#Japan #Tokyo #Tenchijin #Space Water Bureau #Pipeline Analysis

The Space Water Bureau: An Innovative Step Towards Sustainable Water Management

In a groundbreaking development, the Space Water Bureau, operated by the Tokyo-based startup Tenchijin, has surpassed the significant milestone of analyzing 100,000 kilometers of water pipelines across Japan. This impressive feat is equivalent to roughly 2.7 times the Earth's equatorial circumference of approximately 40,075 km. As of September 2025, the accumulated data from this initiative has significantly improved the accuracy of leak risk diagnostics, enabling efficient planning for pipeline upgrades.

Unveiling Achievements Through Analysis

Since launching in April 2023, the Space Water Bureau has utilized satellite data to assess a total pipeline length of 109,575 kilometers, identifying 145,752 instances of potential leaks. Furthermore, over 50 municipalities have engaged with the initiative, all committed to achieving a sustainable water supply by leveraging satellite technologies.

Water pipelines are usually buried underground, making it challenging to monitor their condition from the surface. As deterioration and damage often go undetected, incidents such as sudden leaks or road collapses can disrupt daily life and urban functionality. In Japan alone, over 20,000 water leak incidents occur annually, primarily due to aging infrastructure. Many water pipes installed during the post-war economic boom have now surpassed 40 years of service, with approximately 176,000 km of aging pipelines—the equivalent of four times around the Earth—presenting significant challenges for municipalities.

Due to high renewal costs estimated at around ¥200 million per kilometer, as well as a shortage of technical expertise, comprehensive replacements of aging pipelines are impractical. In response to these challenges, the Space Water Bureau employs satellite-derived data analytics to visualize pipelines requiring urgent inspection or renewal. This targeted approach allows municipalities and water utilities to devise efficient maintenance strategies, focusing on high-risk areas while optimizing limited budgets and workforce resources.

Comments From Development Engineers

The Space Water Bureau acknowledges the diversity in data formats and management practices among Japan's water operators. The Bureau's system effectively absorbs these complexities, providing an immediate analysis-ready environment, thereby reducing the burden during system integration. With the achievement of exceeding 50 municipalities and analyzing over 100,000 km of data, a collaborative learning framework between AI and human expertise has been established for pipeline data across varied environments. This knowledge will be leveraged to precisely address which pipelines are at risk and why, further enhancing the Bureau's contributions to customer operations.

About the Space Water Bureau

The Space Water Bureau is a cutting-edge water management solution leveraging satellite data to foster sustainable water services. Its features include:

1. Support for Acoustic Surveys Based on Leak Risk Diagnostics: Utilizing satellite data for high-resolution analysis, the Bureau provides a detailed understanding of current and future leak risks on a pipeline level. This targeted diagnosis simplifies the identification of high-risk areas, facilitating greater maintenance efficiency.
2. Development of Pipeline Renewal Plans Tailored to Local Characteristics: By integrating “health assessments” from leak risk diagnostics and the “importance” of various facilities, from homes to critical water supply points (like hospitals and schools), flexible renewal scenarios—based on risk and potential societal impact—can be created. This method enables transparent prioritization of pipeline renewals while considering changing environmental conditions.

The core value of the Space Water Bureau lies in merging decades of municipal data with cutting-edge satellite technology. This integration fosters a new perspective on leak risk information, evolving traditional survey and planning methods. Tenchijin is committed to connecting past wisdom with future technologies to generate significant effects from limited resources, ultimately realizing innovative water services.

Company Overview

• - Company Name: Tenchijin Co., Ltd.
• - Location: 5th Floor, Nihonbashi 1-4-1, Nihonbashi Mitsui Building, Chuo City, Tokyo
• - Representative: President Yasuto Sakuraba
• - Business Description: Land evaluation consulting utilizing satellite data
• - Space Water Bureau Special Site
• - Official Site
• - Twitter
• - LinkedIn