Silviase/jgov_v1.4_full_ann huggingface dataset:
### b. Forming long-lasting quality stocks

## (a) Housing quality assurance

A 10-year defect liability obligation has been mandated for the basic structural part of new housing in accordance with the “Housing Quality Assurance Promotion Act”. At the same time, a housing performance marking program has been put into effect for objective assessment of the basic performance characteristics of new and existing houses, such as earthquake-resistance, energy-saving measures, preventing measures against deterioration, etc. In FY 2015, Housing Design Performance Assessment Reports were issued for 200,050 houses to assess them in their stage of design documentation, Constructed Housing Performance Assessment Reports (New House) were issued for 168,514 houses to evaluate them on-site inspection, and Constructed Housing Performance Assessment Reports (Existing House) were issued for 388 existing houses.

Disputes arising in connection with houses that have been subjected to a constructed housing performance evaluation are to be promptly and legitimately settled by local bar associations that are a designated housing dispute settlement agency, with support from the Center for Housing Renovation and Dispute Settlement Support. The Center also accepts applications for consultation on housing issues. In FY 2015, there were 31 cases of application for dispute processing regarding a house for which a constructed housing performance evaluation report was issued by designated housing dispute processing agency, and 900 cases of consultation regarding a house for which a constructed housing performance evaluation report was issued by the same center.

## (b) Approaches to longer-lasting housing

The MLIT pursues the dissemination of housing that is structured and equipped to meet or exceed certain levels of performance requirements, such as durability and ease of maintenance and management (“Long-lasting Quality Housing”) under the Act on the Promotion of Dissemination of Long-Lasting Quality Housing. (Certified houses in FY 2015: 104,633).

We are also supporting progressive approaches to renovation that contributes to the longevity of existing housing.

## (c) Promotion of wooden housing

Based on the needs of the public for wooden houses, such as that more than 70% of the public prefer wooden houses $ ^{Note} $ , the MLIT supports not only the construction of long-lasing quality wooden housing, certified law-carbon housing and zero-energy housing by a group of contractors working in the entire process of housing, from supplying local timber and other materials, to designing and constructing housing, but also the development of human resources relevant to the construction of wooden housing, with the aim of creating quality wooden housing stock.

In addition, in order to develop general methods of designing buildings using CLT in early FY 2016, technical examinations such as full-size testing are ongoing.
land and commercial land.

## (2) Present status and problems in housing land supply

We are steadily implementing housing land measures based on population and household trends. The Urban Renaissance Agency now works only on the new town projects that have already been initiated. The MLIT also supports the development of public facilities relevant to the development of housing land, and offers preferential tax measures to promote the supply of housing land furnished with a good dwelling environment.

## (3) Using fixed-term land leases

A fixed-term land lease—in which the land lease ends for certain at the determined contract term and there is no renewal of the land lease—is an effective system for making residential acquisition at a low cost possible.

In order to spread this system smoothly, we are clarified, among other things, the tax treatment of the system for paying a rent as an up-front lump sum.

## (4) Revitalizing aging new towns

The large-scale urban housing areas (New Town) that were systematically developed mainly in the suburbs of the metropolitan areas during the economic boom period are facing issues of decline in community vitality resulting from the quickly aging population and the continued decrease in population. There is a growing need for renewing the dilapidated housing and communal facilities as well as improving the functions that support daily life, in order to renovate these new town areas into cities that are easy to live in for everyone.

Also, with the aim of contributing to the revitalization of aging new towns, we are providing information on the methods and case examples of initiatives by residents, business proprietors and landowners/leaseholders for maintaining and enhancing a good regional environment and regional value.

Section 2

## Realizing Comfortable Living Environments

## 1 Developing City Parks and Forming a Good Urban Environment

## (1) Status of development of city parks and approaches to upgrading them

Because city parks are key facilities laid out to fill diversified public needs, national government parks, the development of national government parks, disaster preparedness parks, and the preservation of time-honored cities and green spaces have been implemented efficiently and on a planned basis, with primary emphasis on: a. Building a safe and secure municipality furnished with disaster preparedness parks that could serve as evacuation sites; b. Building safe and secure community sites to address the issues of an aging population with falling birthrates; c. Preserving and shaping a good natural environment that aids in building a recycling-oriented society and addressing global environmental issues; and d. Building sites for advancing tourism that takes advantage of regional characteristics or for inter-regional exchanges or collaboration.

Figure II-5-2-1

Miharashi Hills of Hitachi Seaside Parke,

a reviving tourism base (Hitachinaka-

shi, Ibaraki)

Source) MLIT
on Enhancement of Convenience of Urban Railways, etc.”, a legislation aimed at upgrading the speediness and traffic node functions of existing urban railway networks, to further enhance the urban railway networks, including added user convenience.

Furthermore, the Council of Transport Policy is examining the future of the urban railway in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area which was referred to the Council in April 2014.

