## (Supporting a variety of life styles)

For the purpose of realizing a wider variety of people’s daily life and diversified life styles, and also of increasing the number of people who will lead local cultural activities and the creation of new demands in rural societies, the ministry promotes the support for those who are willing to live and be active in two regions at the same time or to make “UJI turns,” for example by facilitating the provision of timeshare housing.

## (Realizing a balance between work and private life)

By facilitating the introduction of information technology-based telework, which allows flexible ways of living unconstrained by workplace and time, the ministry works toward realizing harmony between work and private life (striking a balance between work and private life.)

## (5) Supporting cross-regional and global-level activities of our life

Apart from support measures in living areas, the ministry comprehensively supports people’s daily life among extensive connections, through, for example, the improvement and development of arterial roads and Shinkansen lines, the improvement of international aviation functions, the streamlining of physical distribution, the development of a tourism-oriented country, and reinforced countermeasures against global warming, and other rather intangible support measures.

(a) Construction of infrastructures, including extensive infrastructure improvement that supports people’s daily life and Japan’s economy

## (Improvement, effective use and enhancement of road networks)

In order to support industrial promotion, which is essential for regional self-reliance and enhanced competitiveness, and to improve access to tourism destinations and sophisticated medical facilities, the ministry pushes forward the improvement and development of high-standard arterial roads and other road networks. At the same time, it promotes the improvement of residential arterial roads, so as to formulate self-reliant areas by organically connecting regional resources through road networks.

In addition, to respond to policy issues, such as regional invigoration, the streamlining of physical distribution and the elimination of severe traffic jams in urban areas, MLIT pushes forward the effective use and enhancement of existing expressway networks, through the improvement of ring road systems and the reduction in expressway tolls.

## (Improving and developing Shinkansen lines)

The ministry pushes forward the improvement of Shinkansen lines, which are high-speed, safe and environment-friendly mass-transport facilities serving as the framework of Japan’s national territory. In this way, MLIT works to realize regional invigoration and closer ties between regions by significantly reducing travel times and welcoming more tourists.

## (Enhancing convenience in international travel)

By making the best use of increases in airport capacity in metropolitan areas following the completion of Haneda airport’s offshore runway, which is set to commence operation in 2010, and the extension of the northern parallel runway at Narita airport, and by promoting the integrated use of the two airports, the ministry will expand the maximum use of international aviation in metropolitan area to 24-hour operation. The ministry also works toward making the best use of Kansai International Airport and Chubu International Airport, which operate round the clock, as they are geographically and economically closer to other Asian countries. In addition, the ministry continuously pushes forward negotiations toward aviation liberalization based on the Asian Gateway Initiative.

## (Improving access to airports)

The ministry pushes forward the development and installation of the Narita New High-Speed Railway, which will have world-class capacity to swiftly deliver passengers to the airport, so that the railway will go into service in FY2010. The ministry also proceeds with the examination and discussion on how to cut the travel time between Narita and Haneda airports to less than one hour, and how to reduce