JAXA-certified venture Tenchijin Receives Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the 10th Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award
Tenchijin, a JAXA-certified space venture, has been awarded the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the 10th Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award. The company was recognized for its 'Space Water Bureau' system, which leverages satellite data and AI to optimize water leak detection and infrastructure management for municipalities.
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- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 02:58
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Tenchijin, Inc. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yasuhito Sakuraba), a JAXA-certified space venture, is pleased to announce that it has received the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the 10th Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award, organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
About the Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award
The Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award honors individuals recognized as particularly excellent among the various generations involved in 'monodzukuri' (manufacturing), including mid-career personnel who serve as the core of manufacturing and production sites, skilled personnel who have supported traditional and cultural 'skills,' and young personnel who will lead the future.
This award has been held since 2005 through the collaboration of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and this marks its 10th iteration.
This time, the four relevant ministries have selected 8 recipients (25 people) for the Prime Minister's Award. Additionally, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has selected 13 recipients (58 people, 1 organization) for the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award, in addition to the Prime Minister's Award mentioned above.
Reference: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry News Release | The 10th Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award Prime Minister's Award and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award Winners Decided (https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2025/03/20260316003/20260316003.html)
Overview of the Award
Awarded Project Name: Development of a Water Leak Risk Assessment and Management System Using Satellite Data and AI Analysis (Space Water Bureau)
Project Overview
To address the social challenge of aging water infrastructure, we developed the 'Space Water Bureau,' a water leak risk assessment and management system that allows for the easy identification of high-risk areas even without specialized knowledge of water pipes. By using AI to investigate and analyze data such as surface temperature, climate, and ground conditions obtained from over 500 satellites held by domestic and international space agencies such as JAXA, NASA, and ESA, along with water pipe data held by water utilities, the system evaluates the risk of water leaks in pipes. For municipalities that have implemented the system, it has achieved a 6-fold improvement in leak detection efficiency and a 79% reduction in survey costs.
Award Comment:
We are very honored to receive this prestigious award. We accept this award not just for ourselves, but together with all those in the field who work daily to protect our water supplies. The Space Water Bureau will continue to combine on-site wisdom with satellite data to support the future of water infrastructure with the speed of a startup.
About 'Space Water Bureau'
'Space Water Bureau' is a water DX solution that utilizes satellite data to support the realization of sustainable water businesses. Since the service launch in April 2023, the cumulative number of contracting municipalities* has exceeded 50.
*As of September 2025. Including contract renewals.
1. Support for acoustic surveys based on leak risk diagnosis
By using satellite data to perform risk diagnosis on pipelines in units of several meters, it is possible to grasp the current and near-future risk of leaks with high resolution. Depending on the application, it also supports leak risk diagnosis on a mesh basis. By narrowing down areas with a high probability of leakage, you can easily find priority locations for inspection, achieving efficient maintenance and management.
2. Support for formulating pipeline renewal plans based on regional characteristics
Multiple 'renewal priority scenarios' are created by evaluating the 'soundness' (leak risk diagnosis result) based on the pipeline diagnosis results in combination with the 'importance,' which comprehensively considers the impact on all facilities and lives, from ordinary houses to important water supply facilities (hospitals, schools, evacuation shelters, etc.). Flexible settings are possible according to regional issues and objectives, such as a scenario that emphasizes leak risk during normal times or a scenario that emphasizes social impact during disasters. Through scenarios that take environmental changes into account, we support the formulation of highly useful plans by determining the renewal priority of each pipeline rationally and transparently.
The essential value of the 'Space Water Bureau' lies in fusing long-accumulated municipal data with the latest satellite technology. We believe that this new perspective of 'leak risk information' born from this fusion will evolve traditional approaches such as acoustic surveys and renewal planning.
We will continue to contribute to this initiative, which connects past wisdom with future technology, to realize a new water business that creates greater effects with limited resources.
Company Overview
Company Name: Tenchijin, Inc.
