competitiveness leveraging private vitalities.

## Section 2

## Promoting Measures Supporting Regional Revitalization

## Efforts Directed at Augment Regional and Private Self-reliance and Discretion

## (1) Expanding and improving on administration on various subsidies

The “Regional Renovation Infrastructures Reinforcement Subsidies” are a cross-ministerial package of subsidies that are granted to help develop functionally similar facilities in clusters in accordance with a regional renovation plan. The package comprises the “Road Development Subsidy” (municipal roads, wide-area agricultural roads or forest roads), the “Sewage Treatment Facility Development Subsidy” (public sewerage, village drainage or septic tanks) and the “Harbor Development Subsidy” (local harbor facilities or Category 1 or 2 fishing port facilities). As of the end of March 2015, 1,870 regional renovation plans were accredited. The “Regional Renovation Infrastructures Reinforcement Subsidies” are used to finance facilities development in the projects based on 1,168 of these regional renovation plans.

## (2) Supporting local regional revitalization efforts

It also awards “Handmade Hometown Prizes” Note $ ^{1} $ to promote further approaches to individualistic and charming regional planning. In FY2014, 19 ingeniously elaborated projects won prizes (four in the grand prize category, 15 in the general prize category), including regional festivity creation and hometown development projects. In addition, case studies of tourism town development planning focusing on infrastructures and tourism have been created, and information that is instrumental in regional development planning, such as case studies of successful regional development acvity, are being disseminated to subscribers to an online email magazine Note $ ^{2} $ .

## (3) Promoting use of know-how and funds originating from private sectors

Excellent private urban redevelopment projects, such as those linked with an urban renaissance and development project undertaken by a local public entity and accredied by the Minister of MLIT are entitled to investment, joint implementation or any other form of support granted from general incorporated foundation Organization for Promoting Urban Development (hereinafter simply called “MINT”). Support is also extended to a resident-participation community development fund, which subsidizes community development projects carried out with local resident parcipation or the like.

The MLIT supports those projects relating to the diffusion and promotion of know-how, etc. that is possessed by private associations advanced in the practice of Example of a private urban redevelopment project accredited by the Minister of MLIT

Ofunato Spa

Source) MLIT

community development activities and that leads to continuing sources of certain profitability in the course of such activities so it can be horizontally extended to other associations about to embark on similar activities, or those experimental approaches, etc. relevant to ingenious, advanced private community development activities, in its bid to make the concept of sustainable community development with community participation come true through maintenance and betterment of community charms and vitalities and get it come to stay.

In addition, studies are in progress toward the realization of measures aimed at combating aging expressways in conjunction with urban renaissance activity, using the Tsukiji River and other sections of the Metropolitan Expressways as model cases, on the basis of amendments to the Road Act, etc. in FY2014 that opened the way for usage of upper open