Kansai Wide Area Network

Kansai Wide Area Network
Name	Kansai Wide Area Network
Formed	1998
Jurisdiction	Kansai region, Japan
Headquarters	Osaka

Kansai Wide Area Network

The Kansai Wide Area Network is a regional research and education network serving the Kansai region of Japan, connecting institutions across Osaka, Kyoto, Hyōgo, Nara, Shiga, Wakayama and Mie. It links universities, national laboratories, museums, and municipal research centers to national and international backbones and collaborates with national initiatives and international research networks. The network supports high-performance computing, distance learning, and scientific collaboration among institutions such as Osaka University, Kyoto University, Kobe University, and institutions engaged with NICT and JANET-like exchanges.

Overview

The network provides high-bandwidth optical connectivity among academic and research institutions including Osaka University, Kyoto University, Kobe University, Nara Women's University, Shiga University, Wakayama University, Mie University, Ritsumeikan University, Doshisha University, Kansai Medical University, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Osaka Prefectural University, Kansai Gaidai University, Kindai University, Osaka City University, Osaka Prefecture University, Kwansei Gakuin University, Osaka Electro-Communication University, Seikei University, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto Sangyo University, and Kyoto Prefectural University. It interoperates with national and international backbones such as National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, WIDE Project, JGN (Japan Gigabit Network), Science Information Network, SINET (Science Information Network), APAN (Asia Pacific Advanced Network), GÉANT, Internet2, and regional providers like NTT Communications, KDDI, SoftBank and municipal fiber initiatives in Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe.

History

Early planning in the late 1990s followed national efforts led by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, and regional universities coordinating with the WIDE Project and JGN (Japan Gigabit Network) to build academic backbones. Initial trials connected flagship institutions such as Osaka University and Kyoto University and involved collaboration with international exchanges through APAN (Asia Pacific Advanced Network), Internet2, and the GÉANT research network. Upgrades in the 2000s brought DWDM and 10 Gbit/s links influenced by developments at Science Information Network and national projects by MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and NICT (National Institute of Information and Communications Technology). Subsequent expansions aligned with regional initiatives from Osaka Prefecture, Hyōgo Prefecture, and municipal ICT strategies in Kobe, Kyoto, and Nara, and partnerships with carriers such as NTT Communications and KDDI. Research collaborations with institutions like RIKEN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Osaka Prefectural Government, and Kansai Economic Federation influenced service development for e-science, bioinformatics, and disaster response exercises.

Network Architecture and Coverage

The architecture uses optical fiber rings and meshed topologies with core PoPs in Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe, with aggregation nodes serving campus networks at Osaka University, Kyoto University, Kobe University, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Seikan Municipal Research Centers and municipal data centers. Backbone technologies include DWDM, MPLS, IPv6, and carrier Ethernet interoperable with SINET and international exchange points such as JPNAP, BBIX, and peering with Internet2 and GÉANT. Redundancy strategies mirror practices at RENATER and SURFnet with diverse fiber routes linking coastal and inland nodes across Kansai prefectures and cross-connections to submarine cable landing stations used by NTT Communications and KDDI. Edge services connect campus LANs managed by campus IT centers at Osaka City University, Ritsumeikan University, Doshisha University, and specialized labs at Osaka University Hospital and Kyoto University Hospital.

Services and Applications

Services include high-speed research connectivity, science gateways for projects in genomics at Osaka University Medical School and Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, remote instrument access for synchrotron facilities collaborating with SPring-8 and KEK (High Energy Accelerator Research Organization), and cloud connectivity for HPC centers like those at Osaka University and Kyoto University. The network supports videoconferencing for inter-university education linking Kyoto University, Kobe University, Osaka University, Nara Women's University, and municipal museums such as Osaka Museum of History. It facilitates big data transfers for climate research with Meteorological Research Institute, earthquake simulation with Disaster Prevention Research Institute (Kyoto University), and collaborations with industry partners like Panasonic, Sharp, Renesas Electronics Corporation, NTT DATA, and Fujitsu.

Governance and Funding

Governance involves consortia of member institutions including universities, research institutes, and local governments such as Osaka Prefecture, Hyōgo Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, and Nara Prefecture with oversight similar to regional RENs governed in coordination with MEXT and NICT. Funding mixes membership fees, competitive grants from JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science), regional development funds administered by prefectural governments, and infrastructure contracts with carriers like NTT Communications, KDDI, and SoftBank. Policy coordination occurs with national research infrastructure programs such as SINET provisioning and collaborative agreements with international research networks including APAN and Internet2.

Security and Reliability

Security measures draw on practices used by SINET and national CERT coordination with JPCERT/CC for incident response, DDoS mitigation, and CERT exercises involving university security teams at Osaka University and Kyoto University. Reliability is enhanced via dual-homed PoPs, fiber route diversity across coastal and inland corridors, and disaster-resilient designs informed by lessons from Great Hanshin earthquake recovery planning and regional emergency exercises coordinated with Hyōgo Prefecture and Osaka Prefecture agencies. Authentication and trust frameworks use federated identity approaches compatible with eduGAIN-style interoperability and campus identity providers at participating universities.

Impact and Partnerships

The network underpins regional research output across participating institutions and fosters partnerships with national laboratories like RIKEN, KEK, and JAXA as well as international collaborations via APAN, GÉANT, and Internet2. It supports industry-university projects with corporations such as Panasonic, Fujitsu, Sharp, Renesas Electronics Corporation, and NTT DATA, and cultural collaborations with museums like Osaka Museum of History and Kyoto National Museum. Regional economic and educational impacts involve workforce development at Ritsumeikan University, Kansai University, and public ICT initiatives led by Osaka Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture.

Category:Research and education networks in Japan