Initiative taker	Description
Chugoku Kanko Mission Renraku Kaigi	This liaison council comprises municipalities, business organizations, and tourism-related organizations in Hokkaido. To lure tourists to Hokkaido, the council sends missions made up of people from the public and private sectors to China and hold seminars and business meeting sessions there. The council also invites travel agencies from China for inspection tours.
YOKOSO! JAPAN Tohoku Jikko Iinkai	This committee consists of municipalities, business organizations, and tourism-related organizations in six prefectures: Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, and Fukushima. The committee invites travel agencies and the media from the United States, Rep.Korea, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong for inspection tours, symposia and business meeting sessions. The committee also provides promotion programs to a Chinese satellite station to be aired.
Fuji-Hakone-Izu International Tourism Association	This association is made up of municipalities and tourism-related organizations in three prefectures: Kanagawa, Yamanashi and Shizuoka. Its activities include: organizing and promoting tourist routes; publishing brochures and designing its websites in English, Korean and Chinese; setting up information offices and signposts; and inviting travel agencies from Rep.Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Hokuriku Kokusai Kanko Tema Chiku Suishin Kyogikai	This council comprises, made up of municipalities and tourism-related organizations in three prefectures: Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui. The council invites government officials and travel agencies from Liaoning, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, which are on good terms with the three prefectures, for inspection tours and business meeting sessions.
Tokai Chiku Gaikokujin Kankokyaku Yuchi Sokushin Kyogikai	This council consists of municipalities and tourism-related organizations in four prefectures: Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi and Mie. The council works with the Japan Association for the 2005 World Exposition. Main activities include: publishing promotional brochures in English and Chinese; holding promotional meetings in Rep.Korea and China; supporting promotional campaigns in Rep.Korea, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong; and inviting travel agencies and the media from abroad for inspection tours.
Kansai Council	This council is made up of municipalities and economic organizations in nine prefectures: Fukui, Mie, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama and Tokushima. It invites travel agencies and the media from Rep.Korea and Taiwan for “hands-on programs that combine tangible and intangible world heritages in Kansai with neighboring tourist attractions.
Chugoku Chiiki Kanko Suishin Kyogikai	This council comprises municipalities, business organizations, and tourism-related organizations in five prefectures: Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi. Its activities include designing a website that provides tourist information on the Chugoku block in Japanese, English, Korean and Chinese.
Tottori and Kagawa prefectures	The two prefectures work together to lure chartered flights to Takamatsu, Yonago and Tottori airports and thus commercialize broad-based tourist routes. For example, they hold fairs designed to promote local tourism and specialties in Taiwan and send promotional missions abroad.
Minami Kyushu Kanko Koiki Ruto Renraku Kyogikai	This council consists of three prefectures: Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Kagoshima. To lure visitors from China to play golf in Japan during winter and other seasons, the council invites golf magazine reporters, gold program creators, golf course owners and travel agency for inspection tours.
Okinawa Prefecture, etc.	Local governments and tourism-related organizations in Okinawa Prefecture join forces to lure tourists from regional cities in Rep.Korea, including those for which direct flights are unavailable, to Okinawa via Shanghai. To this end, they invite travel agencies from such cities.

Source: MLIT

○Relocation of manufacturing bases overseas and its impact on regions

As more and more manufacturers relocated their production bases overseas, regions in particular suffered from a decline in new plant constructions until recently. In 2003, new plant constructions rebounded—a sign that the trend of overseas expansion is waning.

Note: Tokyo area: Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba Nagoya area: Aichi, Gifu and Mie

Osaka area: Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto and Nara

Regions: Prefectures not included in any of the three areas.

Source: Compiled from Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Kojo Ritchi Doko Chosa [Survey on New Plant Constructions]