(Enactment of the Law for Establishing Special Zones for Reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake)

In order to facilitate smooth and prompt reconstruction from the Disaster, “the Law for Establishing Special Zones for Reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake” was enacted on December 7, 2011. Under the system of establishing special reconstruction zones based on this law, municipalities that were damaged by the Disaster in all or a part of the regions (227 municipalities as of the end of April 2012) can develop plans independently or jointly to take advantage of special provisions which allow them to select the special provisions that are suited to deal with their damage situations, are in line with their directions of reconstruction and are available for utilization. The special measures available include (1) simplification of procedures for permission and authorization as well as for zoning, (2) utilization of new project models for integrated exchange and development of building lots and farmlands, (3) moderation of occupancy qualifications for public housings, etc., and (4) distribution of reconstruction grants that may be used for a package of wide-ranging supporting projects necessary to rebuild communities undertaken by municipalities in severely damaged areas, etc. The reconstruction grants (covered under the third supplemental budget for fiscal 2011, totaling approximately ¥1.93 trillion on a project-cost basis and approximately ¥1.56 trillion on a national-expenditure basis) are distributed for core projects (40 projects by five ministries, out of which 23 are related to

### Chart. 25 Available amounts (project expenditures) (first + second rounds) of reconstruction grants

Iwate	(14 cities, towns and villages)	¥193.78 bln
Miyagi	(22 cities and towns)	¥313.98 bln
Fukushima	(22 cities, towns and villages)	¥97.47 bln
Others	(24 cities, towns and villages)	¥16.66 bln
Total	(82 cities, towns and villages)	¥621.91 bln

Note : The total may not coincide with the total of each line due to rounding of fractions

Source : Developed by MLIT from data of the Reconstruction Agency

### Chart. 26 Main projects covered under available grants

MLIT) that are hardware projects, etc., necessary to rebuild communities including such projects as collective relocation of communities to uplands and improvement of fishing ports, etc., as well as related projects undertaken by municipalities with a view to enhancing the positive effects of such core projects. With additional national subsidies and additional tax allocations to municipalities, they give due consideration to the burden on localities.

As to allocable grants, the Reconstruction Agency issued the first notice (for a total project fund of ¥305.32 billion) in March 2012, and the second notice (for a total project fund of ¥316.59 billion) in May 2012. The breakdown, in terms of amounts, shows that development of public housings for disaster victims accounts for 29%, projects to promote collective relocation for disaster prevention 28%, and measures for slide and collapse of building lots 5%.

### Chart. 27 Reconstruction grants for 23 project models undertaken by MLIT (out of 40 core projects by five ministries)

* Projects covered under the third supplemental budget: during the overall reconstruction period, contents of projects may change

• Road project (roads to connect different parts of urban areas)

• Road project (improvement of roads related to relocation to uplands, etc. (land readjustment))

• Road project (improvement of roads as measures against disasters/quakes)

• Project to construct public housing for disaster victims (construction of public housing for disaster victims, support project for land acquisition, preparation for public housings for disaster victims)

• Project to lower rents of public housing for disaster victims

• Special project to lower rents of public housing for victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake (new)

• Project to improve such stocks as public housing (improvement for quake resistance, improvement of elevators)

• Project to improve residential areas (removal of inadequate houses, construction of better houses, etc.)

• Project to improve small-scale residential areas (removal of inadequate houses, construction of small, better houses, etc.)

• Project to comprehensively improve urban residential areas (revitalization and development of urban residential areas)

• Project to develop structures of good performance (supply of urban houses, voluntary development, etc.)

Source: MLIT

• Project to build safe stocks as houses/structures (project to improve quake resistance of houses & structures)

• Project to build safe stocks as houses/structures (project to relocate houses built close to cliffs and other dangerous places)

Emergency project to prevent slide and collapse of housing lots (new)

• Project to develop bases for reconstruction from tsunami in urban areas (new)

• Project to redevelop urban areas

• Project to readjust land for urban revitalization (readjustment of land to develop disaster-hit urban areas, etc.)

• Project to readjust land for urban revitalization (measure against liquefaction of urban areas)

• Project to promote disaster prevention in cities (measure against liquefaction of urban areas)

• Project to comprehensively promote disaster prevention in cities (development of plans such as tsunami simulation)

• Project related to sewage

• Project related to parks

• Project to promote collective relocation for disaster prevention