### 2. Remote Islands Promotion

In order to support the remote islands promotion project according to the remote islands promotion plan formulated by prefectures based on the “Remote Islands Development Act”, adding the “Remote Island Experiencing Visit Exchange Promotion Project” to the public affairs budget, for expanding exchange population and the investigation of talent cultivation for islands development, is being carried out. In addition, in the “Basic Plan on Ocean Policy” prescribed in the “Basic Act on Ocean Policy”, remote island conservation is prescribed as one of the measures that should be implemented by the government comprehensively and deliberately.

### 3. Promotional Development of Amami Islands and Ogasawara Islands

Through the implementation of promotional development projects based on the “Act on Special Measures for the Amami Islands Promotion and Development” and “Act on Special Measures for the Ogasawara Islands Development”, fundamental conditions are being enhanced. At the same time, support is provided for the voluntary efforts of regions that utilize their characteristics and environmental development for regional independent development by industries and tourism promotion is being pushed forward.

### 4. Peninsula Promotion

Through the Peninsula Promotion Plan drawn up by prefectures based on the “Peninsula Promotion Act”, support towards circular road development and industrial promotion are provided to Peninsula Promotion Measure Implementing Regions (as of April 2009, 23 regions were designated – 22 prefectures and 196 municipalities).

Additionally, through the process of spontaneous measures taken by individuals, citizens groups and NPOs, combined with the basic investigation for collecting and analyzing the necessary information for implementation of the Peninsula Promotion Act, the necessary information for social enterprises to create areas for sustainable living and employment is collected and analyzed, and is reflected in each type of measure.

## Section 5 – Promoting the Comprehensive Development Plan of Hokkaido

1. Promoting ‘Leading the Era of the Global Environment, The New Hokkaido Comprehensive Development Plan’

(1) Promoting the new comprehensive development plan of Hokkaido

Our country has been utilizing Hokkaido’s excellent resources/specialties to contribute to solving occasional national issues. At the same time, the active development of Hokkaido has been carried out for its own vital regional development.

At present, based on the $ 7^{th} $ “Leading the Era of the Global Environment, The New Hokkaido Comprehensive Development Plan”, different kinds of measures/projects/promotions are being initiated by collaborating and cooperating with various entities and by taking the leading experimental activities in order to realize three strategic goals, which are “Realization of an Open and Competitive Hokkaido”, “Realization of a Sustainable and Beautiful Hokkaido” and “Realization of a Hokkaido with Diverse and Distinct Regions”.

## (2) Measures for plan realization

1) Strengthening the food supply

Hokkaido has 25% of the agricultural land in our country and supplies about 20% of domestic food production (calorie-based). Stable supply of safer food is an important issue for our country; therefore, for Hokkaido to continuously bear the role of a food base for our country, the production infrastructure that supports the expansion of agriculture of highly productive land usage is being developed.

2) Tourism promotion aiming to develop attractive sightseeing spots with international competitiveness

Hokkaido has unique and attractive tourism resources even in Asia. As a sightseeing spot, its popularity is high not only domestically but also overseas, especially in East Asia. Hokkaido is gaining a good reputation because the tourists who have visited Hokkaido are willing to recommend it for travel to their friends and acquaintances.

Therefore, regional action groups are cooperating with the government to develop internationally renowned sightseeing spots that are full of individuality, through the utilization of regional resources and characteristics such as a program called “Scenic Byway Hokkaido” intended to develop “Beautiful Scenery”, “Vital Community” and “Attractive Sightseeing Spaces”.

Moreover, based on the “Promotion of Holding International Conferences in Hokkaido”, the communication meeting of ministries and government offices has been established and support is being provided to the promotion of holding international conferences, etc. (MICE) in Hokkaido and regional measures.

3) Promotion of the “Hokkaido Environmental Initiative”

In order to further promote the “Development of Beautiful Hokkaido that is Open to the World” and the “Innovation of the Life in the North”, the leading measures of our country’s environment policy named “Hokkaido Environment Initiative” are unfolded by cooperating through cooperation with various entities.

In FY 2009, the environmentally-friendly resources circulating farming and nature revitalization projects on rivers and marshes were promoted. Going forward, these measures will be promoted continuously. At the same time, measures with consideration for the environment that are focused on aspects of regional development and sightseeing spot development will be