop which is targeted at member city waterworks engineers, etc. This program offers training on the maintenance-management and update-planning of pipelines (both reservoirs and supply pipes), with the syllabus also including leakage-prevention technologies, etc.
In this report, we introduce the program conducted from October 15 to 27, 2014. To this workshop, two participants from the Taipei Water Department were welcomed. Their organization is charged with supplying water to Taipei City.
On the first day of the workshop, the participants paid a courtesy call to the Director General of the Bureau of Waterworks.
In April 2013, Tokyo concluded a technical cooperation memorandum with the Taipei water department. Furthermore, in light of previous exchanges, the Director General warmly welcomed participants and discussed the contents of this workshop with them.
From the workshop’s second day, we conducted the training based on the themes of “Efficient Management of Water Volumes and Pressures at a Water Supply Operation Center” and “Management of Water Meters” which the participants had requested to learn.
More specifically, concerning the Water Supply Operation Center that undertakes surveillance of water volumes and water pressures throughout Tokyo, and also conducts monitoring to ensure that there are suitable volumes of water maintained in reservoirs, etc., the trainees were given lectures as to its capabilities. Commencing with the topic of the work shifts engaged in surveillance activities, there were numerous questions from the participants on topics such as the setting of upper and lower reservoir values, how to select proper pressure pumps, and how dramatic changes in water pressures were handled when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, etc. During these lectures there was a passionate exchange of opinions.
Furthermore, it was noted that the participants sought detailed explanations regarding topics such as meter-testing methods and what management and testing equipment was available.
Towards the end of the workshop, participants inspected the Ogōchi Reservoir and a water conservation forest, and we introduced water conservation facilities along the Tamagawa River system which are directly managed by the Bureau of Waterworks. Additionally, there was a lecture and exchange of opinions regarding both the history of water resources management, and the approaches to protecting and nurturing water conservation forests.
In addition to these activities the participants also inspected water purification plants and construction sites, etc. We were strongly impressed from how keenly they were interested in the efficiency of water-purification operations and the precision of constructions.
In that we had received a list of question items prior to the workshop, and also due to that we focused on topics participants from Taipei were interested in, our opinion exchange was very active. The following comment was received from the paricipants: “The content of the workshop was very much enhanced and we learnt a great deal. We are very grateful to the TMG Bureau of Waterworks for this opportunity”.
Clinical Training of Consultants
This program targets doctors and nurses. Through the practical treatment training, etc., conducted at Komagome Hospital, the Office of Metropolitan Hospital Management aims to improve treatment skill levels among ANMC21 members.
Until FY2012, the program sought participants for the “Clinical Training of AIDS Consultants”, however, it was subsequently renewed and three new courses developed (the high-precision radiation therapy course, the bone marrow transplantation course and the infection control course).
This financial year, Singapore’s Dr. David Tan Boon-Harn attended the high-accuracy radiation therapy course, while Ms. Hsin-Yu Hsu, a nurse from Taipei, undertook the bone marrow transplantation course.
For the high- precision radiation therapy course, the program commenced with lectures on three different types of high-precision radiation therapy equipment, and there were also treatment planning conferences, etc., where Dr. Tan could exchange opinions with specialists in the field in Tokyo. Meanwhile, in the bone marrow transplantation course, after receiving instruction regarding the hospital’s role as a core institution in the promotion of blood-forming stem cell transplants, Nurse Hsu witnessed postoperative outpatient follow-ups and received lectures on graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (a complication in which grafts recognize the recipient as "foreign", and the transplanted immune cells then attack the host's body cells). She also undertook shadowing on both the transplantation and hematology department wards.
On the final day of training, both participants received a certificate of completion from Dr. Ken-ichi Tobisu, the President of Komagome Hospital. He encouraged them to “become good successful leaders at the hospitals where they work in the future.”
In commenting on their experiences, the participants offered this: “It was valuable experience that we could find differences on the medical frontlines among member cities with respect to matters such as management and practice, and have discussions with such medical colleagues. The training was fruitful and met our expectations, and we want to use what we have learned at the hospital where we work.”
In that both the participants and the hosting hospital were able to enjoy a relationship of mutual encouragement, the occasion represented a great opportunity in that knowledge could be shared.
Sewerage Maintenance and Management Engineers
Since its commencement in 2002, through this training program the Bureau of Sewerage aims to provide sewerage engineers from Asian cities with the latest techniques used in Tokyo’s sewerage system. The bureau hopes to contribute to the raising of sewerage technology standards throughout Asia through this training program.
This financial year the program was conducted over a five-day period between November 10 and 14, with two participants from Bangkok.
On the morning of the first day, the participants paid a courtesy call to the Director General of the Bureau of Sewerage. The Director General encouraged the participants with the words; “Please use this opportunity to learn about the technologies developed in the management of Tokyo’s sewerage system”.
After the courtesy call, the participants delivered a presentation on the sewerage system situation in Bangkok to the instructors from the Bureau of Sewerage. Through this presentation, we could deepen understanding of the issues confronting Bangkok. This resulted in better focused lecture and onsite visits. Following the morning’s activities, in the afternoon participants had lectures on the history of Tokyo’s sewerage system and the major policy initiatives being undertaken by the Bureau of Sewerage.
On the morning of the second day, the participants visited the Sewerage Museum “Rainbow”, a large public-relations facility. In the afternoon they received lectures on the maintenance and management of sewerage pipes.
On the third day, in the morning the participants went to the Old Mikawashima Sanitary Sewage Disposal Plant (now designated an Important Cultural Property), which represents the first modern sewerage facility in Japan. In the afternoon, they received lectures on flooding measures and the Sewerage Mapping and Information System (SEMIS).
During the morning of the fourth day, the trainees inspected the Sewerage Technical Training Center, while in the afternoon they visited the Sunamachi Water Reclamation Center.
At each of the locales visited and within the lectures, the participants asked numerous questions that would be specialo to engineers involved in sewerage-system maintenance and management. These questions included the manner in which facilities were operated and managed, and what technologies were employed. Such questions also highlighted the passion of the trainees.
At the opinion exchange which looked back the overall of the program conducted on the final day, there was a broad range of questions and active discussions regarding both what was covered by the training program and broader issues as well. Through these exchanges the participants could obtain a deeper understanding.
When presenting the participants with their certificates of completion, the Senior Director for Planning from the Bureau of Sewerage commented: “In the future as well, let’s take steps to further deepen our exchanges.
From two participants who completed the training, there was a great deal of satisfaction in light of comments such as: “The content of the programs was very much enhanced despite the short period. I feel I have benefitted by finding out what measures Tokyo is taking. I believe the Governor of Bangkok will also be interested to know what is happening in Tokyo. For this reason, I feel the training was a great success. I hope that more of my colleagues from Bangkok will attend in the future.”
In hoping that such training contributes to improving sewerage technology standards in all member cities, we will continue to hold the program while further improvements will be made in the future. We definitely look forward to participation by everybody.