(5) Promoting community-conscious projects and programs

## (i) Michi-no-eki (Roadside Station)

Located roadside, a Michi-no-eki is a facility that combines a mix of roadside amenities, including parking spaces and restrooms, sources of information, including highway and regional information, and a forum of regional partnerships, which encourages interaction between a region and users of the roads in that region and between regions. As of March 2016, 1,079 Michi-no-ekis are registered.

Efforts have progressed in recent years to set up Michi-no-ekis as hubs of regional revitalization nationwide by attracting many visitors through featuring local specialties and tourist resources, thereby creating regional employment, reactivating economies, and helping improve resident services. As a framework to provide focused support to these efforts in coordination with relevant organizations,

the priority Michi-no-eki system was created in FY 2014. In addition to six national model michi-no-ekis and 35 priority michi-no-ekis selected then, 38 priority michi-no-ekis were newly selected in FY 2015.

## (ii) Support system for river-town development

In order to revitalize rivers that show various shapes from the mouth to the source and communities connected to them, we are promoting the formation of favorable spaces where rivers and towns integrate by formulating and registering plans for river-town development that utilizes rivers with practical use of resources; such as landscape, history, culture and foundation for tourism; and inventive wisdom of the district, under coordination among municipalities, private businesses, local residents, and river administrators.

## (iii) Managing rivers with resident participation to suit regional characteristics

Those individuals who possess an expert knowledge of river environments and who are zealous for the idea of good river development are appointed river environment preservation monitors to help create and preserve river environments and carry out meticulous activities aimed at ensuring and promoting orderly river usage. Love river monitors are also at work, collecting information about river management, such as locating cases of illegal garbage dumping into rivers and detecting flaws in the river facilities, and promoting the philosophy of river preservation.

Further, with the inauguration of a river cooperation organization designation program, the MLIT designates those private organizations, etc. that pursue activities voluntary relevant to the development, maintenance, etc. of river environments as river cooperation organizations and legally accredits them as an organization working in conjunction with a river administrator, with a view to promoting their organized voluntary activities and driving diverse modes of river management tailored to specific regional conditions.

## (iv) Supporting efforts to take advantage of the regional features of the seaside

With the aim of stimulating the use of the seaside and enhancing its charms as tourist resources, we support seaside environment development projects in which active seaside usage plans are formulated and seaside preservation facilities are developed according to the plans.

Since a seaside cooperation organization designation program was inaugurated, the MLIT will designates those