Silviase/jgov_v1.4_full_ann huggingface dataset:
## Promotion of favorable housing supply and its effective use

MILT is engaged in the effective use of fixed-term land leases and the revitalization of “new towns” as well as policy review to facilitate a stable supply of housing sites with sound environments where necessary.

Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

## (2) Realizing comfortable living environments

## ○ Improvement of city parks and formation of comfortable urban environments

The ministry carries out, in an efficient and well-planned manner, the improvement of the National Government Parks and disaster prevention parks as well as the conservation of historic temples, ancient cities, and green space. In addition, it works to popularize the concept of urban greening and green space conservation.

## Promotion of road planning prioritizing pedestrians/bicycles

MLIT is promoting easy-to-follow street guides, while taking measures to build up safe, secure and high-quality pedestrian space that prioritizes pedestrians and to develop a safe and comfortable environment for cyclists. In addition, pursuant to the Road Transportation Law revised in FY2007, the ministry has formulated flexible road management systems.

## (3) Realizing more convenient transport

The ministry will support the promotion of comprehensive and strategic traffic measures in areas where traffic projects and town development are being combined, including the improvement of light rail transit (LRT) systems to be implemented pursuant to the “urban areas and regional areas comprehensive traffic strategy.” The MLIT is working to promote the use of Traffic Demand Management (TDM), with the aim of easing congestion, and the revitalization of public transport. It is also engaged in the improvement of urban railway networks,

the development of urban railways, urban monorails and automated guideway transit, and the improvement of bus and taxi accessibility. Furthermore, the ministry facilitates the improvement of “smart interchanges,” and introduces and expands various discount systems to reduce expressway tolls, pursuant to Comprehensive Measures for Bringing About Peace of Mind (August 2008) and “the economic policy for securing a stable life (October 2008).”
# Chapter 5: Forging an Open Economic Society with a Competitive Edge

## (1) Improvement in transport networks

## ○ Developing arteries

Highway networks, including high-standard highways and high-standard regional roads, constitute a very important infrastructure for Japan, which extends far to the north and south and has connections between regions hindered by mountain ranges and straights separating the major islands. It is vital to build highway networks and to secure their functions for the development of safe and secure national land.

## ○ Developing the trunk railway network

MLIT has been committed to the construction of new Shinkansen lines, which serve as fundamental high-speed transport facilities over Japan’s national territory, pursuant to the Nationwide Shinkansen Railway Development Act and based on agreements between the government and the ruling parties. The ministry also proceeds with studies on the Chuo Shinkansen, one of the , planned railway routes, pursuant to the Nationwide Shinkansen Railway Development Act.

MLIT promotes the increasing of the speed of conventional artery railways through the improvement of railroad bends and the partial introduction of double tracks as well as the technological development of superconducting magnetically levitated and variable gauged trains, by making the best use of existing railway facilities.
(3) Promoting comprehensive and integrated logistics policies

MLIT is conducting a comprehensive and integrated promotion of logistics policies based on the Comprehensive Logistics Policy Outline (2005-2009). Starting in September 2008, the ministry holds “the Logisticsp strategy committee toward the 2010s,” which consists of learned individuals, cargo owners and physical distribution transport operators, for the purpose of optimizing the whole process of logistics through reviewing conventional physical distribution processes. The committee will summarize issues to be addressed and specific solutions. In addition, the 2nd Meeting of the China-Japan-Korea Ministerial Conference on Maritime Transport and Logistics was held in Okayama Prefecture in May 2008, and the “Okayama Declaration concerning cooperation in the physical distribution sector of North East Asia” (joint communiqué) was adopted in order to enhance the collaboration among the three countries in the logistics sector.

## ○ Measures to strengthen international logistic functions

The ministry enhances the foundation of the international maritime transport network through expanding and deepening the Super-hub Port project, promotes the upgrading of airborne freight functions through enhancing logistics functions at airports in the metropolitan area, and proceeds with international inter-modal transportation.

## ○ Measures to develop an efficient logistics system

In connection with administrative procedures required for import and export processes at ports, the “next-generation single window” started operating in October 2008.

For the purpose of streamlining inter-area logistics the ministry boosts the transport capacities of freight railways, develops ports, railway freight terminals and other distribution nodes, and develops and improves extensive road networks. In order to streamline logistics within urban areas, the ministry supports measures aimed at seeking efficiency in urban logistics through collaboration among local parties concerned.

