Case Studies / Building Smart City Video Infrastructure in Japan with CTS
Building Smart City Video Infrastructure in Japan with CTS
15 Jul 2026 - 14:04
A secure Smart City video platform powered by CamStreamer Cloud, CamStreamer apps, and AXIS Network Cameras enables CTS to help municipalities across Japan monitor traffic, manage camera networks remotely, and visualize analytics while keeping all data securely within national borders.About the project
As Smart City projects across Japan continued to grow, CTS faced a challenge shared by many municipalities and infrastructure operators. Traditional video surveillance systems could no longer provide the flexibility required for modern city management. Operators needed more than live video—they needed secure remote access, centralized camera management, integrated traffic information, and advanced analytics that would help them make better decisions in real time.
At the same time, every solution had to comply with Japan's strict data sovereignty requirements. All video streams and metadata had to remain within the country while providing reliable access to cameras deployed across numerous cities and construction projects.
To meet these requirements, CTS partnered with CamStreamer more than six years ago to build a secure and scalable Smart City video platform based on Axis Communications technology. What started as a streaming solution has gradually evolved into a comprehensive cloud platform supporting municipalities throughout Japan.
Technical Solution
The platform is built around CamStreamer Cloud, which serves as the central management system for the entire deployment. To comply with Japanese regulations, CamStreamer established two dedicated cloud servers located in Japan, ensuring that all video streams and metadata remain within national borders.
Through CamStreamer Cloud, CTS can remotely access cameras, monitor live video, review recordings, receive automatic camera status notifications, and centrally manage deployments across multiple cities and infrastructure projects from a single interface.
For live video delivery, CTS relies on CamStreamer App, which runs directly on AXIS Network Cameras. By processing the stream inside the camera itself, the solution eliminates the need for additional streaming hardware while providing reliable live video as part of the Smart City infrastructure.
To make the streams more informative, CTS also implemented CamOverlay App. The application adds weather information and custom graphical overlays directly into the video, giving municipalities a clearer visual representation of current conditions.
As customer requirements continued to evolve, CTS expanded the platform even further by introducing CamScripter App together with AXIS Object Analytics. This combination allows traffic analytics, vehicle movement, congestion data, and other analytical information to be visualized directly inside the video stream, creating a single interface that combines live video, analytics, and graphics.
CTS was also among the first customers to use CamOverlay App during its early alpha development, providing valuable feedback that helped shape the application's future capabilities.
Throughout the partnership, CamStreamer has provided the backend infrastructure, platform administration, and second-level technical support, while CTS has continuously contributed practical feedback from large-scale Smart City deployments to support the ongoing development of the platform.
The Result
Today, the CTS platform supports more than 1,500 active cameras deployed across municipalities and infrastructure projects throughout Japan. It provides secure remote access, centralized camera management, live video streaming, integrated analytics, and complete control over where customer data is stored.
As the platform continued to grow, CTS further strengthened its strategy by migrating to Survilla, CamStreamer's white-label cloud platform. This allows CTS to provide customers with a fully branded cloud environment featuring customized user interfaces, flexible service models, advanced troubleshooting tools, and batch firmware updates for supported AXIS cameras. Customers access their cameras through a portal carrying the CTS brand, while CTS manages the entire ecosystem through the Survilla Partner administration.
Testimonial
"Together with CamStreamer, we built a video platform tailored to Japan's strict data security requirements while maintaining the flexibility to innovate."
– Yasuo Masamoto, CTS
"Together with CamStreamer Cloud, we made it possible to securely access cameras remotely—something that was previously not achievable under Japan's strict data security requirements."
– Kiyotaka Hisashi, CTS
Today, the collaboration between CTS, CamStreamer, and Axis Communications goes far beyond technology. Built on long-term partnership, open communication, and continuous innovation, the platform continues to evolve alongside Japan's Smart City initiatives, providing municipalities with a secure, scalable, and future-ready video infrastructure.
Technologies Used
Cloud Platform
- CamStreamer Cloud
- Survilla (white-label cloud platform)
Applications
Analytics
Commonly Used Hardware
Location
- Japan
Deployment
-
1,500+ active cameras
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Case Studies / Building Smart City Video Infrastructure in Japan with CTS
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