Kawasaki

In southern Kawasaki, 15 minutes by train from Haneda Airport, is the Keihin industrial zone, Japan’s first coastal district combining port and plant functions.

The companies here drove Japan’s rapid economic growth after the war but also polluted the area. Thanks to public-private efforts, advanced environmental technologies have turned the zone into a sustainable area where industry and the environment can coexist.

The zone, which consists of seven islands and 16 canals, became the first industrial area to be promoted as a tourist attraction for the beautiful evening scenery created by the lights of the industrial plants along the canals. The climax of the bus tour is a grand panorama of lights that remind one of a space station from a science fiction movie. An evening pleasure boat cruise travels the narrow canals between the islands, allowing tourists to enjoy breathtaking views of the various industrial plants. The sound of the plants operating and the myriad lights reflected by the water’s surface enhance the tours, which have been popular for over 10 years.