MLIT is also supporting the development and training of the human resources needed to promote a new logistics service called 3PL (3rd Party Logistics).
Outline of Act on Countermeasures against Flood Damage of Specified Rivers Running Across Cities

“Countermeasures against outside water”: Countermeasures against floods due to breaches of levees “Countermeasures against internal water”: Countermeasures against water exposure due to the inability to remove rainwater in urban areas

Environments with enhanced preparedness against disasters

Note: Tsurumi River (Kanagawa), Shinkawa River (Aichi), Neya River (Osaka) and Tomoe River (Shizuoka) have been designated.

Number of sediment disasters in the past ten years (from 1999 to 2008)

Image of effects of enhanced disaster-preparedness

Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

## ☐ Better disaster prevention arrangement

Aside from the promotion of non-structural measures, including the information and public relations activities concerning safety and security, promotion is implemented for more sophisticated information on disaster prevention. Such promotion includes the following measures: improved hazard maps; the transmission of earthquake early warnings; improvement in the disaster prevention capacities of rural communities, such as measures to care for the elderly, small children, and others with special needs during emergencies; arrangements to boost emergency responsiveness, such as the preparation of the MLIT business continuity plan (BCP); enhancement in monitoring earthquakes and volcanic activities and in systems for releasing relevant information; and upgrading of existing stock by introducing ICTs.

The number of municipalities likely to disclose information on hazard maps for their whole area or parts of their area by the end of March 2009 Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
## ○ Ensuring disaster-resistant transport system

MLIT promotes the development of a disaster-resistant transport system with ensured multiple access and substitutability in order to secure passengers' safety, traffic functions, the transportation and evacuation of citizens, the sick and wounded and emergency supplies in the event of a large-scale disaster. Disaster prevention is also promoted for roads, railways, ports and air transport.

## (3) Ensuring safety of building structures

The Act to Partly Amend the Building Code, intended to ensure tighter control on building certification and related examination, came into effect in June 2007, and the Act to Partly Amend the Act on Registered Architects and Others, designed to enhance the quality and competence of registered architects, was enforced in November 2008. In addition, the Act for Execution of Defect Warranty Liability under the HQAA, which was enacted in May 2007, was partly enforced in April 2008. (This act will be fully enforced in October 2009.)

These acts ensure the reliability of construction and supply systems of houses and buildings.

Efforts are also made to ensure proper response to accidents involving elevators and play facilities, through improved and enhanced periodic reporting systems.

## (4) Reinforcing safety measures in the transport sector

Coordinating and improving the safety management system for public transport

The Act to Partly Amend the Railway Business Act and Others to Improve Safety of Transportation (Comprehensive Transportation Safety Act) came into effect in October 2006 and requires transport business operators to prepare and submit a Safety Management Manual to MLIT, appoint Safety General Managers and notify MLIT regarding such appointment. The ministry has started conducting Transportation Safety Management Assessments. The Assessments recently marked the second anniversary of inauguration, and MLIT has prepared the general overview of its assessments' findings and has summarized them so that they can serve as reference data for other transport operators.
## Railway safety measures

Based on the lessons learned from the JR West Fukuchiyama Line Derailment, MLIT has required business operators to install ATS (automatic train stop) or other speed-control devices at narrow curves, and instructed them to improve methods to identify the causes of incidents (events that could lead to accidents) and utilize such information for future accident prevention. In consideration of the JR East Uetsu Main Line Derailment, deliberation concerning measures against wind blasts is under way, which includes reinforced wind blast observation by railroad operators. Efforts are further taken for preventive measures against accidents at railroad crossings.

## Maritime safety measures

MLIT is working toward improvement in the safety of vessels, through such means as a review of the domestic safety rules and regulations, in line with the amended SOLAS convention (The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1914) to be enforced between 2009 and 2010. MLIT is engaged in securing the safety of navigation through various measures, including the establishment of a maritime accidents analysis center in the Marine Technology Safety Research Institute in September 2008, for sophisticated specialist analysis on maritime accidents; the promotion of safety measures for crew and passengers; the enhancement of the rescue system; an investigation into maritime accidents; and the prevention of recurrences.

