# Chapter 4 Promoting Regional Revitalization

## Section 1 Approaches to Regional Revitalization

The government recognizes regional revitalization as a key issue and pursues a policy of achieving regional revitalization from cross-ministerial and cross-measure perspectives under a scheme of integrated governance (Integrated Headquarters for Regional Revitalization).

As part of this effort, a fourth international forum was held in Higashi Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture in December 2014 to publicize the “Environmental Future City” initiative to the world.

In the work of its designation of six National Strategic Special Zones, including Tokyo, in May 2014 as a breakthrough to bold regulatory reforms, etc., the MLIT now hastens to implement specific projects. In March 2015, local public entities eager to realize regional revitalization through regulatory reforms were named “Regional Revitalization Special Zones.”

The Comprehensive Special Zone System offers comprehensive support, such as holding sessions of consultation on preferential measures, etc. for regulations necessary to make approaches taken in the individual Special Zones come true. The Structural Reform Special Zone System introduces regulatory reform in selected regions to propel structural reforms in those regions for regional revitalization. Preferential deregulation measures tailored to regional characteristics, such as an easing of use categorizations in reclaimed land in public waters (measures taken in FY2014) were introduced. Under the regional revitalization program, financial and banking aids have been extended to the voluntary, self-reliant efforts being made by local governments to provide an integrated, effective impetus to the goals of rejuvenating local economies, creating job opportunities locally and so on.

In September 2014, the Headquarters for Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy was set up to provide integrated governmental solutions to the major issues of rapidly diminishing and fast aging populations facing Japan so that the individual regions will be able to create an autonomous and sustainable society each by leveraging their own characteristics.

In December of the same year, the Headquarters formulated “Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economies: Long-term Vision” to set forth a key recognition of population issues and “Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economies: Comprehensive Strategy” to present policy objectives for the five years to come and basic directions, etc. of the measures to be taken, driving approaches to overcoming the issues of diminishing populations and revitalizing regions across the government ministries and agencies concerned and also across discrete measures.

Because more of the local residents’ voices need to be heeded in promoting the endeavors for regional revitalization, the governmental system of consultation has been molded into a one-stop sequence to follow up the endeavors for regional renovation in a fully integrated flow for each regional block. A regional revitalization concierge staffed by governmental workers, etc. and a regional revitalization support program were launched to provide positive impetus to the efforts made by local public entities at the same time.

The MLIT has also been working to impel community revitalization by forming “Small Stations” in hilly and mountainous areas, downsizing regional cities and promoting networked transportation, forging allied core metropolitan areas with multiple municipalities that ally with one another for the sake of integrated advanced urban facilities and better livelihood services and accelerating multi-generation-ready housing and community development linked with comprehensive regional care systems in metropolitan suburbs. In the meantime, the MLIT is also at work, creating tourist areas, securing, fostering and otherwise supporting leaders in the construction, shipbuilding, transportation and other industries underlying regional economies and promoting cohabitation in a sheer manner to keep jobs and people creating positive cycles.

The MLIT has also been driving nationwide urban renaissance, as through the development, etc. of public and public-benefit facilities in a public-private partnership, as well as urban renaissance aimed at enhancement, etc. urban international