Administrative Reform for Sustainable Public Water Services in Japan: A Case Study of Sewerage Management Reform

The momentum of public water administrative reform intensified in Japan after the experience of the world financial crisis of 2007-2008, as well as the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami event. The public water business reform in Japan continues to exhibit the organizational reform of corporatization and private sector partnership for more efficiency, but it does not show the institutional and resource governance reform examining a new division of roles between the national and local government and citizen participation in the water service policy development process. The “redundancy” of management resources coping with earthquakes and heavy rains is emphasized. Such redundancy of the sewerage service system is a cost-up and uncertain factor in long-term management risk, which is especially highlighted in the process of implementation of public-toprivate outsourcing contracts.