## O Aviation safety measures

Starting in October 2006, the ministry imposes an obligation on airlines to report safety related troubles as well as to establish safety management systems. It also reinforces its monitoring of airliners and carries out audits, including those conducted on a no-prior-notice basis. An aviation safety system for safer and smoother aviation traffic is being constructed, through such efforts as introducing full-scale Area Navigation (RNAV) and improving the functions of the Air Traffic Management (ATM) system.

Aircraft determine their current locations based on signals from land-based navigation radio facilities and GPS, and are capable of flexibly setting their flight courses by computing the signals and locations.

## ○ Investigation into causes of accidents involving aircraft, railways and vessels and ensuring the prevention thereof

The Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission released its research results on the crash landing at Kochi airport in March 2007 and the JR East Uetsu Main Line Derailment in December 2005. The Marine Accident Inquiry Agency mainly blamed Atago crew members' carelessness in monitoring, for the collision between the MSDF Aegis destroyer Atago and the fishing boat Seitoku Maru in February 2008, and recommended enforcement of communication, reporting and monitoring systems.
## Road traffic safety measures

The number of people killed or injured in traffic accidents declined in 2008 for the eighth year in a row. Yet nearly one in every 100 people is either killed or seriously injured in a traffic accident. MLIT is taking focused measures to reduce traffic accidents on arterial roads and residential roads, and carries out systematic maintenance of roads to ensure secure and safe road services. The ministry’s comprehensive motor vehicle safety initiative involves expanding and strengthening safety standards, providing safety information through automotive assessments, developing and disseminating Advanced Safety Vehicles (ASV) and improving the motor vehicle recall system. The initiative also enhances protection of accident victims through motor vehicle liability security systems.

## (5) Crisis management and security

## ○ Promoting measures against crime and terrorism

In cooperation with other nations, MLIT proceeds with measures for ensuring transport security, including anti-crime and counterterrorism measures, for all modes of transport and their facilities, as well as secure information and logistics. The ministry is also enhancing countermeasures against pirates.

Number of incidents associated with pirates and armed holdups at sea

Year	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Eastern Asia	175 ( 12)	193 ( 11)	173 ( 7)	117 ( 9)	88 ( 6)	79 ( 5)
Indian Ocean	66 ( 0)	96 ( 1)	41 ( 0)	51 ( 0)	53 ( 1)	40 ( 2)
Africa	70 ( 2)	89 ( 0)	70 ( 0)	73 ( 0)	62 ( 1)	120 ( 3)
Latin America	67 ( 1)	72 ( 0)	46 ( 0)	26 ( 0)	31 ( 0)	25 ( 0)
Others	5 ( 1)	2 ( 0)	0 ( 0)	0 ( 0)	6 ( 0)	18 ( 0)
Total	383 ( 16)	452 ( 12)	330 ( 7)	267 ( 9)	240 ( 8)	282 ( 10)
Category	Under way	In harbor	Unknown	Under way	In harbor	Unknown	Under way	In harbor	Unknown	Under way	In harbor	Unknown
All vessels	102	277	4	207	237	8	145	184	110	153	4	29
Vessels associated with Japan	0	16	0	2	9	1	4	3	0	6	3	0

Note: Figures in upper lines represent the number of incidents involving any country’s vessels. (Source: International Maritime Organization)

Figures in the brackets represent the number of incidents involving Japan-affiliated vessels, including Japanese-flag vessels and foreign vessels operated by Japanese businesses. (Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)

## ○ Establishing responsiveness to incidents

In preparation for incidents and disasters involving vessels, aircrafts or railways, MLIT has established disaster headquarters to implement prompt and adequate measures. In addition, it reinforces collaboration with relevant organizations in response to accidents and disasters at sea. MLIT is striving to establish a system that is capable of prompt and effective response to pollution accidents at sea associated with oil or other harmful liquid substances.

## ○ Enhancement of maritime safety system

The maritime safety system has been enhanced through the promotion and improvement of operation structure and measures against terrorism, suspicious ships, spy boats and maritime crimes.
## ☐ Preservation of Japan’s marine interests

To ensure Japan’s sovereignty in its territorial sea, the ministry properly guards such waters, and conducts resources development and ocean investigation in Japan’s vast exclusive economic zones surrounding its territorial sea. In addition, the ministry promotes the improvement of basic information through conducting, in a focused manner, surveys of ocean floor topography, crustal structures, and territorial sea baselines in areas for which it does not have sufficient data. The ministry proceeded with surveys necessary to establish the outer limits of the continental shelf and completed the surveys in June 2008. Then, based on the decision regarding the outer limits of continental shelf made by the Headquarters for Ocean Policy, the submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf was made. The ministry will take appropriate responses to the examination by the Commission. MLIT also works to conserve Okinotorishima Island.

