Delegates from some 10 major Japanese and other Asian cities met Wednesday in Yokohama to discuss energy-efficient "smart cities" utilizing advanced environmental and information technology.
The Smart City Week event, scheduled to run until Friday, is being billed as the first gathering of its kind.
Officials from cities including Yokohama, Bangkok and Yangon, as well as from the Asian Development Bank, were planning to announce a joint statement calling for the promotion of smart cities in Asia.
"Many Asian cities are beset by problems arising from rapid urbanization and population growth," Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi said. "We want to strengthen mutual ties by sharing knowhow needed to ensure sustainable development."
Yokohama, which is hosting the event in Nishi Ward, has been designated by the government as an eco-friendly city of the future because of its track record of international cooperation in the development of water systems technology and promotion of energy-saving housing.
Kitakyushu, another industrial city that received the citation for its efforts to reduce pollution, is also taking part in the event.