Blocks and also with References on Formation of Larger Blocks for Promoting Urban Development.

## 3 Approaching National Strategic Special Districts

Since the “Act on National Strategic Special Districts” came into effect in December 2013, the MLIT has been committed to comprehensively and intensively driving drastic regulatory reforms and other measures, including special measuers under the Building Standards Law, Road Act and City Planning Act, to target the projects that are pursued by the national and local governments and private sectors working in a united effort in a state-designated National Strategic Special District.

## Section 4 Promoting Localized Promotion Measures

## Measures Drected at Heavy Snowfall Areas

The MLIT not only promotes the availability of transport and the development of the living environment and national land management facilities under the “Act on Special Measures concerning Countermeasures for Heavy Snowfall Areas” but also conducts surveys for safe, comfortable community planning. As of April 2013, 532 municipalities were specified as heavy-snowfall areas (201 of which were designated as special heavy-snowfall areas).

## 2 Promoting Remote Islands Development

The MLIT has supported remote islands development pursuant to the remote islands development plans worked out by the prefectures in accordance with the Amended Remote Islands Development Act, which came into full effect in April 2013 not only by appropriating lump-sum budgets for the implementation of public works projects, but also extending Remote Islands Rejuvenation Grants, inaugurated since FY2013, to encourage settlement in remote islands, as by fostering industries and increasing employment, accelerating the scope of exchanges, as by promoting tourism, improve and consolidate safe and secure settlement conditions and so on.

## 3 Promoting and Developing the Amami Islands and Ogasawara Islands

The MLIT accelerates improvement on the underlying conditions, promotion of industries and tourism, etc. through the implementation of promotion and development and other projects based on the Act on Special Measures for Promotion and Development of the Amami Islands and the Act on Special Measures for Promotion and Development of the Ogasawara Islands. On March 28, 2014, a bill for extending and making amendments to these two Acts on Special Measures was approved to foster industries and increase employment to suit regional characteristics and better the settlement environment for accelerated settlement in a bid to achieve self-reliant and sustainable growth.

## 4 Promoting Peninsulas

The MLIT supports development of peninsular loop roads, etc. and the promotion, etc. of industries in the peninsular areas under development (as of April 2013, 23 areas spanning 194 municipalities in 22 prefectures) based on the peninsular areas development plans prepared by municipalities in accordance with the “Peninsular Areas Development Act.”

In addition to surveys on collecting and analyzing information necessary to enforce the Peninsular Areas Development Act, experimental surveys relevant to the formation of infrastructures that allow various stakeholders in the peninsular areas to approach regional revitalization and also to the advancement of inter-peninsular collaboration to consolidate required knowledge and disseminate it locally with a view to driving the self-reliant growth of the peninsular areas.