Human-Intensive Snow Disposal and Elderly Residents of Toyama Prefecture

Abstract

A human-intensive (labor-intensive) snow disposal issue at Toyama prefecture is reported herein. Recently, the aging of population has come to pose a severe difficulty in Toyama prefecture, Japan. After two or three decades, almost cities in Toyama prefecture will become quasi-marginal or marginal societies. Aging populations have already become a difficulty throughout the world. Japan is in vanguard of aging population worldwide. Many social issues are expected to occur in the near future corresponding to progressive aging. Given these circumstances, this study investigates human-intensive snow disposal. This report of Japanese snow removal is expected to be extremely valuable for other countries confronting the same difficulty by explaining Japanese snow removal work. Then field work observations are introduced along with a trial using cellular automata to predict snow heap height after snow removal work. Results showed that simulation and observation results have good qualitative agreement. Furthermore, snow heaped at traffic intersections and at roadsides was found to decrease snow removal work efficiency for citizen. Disposal of the snow heaps must usually be done using some truck and dozers or hard work requiring human labor. Results also show that a proposed snow compression machine can reduce snow volume before loading onto disposal trucks during public and private snow removal work. The machine is useful for increasing snow removal work efficiency.