Express Highway Research Foundation of Japan
The development of expressways in Japan was initiated by the Japan Highway Public Corporation, which was founded in 1956. In the following year, 1957, the Japanese government legislated the National Expressway Law and the other regulations. These laws and regulations now determine the framework of expressway development in Japan.
At that time, Japan was just beginning to experience the development of motorization. Research and development on related issues such as the necessity for expressways, effective expressway development policy, new industrial locations, and regional development methods based on the aforementioned policy, transportation economics, civil engineering planning, and traffic engineering had hardly been carried out. However, there was an urgent need for automobile related industries and transportation industries to meet the coming expressway age.
Under these circumstances, organizations such as Japan Highway Public Corporation, Japan Society of Transportation Economics, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc., Petroleum Association of Japan, Japan Civil Engineering Contractors' Association, Inc., and Society of Rubber Industry Japan proposed to the government that a research foundation be established.
The government and companies in the private sector then established the Express Highway Research Foundation of Japan (EHRF) in December 1957. The foundation engaged in research and study of economics technology, traffic control, transportation, automobile engineering, and other subjects relating to expressways.
Afterwards, the EHRF continued to advance studies and research, creating a significant body of knowledge and compiling many achievements. Areas of joint study and research with industry, academia, and government include transportation economics, road planning and education and training of researchers and engineers on road technology. The EHRF has also greatly contributed to developing road networks including expressways, developing automobile traffic, and exchanging technologies with institutions abroad.