The infrastructure ministry met with about 120 companies and organizations to discuss how to facilitate investment in Africa as Japan steps up efforts to build infrastructure in the resource-rich continent.
The meeting Tuesday was the first of several to be held each year with construction companies, trading houses, manufacturers, and other companies and groups, according to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry.
"We could contribute to building high quality infrastructure (in Africa) by having the private and public sectors collaborate," said Yoichi Miyamoto, chairman of major contractor Shimizu Corp. and who chaired the meeting.
Japan is viewed as lagging behind China in investment in Africa. At the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in August, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to mobilize a total of ¥1 trillion over the next three years for the continent.
Similar meetings will be held in January in Uganda and Zambia to promote exchanges of opinions with local government officials on problems such as public safety and hygiene conditions.