(Development of main roads)

Because of the task of driving road policies in association with social and economic reconstruction after World War II, the Act on Special Measures concerning Road Construction and Improvement was established in 1952 and the system of toll roads in Japan started. The Act on Temporary Measures concerning Funding of Road Development Expenses was established in 1953, which provided for use of gasoline tax as special revenues for road construction as well as systematic promotion of road development by setting road development goals and project volumes in Five-Year Road Development Programs. The first Five-Year Road Development Program was formulated in 1954.

Source) MLIT

Roads in Japan after the end of World War II were so

severely dilapidated and insufficient that the report of the Watkins Commission published in 1956 warned, “The roads of Japan are incredibly bad. No other industrial nation has so completely neglected its highway system” (Figure 1-2-26).

Five-Year Road Development Programs were formulated until the 11th Five-Year Road Development Program in 1997, contributing to rapid improvement of Japan’s levels of road development.

## (Comprehensive National Development Plan)

The Comprehensive National Development Plan presents medium to long-term land plans in order to establish desirable national land while responding to issues faced by local regions and changing times.

The Plan was reviewed every seven to 10 years since the formulation of the First Comprehensive National Development Plan in 1962, establishing the New Comprehensive National Development Plan in 1969, Third Comprehensive National Development Plan in 1977, the Fourth Comprehensive National Development Plan in 1987, and the Grand Design for the 21st Century in 1998. Under these medium to long-term plans, infrastructure has been developed in line with the needs of the times (Figure 1-2-27).

Figure 1-2-27 First Comprehensive National Development Plan

First Comprehensive National Development Plan	New Comprehensive National Development Plan	Third Comprehensive National Development Plan	Fourth Comprehensive National Development Plan	Grand Design for the 21st Century
Cabinet decision	October 5, 1962	May 30, 1969	November 4, 1977	June 30, 1987	March 31, 1998
Background	1 Transition to rapidly growing economy
2 Overpopulated city issues and widening income gaps
3 Income doubling plan (Pacific Belt Zone Initiative)	1 Rapidly growing economy
2 Concentration of population and industries in major metropolitan cities
3 Progress in informatization, internationalization, technological innovation	1 Consistently growing economy
2 Signs of decentralization of population and industries
3 Finiteness of land resources, energy and the like that became visible	1 Overconcentration of population and various functions in Tokyo
2 Serious employment problems in regions outside metropolitan areas due to rapid changes in industrial structures
3 Progress of full-scale internationalization	1 Global era (global environmental issues, fierce competition, exchanges with Asian nations)
2 Era of depopulation and aging
3 Era of advanced computerization
Target year	1970	1985	About 10 years from 1977	Around 2000	From 2010 to 2015
Basic goal	Balanced development between regions	Rich environment creation	Development of an integrated human living environment	Multipolar distributed national land building	Laying of groundwork for multiaxial national land structure formation
Development method, etc.	Site-based development method
It is necessary to diversify industries to achieve the goal of realizing balanced development between regions. To this end, we facilitate deployment of development bases that relate to the existing concentration areas such as Tokyo and cause them to communicate organically through transportation and communication facilities to influence each other and, at the same time, push forward chain reaction development, leveraging the characteristics of the surrounding areas.	Large-scale development project initiative
By establishing transportation networks such as Shinkansen and expressways to drive forward large-scale projects, correct the eccentric use of land and resolve overpopulation/depopulation and regional gaps.	Settlement initiative
While restraining the concentration of population and industries in major metropolitan areas, revive other regions to counter overpopulation/depopulation problems, aiming to facilitate balanced use of land in Japan and create a total environment for human inhabitation.	Exchange network initiative
Build a multipolar and diversified national land by (i) pushing forward regional development with ingenuity and devices, leveraging regional characteristics, (ii) developing main transportation, information and communications systems by the hand of government or promoting the development across Japan based on the government's leading guidelines, (iii) creating various opportunities for exchanges in coordination among national and local governments and private sector organizations.	Participation and coordination -Land development with participation by various entities and regional coordination-
(Four strategies)
1 Create nature rich residential areas (e.g., small cities, regions of farming and fishing villages, hilly and mountainous areas)
2 Renovate metropolitan areas (Fix, renew and utilize urban spaces)
3 Form regional cooperation corridors (groups of regional coordination on the axis)
4 International spheres of interaction on a large scale (forma-tion of areas with international exchange functions)

Source) MLIT