## National security and protection of lives and property of Japanese people

The Plan on Protection of Citizens has been formulated through the joint efforts of MLIT, the Geographical Survey Institute, the Japan Meteorological Agency and the Japan Coast Guard with the aim of addressing possible armed attacks on the country to transport evacuees. In response to the launching of ballistic missiles by North Korea in July 2006 and the statement on nuclear tests issued by the same country in October of the same year, measures have been taken to put all North Korean vessels under embargo and to verify information on the entry of any North Korean vessel into Japanese ports.

## Countermeasures against pandemic influenza

MLIT formulated the MLIT Action Plan to Address Pandemic Influenza, and in case of an outbreak overseas, it will take defense measures, including concentrating medical inspection on selected airports and port facilities and limiting international airline services and passenger vessel services. In case of an outbreak in Japan, it will take measures for public transport facilities and measures to geographically contain epidemics. The Japan Coast Guard has also formulated the Japan Coast Guard Action Plan to Address Pandemic Influenza and will take every possible defense measure together with relevant ministries. It will monitor and control illegal immigrants from any country affected by an epidemic.
## Chapter 7: Creating and Conserving a Beautiful and Favorable Environment

## (1) Promoting measures against global warming

## ○ Implementation of plans to achieve targets set under the Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol Target Achievement Plan (approved by the Cabinet in 2005) was fully revised, following a discussion on targets and measures in March 2008, just before the first commitment period. The ministry will take all possible steps to attain the plan’s goal without fail by promoting energy efficiency and the use of new energy sources in the transport sector as well as in the housing and building areas of the consumer sector, the construction engineering areas of the industrial sector and in sewage lines, and by increasing carbon sinks through urban greening.

In addition, the ministry is promoting the formation of low-carbon urban and rural structures and low-carbon socioeconomic systems, and the experimental implementation of emissions trading in the domestic integrated market (approved by Global Warming Prevention Headquarters in October 2008).

## Measures in the transport sector

In order to reduce $ CO_{2} $ emissions in the transport sector, MLIT is implementing measures aimed at individual motor vehicles, including improving fuel consumption, developing systems to higher fuel performance, a green tax plan for motor vehicles and developing the next generation of low emission vehicles. At the same time it is making efforts to increase the awareness of driving methods through the promotion and dissemination of economical driving. The ministry is also proceeding with promoting environmental measures in the transport sector by achieving smooth road traffic flows and enhanced coordination between logistics business operators and corporate shippers through the holding of Green Logistics Partnership Conferences and similar initiatives. The ministry is promoting the use of public transport by making it more convenient through the introduction of IC cards and the improvement of transport connections.
Furthermore, pursuant to the Act on the Rational Use of Energy (Energy Conservation Act) designed to further reduce CO $ _{2} $ emissions, the ministry will promote additional measures for achieving higher energy efficiency in the transport sector by using regular reports presented by logistics business operators and specified shippers.

## Measures concerning houses, buildings, sewerage and urban greening

Law concerning of the Rational Use of Energy (Energy Conservation Act), revised in 2005, has stipulated mandatory reports concerning energy saving measures for the new construction, renovation, and major improvement of housing and the major improvement of other buildings. The revision in May 2008 aims at introducing measures to further improve the energy performance of housing, including enhanced collateral measures in the case of large-sized buildings' failure to meet energy efficiency standards.

In addition, the ministry also develops and disseminates CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency), and takes special measures to cut income tax and fixed asset tax for those who have met some requirements concerning energy-efficient renovation of existing housing.

MLIT is also promoting the reduction of government facilities’ environmental loads, advancing the popularization of symbiosis housing, taking measures to improve sewage systems and urban districts, and promoting urban greening (planting) and other provisions for carbon sinks,

## (2) Promoting a sound material-cycle society

## ○ Promoting the recycling of construction materials

MLIT is committed to promoting, reducing, recycling and restraining the generation of construction waste and sewage sludge (Both of which accounts for about 20 percent of waste discharged from all industries).