Location: Nihonbashi 1-chome Mitsui Building 5F, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Yasuhito Sakuraba, Representative Director
Business Description: Land evaluation consulting using satellite data
Official Website: https://tenchijin.co.jp/
'Space Water Bureau' Special Site: https://suido.tenchijin.co.jp/
X: https://x.com/tenchijin_pr
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tenchijin/
note: https://note.com/tenchijincompass
About the Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award
The Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award honors individuals recognized as particularly excellent among the various generations involved in 'monodzukuri' (manufacturing), including mid-career personnel who serve as the core of manufacturing and production sites, skilled personnel who have supported traditional and cultural 'skills,' and young personnel who will lead the future.
This award has been held since 2005 through the collaboration of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and this marks its 10th iteration.
This time, the four relevant ministries have selected 8 recipients (25 people) for the Prime Minister's Award. Additionally, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has selected 13 recipients (58 people, 1 organization) for the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award, in addition to the Prime Minister's Award mentioned above.
Reference: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry News Release | The 10th Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award Prime Minister's Award and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award Winners Decided (https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2025/03/20260316003/20260316003.html)
Overview of the Award
Awarded Project Name: Development of a Water Leak Risk Assessment and Management System Using Satellite Data and AI Analysis (Space Water Bureau)
Project Overview
To address the social challenge of aging water infrastructure, we developed the 'Space Water Bureau,' a water leak risk assessment and management system that allows for the easy identification of high-risk areas even without specialized knowledge of water pipes. By using AI to investigate and analyze data such as surface temperature, climate, and ground conditions obtained from over 500 satellites held by domestic and international space agencies such as JAXA, NASA, and ESA, along with water pipe data held by water utilities, the system evaluates the risk of water leaks in pipes. For municipalities that have implemented the system, it has achieved a 6-fold improvement in leak detection efficiency and a 79% reduction in survey costs.
Award Comment:
We are very honored to receive this prestigious award. We accept this award not just for ourselves, but together with all those in the field who work daily to protect our water supplies. The Space Water Bureau will continue to combine on-site wisdom with satellite data to support the future of water infrastructure with the speed of a startup.
About 'Space Water Bureau'
'Space Water Bureau' is a water DX solution that utilizes satellite data to support the realization of sustainable water businesses. Since the service launch in April 2023, the cumulative number of contracting municipalities* has exceeded 50.
*As of September 2025. Including contract renewals.
1. Support for acoustic surveys based on leak risk diagnosis
By using satellite data to perform risk diagnosis on pipelines in units of several meters, it is possible to grasp the current and near-future risk of leaks with high resolution. Depending on the application, it also supports leak risk diagnosis on a mesh basis. By narrowing down areas with a high probability of leakage, you can easily find priority locations for inspection, achieving efficient maintenance and management.
2. Support for formulating pipeline renewal plans based on regional characteristics
Multiple 'renewal priority scenarios' are created by evaluating the 'soundness' (leak risk diagnosis result) based on the pipeline diagnosis results in combination with the 'importance,' which comprehensively considers the impact on all facilities and lives, from ordinary houses to important water supply facilities (hospitals, schools, evacuation shelters, etc.). Flexible settings are possible according to regional issues and objectives, such as a scenario that emphasizes leak risk during normal times or a scenario that emphasizes social impact during disasters. Through scenarios that take environmental changes into account, we support the formulation of highly useful plans by determining the renewal priority of each pipeline rationally and transparently.
The essential value of the 'Space Water Bureau' lies in fusing long-accumulated municipal data with the latest satellite technology. We believe that this new perspective of 'leak risk information' born from this fusion will evolve traditional approaches such as acoustic surveys and renewal planning.
We will continue to contribute to this initiative, which connects past wisdom with future technology, to realize a new water business that creates greater effects with limited resources.
Company Overview
Company Name: Tenchijin, Inc.
Location: Nihonbashi 1-chome Mitsui Building 5F, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Yasuhito Sakuraba, Representative Director
Business Description: Land evaluation consulting using satellite data
Official Website: https://tenchijin.co.jp/
'Space Water Bureau' Special Site: https://suido.tenchijin.co.jp/
X: https://x.com/tenchijin_pr
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tenchijin/
note: https://note.com/tenchijincompass