Junichi Yamashita
Chapter: Japan
Role: Chapter Chairman
Where do you live? Ichikawa city next to Tokyo, Japan
Work history: I have worked in construction company as an architect since 1965.
How long have you been involved in openBIM and buildingSMART? I have been a member of buildingSMART Japan from its foundation in 1996.
What do you like the most about your work in your chapter? I feel motivated to increase the presence of buildingSMART by becoming a member or officer of a standardization organization or government committee related to the construction industry.
The greatest success achieved within your chapter? I persuaded the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and its affiliates to recognize that BIM would be a solution for productivity improvement.
It is very difficult for Japanese BIM software to get bSI IFC certification. Therefore, bSJ implemented IFC certification to increase the degree of implementation of IFC translator in BIM software made in Japan.
What does openBIM mean to you? I think openBIM is a most important concept for our construction industry.
What is the biggest challenge the community is facing today? One of big problem is a lack of interest in BIM among public and private clients. By our many years of efforts, central government established ‘Council for BIM Promotion’ 2019 June to activate Public and Private collaboration for BIM implementation.
What challenges do you encounter in your country? Improving productivity in the construction industry and digitalization of the business process.
What are the main opportunities for your market? One of big opportunity is that MLIT(Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) started ICT Initiative named “i-Construction”.
Digitalization is more and more present today; what do you do in your chapter to meet the challenges it poses:
Expansion of digital contents archives. And expansion of educational programs through the web.
What vision, as a chapter leader, would you give to the whole community? Continue to communicate that BIM will be the most effective way to increase the productivity of the construction industry and increase the satisfaction of clients.
What is your overall vision of the future? BIM is one of Key Components of Society5.0’s Digitalization. We must develop a human-centric society based on the integrated Cyberspace and Physical space.
Would you like to add something else?
Website URL: https://www.building-smart.or.jp/
LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junichi-yamashita-b244b073/
Twitter URL:
Resumé: I am the president of a consulting company that I established after retiring from a construction company. In 1990’s, I developed a three-dimensional modelling system for building design like the current BIM modeler using IBM’s host computer. It was a good system, but not highly effective. In the construction industry, many companies are involved in the work, and the companies involved are often different for each project, so I realized that even if only one company develops and introduces a good system, it will not be effective. I came to the conviction that it was important to establish an inexpensive modelling system that runs on a PC. Especially, most important is data standard. Because of this experience, I have been engaged in the standardization of BIM data modelling. That is to say, I have been a member of buildingSMART Japan from its foundation in 1996. Also, I have joined to the ISO TC184 SC4.