As of the end of FY 2014, city parks were maintained at 105,744 locations nationwide, covering 122,839ha, or about 10.2m $ ^{2} $ per capita. National parks were visited by about 40.29 million people in the year as of the end of FY 2015, with 17 locations being developed and maintained.

## (2) Forming a green urban environment

The MLIT is providing comprehensive support in financial and technical aspects, pursuant to the initiatives based on the “Green Master Plan” formulated by municipalities to properly respond to the global environmental issues, such as global warming and biodiversity preservation, and to aim at realizing green-rich city environment by preserving and forming a good natural environment. Specifically, the MLIT is promoting preservation of greenery by advancing the development of green-rich city parks using the social capital development general grant, etc., and utilizing the Special Green Space Conservation District Program, which aims to protect planting of greenery by restricting the construction of buildings or purchasing land, and the Citizen Green Space Program, which makes green spaces available to citizens under contract. Greening of private land is also being promoted through the Green Space System and the District Plan Greening Ratio Ordinance System. Furthermore, we are facilitating the conservation of multi-function agricultural land within urban areas through the Production Greenland Area System.

Along with holding events like national “Protecting Greenery” gatherings and National City Greening Fairs to gain public awareness regarding greening, MLIT is working on various measures such as awarding certificates of commendation for people promoting greening, as well as evaluating/certifying greening/green area conservation efforts by businesses.

## (3) Efforts toward city's co-existence with greenery and agriculture

In response to growing appreciation of diverse functions of urban agriculture and other factors, the Basic Act on Promotion of Urban Agriculture was established in April 2015, and the Basic Plan on Promotion of Urban Agriculture is being developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture.

In addition, we are making efforts to realize city development where cities co-exist with greenery and agriculture, such as by surveying on initiatives that contribute to formation of good urban environments that are in harmony with greenery and agriculture and the demonstration of diverse functions of urban city.

## 2 Advancing Roads that Prioritize Pedestrians and Bicycle Riders

### a. Creating people-oriented, safe, and secure walking spaces

To achieve social safety and security, it is important to make people-oriented walking spaces that assure pedestrian safety. In particular, based on the results of an emergency joint inspection that was carried out in FY 2012, we are advancing efforts to improve school routes used by children who walk to school. Schools, the Board of Education, road administrators, police, and other related organizations have worked together to implement traffic safety measures such as maintaining sidewalks, painting colors on curbs, and installing guardrails, as well as implementing joint periodic inspections based on the “School Route Traffic Safety Program” to ensure the safety and security of children through these enhanced measures.

### b. Creating a safe and comfortable cycling environment

Bicycles play important roles as accessible means of transportation, but the number of accidents that involve bicycle and pedestrian remains high in the past 10 years while the total number of traffic accidents decreased by 40 percent during the same period. This indicates we need a safer, more comfortable environment for cyclists. In light of this, the MLIT is promoting efforts to create a safe and comfortable environment for cyclists by promulgating the “Guidelines for Creating a Safe and Comfortable Cycling Environment” (November 2012, MLIT, National Police Agency), so that municipalities are encouraged to work on the formulation of bicycle network plans and development by such means as reallocating road space.