Figure II-5-3-1

Changes in the Average Rate of Congestion, Transportation Capacity and Passenger Capacity in the Three Major Metropolitan Areas (Index: FY 1975 = 100)

: Rate of Congestion (%)

: Transportation Capacity (Index: FY1975 = 100)

: Number of Passengers (Index: FY1975 = 100)

Tokyo Area 31 sections

Osaka Areas 20 sections

Nagoya Area 8 sections
## (4) Development of urban monorails, new transport systems, and LRTs

The MLIT promotes the development of LRTs to encourage users' migration to public transportation facilities in order to streamline urban traffic flow, lighten environmental loads, and revitalize central urban areas, while keeping vulnerable road users assured of mobility in this era of aging population and falling birthrates. In FY 2015, various cities moved forward with the renovation of public transportation networks. For example, Sapporo-City opened sections where a loop to connect the existing streetcar lines was built; Toyama-City connected the south side and north side of Toyama Station with streetcars; and Fukui-City moved forward with developing mutual accessibility between the streetcar line and the railway.

Figure II-5-3-2

Loop Development (Sapporo-City)

Developing a loop for the street in front of Sapporo Station (with Side Reservation)

Source) Sapporo City

## (5) Augmenting the convenience of bus usage

The convenience of bus usage has been augmented by improving the punctuality and speediness features of bus services by using a Public Transportation Priority System (PTPS) and bus lanes, introducing bus location systems that provide information about the location of buses in service, and IC card systems that facilitate smooth boarding and disembarking.
# Building Competitive Economy and Society

## Section 1 | Constructing Traffic Networks

## 1 Developing trunk road networks

## (1) Developing trunk road networks

Since the First Five-Year Road Construction Plan formulated in 1954, Japanese highways have been continually constructed. For example, the construction of national highway networks, including expressways, has provided a major impetus in the rejuvenation of regional economies by encouraging plant locations near expressway interchanges. Additionally, it has helped enhance the quality and safety of national life by making broad-area medical services accessible to rural areas and allowing broad rerouting to avoid highway disruption by natural disasters.

For example, all sections of the Metropolitan Intercity Expressway in Saitama Prefecture were opened to traffic in FY 2015. The Metropolitan Intercity Expressway (Ken-O Expressway) is the outermost expressway in the Three Ring Roads that are under development in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area and connects Tomei Expressway and Tohoku Expressway, which allows drivers to reach their destinations avoiding traffic congestion in the center of Tokyo, promotes tourism and improves productivity for companies located along the expressway.

In the meantime, the speed of interurban transportation, an indicator of the speediness of interurban travel, tends to lag in the areas in which trunk road networks are underdeveloped. While European and U.S. freeways each have at least four lanes on average, freeways that have only one lane in either direction account for 30% or more of all freeways in Japan.

Freeways are less vulnerable to accidents involving human casualties than general highways with a probability of about 1 in 10. In addition, they have about two-thirds of the carbon dioxide emissions and about seven times more cars running per lane. Freeways are not only “safe and clean” but serve as a “path to life” in times of disaster. The MLIT is committed to firmly linking freeway networks together and promoting a framework to use them wisely.
(2) Promoting smart use of the roads

In order to achieve road traffic service that is smooth, safe, comfortable and contributes to increasing area vitality, MLIT is moving forward with efforts to further improve the functionality of existing roads by developing necessary networks, as well as improving operations and small-scale enhancements. Electronic toll collection (ETC) 2.0 is one of these efforts, which started full service in August 2015.

### (i) ETC 2.0 that supports smart use

With data communication in both ways between about 1,600 communication spots on roads across Japan and vehicles on road, ETC 2.0 compared to the previous version of ETC is capable of:

- Sending and receiving a large volume of data

- Capturing route information, in addition to IC entry/exit data

With these much more advanced functionalities, ETC 2.0 greatly contributes to the promotion of ITS.
## (ii) Smart toll system

In response to recommendations in the interim report of the MLIT’s Arterial Road Committee of the Panel on Infrastructure Development, a new toll system was introduced to expressways in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area in April 2016, which involved re-organizing and standardizing toll levels among all expressways based on the origin and destination. The Committee is now reviewing the toll system for the Kinki Area.

In Japan, there are 83 sections that have no gas station at an interval of 100 km on the expressways, which need improvements on the service levels. This prompted to conduct a pilot program starting in Apirl 2015 where terminal charges are exempted for drivers who exit at Muikaichi IC or Yoshiwa IC on the Chugoku Expressway for refuel. This experiment was made possible by an ETC2.0 feature that provides area-wide route information including general roads.
## (iii) Smart toll stations

Towards introduction of stress-free smart toll stations based on ETC, we are experimenting with the operation of keeping ETC bars open at the toll stations of Ken-O Expressway (Okegawa-Kitamoto IC, Sayama Hidaka IC) and mainstream use of ETC lanes at the Sangenjaya and other entries ahead of full implementation for Metropolitan Expressway.

## (iv) Smart investments

As part of efforts to achieve maximum effect with the existing networks at minimum cost, we are implementing an initiative to identify places where deceleration or traffic congestion occurs from structural factors, such as uphill sections and tunnels, by using detailed deceleration, acceleration, and other big data collected through ETC 2.0 and other means for effective measures. Around Chofu on the inbound lane of Chuo Expressway, an additional lane was established within the existing road width at the Chofu IC junction, a slow zone/rising slope around Jindai Temple BS and other sections, and started operation of three lanes from December 2015. In addition, for the Ebina junction of Tomei Expressway, two lane operation on the existing road width began in October 2015 at the ramp junction area, where one lane operation had caused congestion.

## (v) Enhancement of smart functions

About 30% of expressways in Japan have only two lanes as a tentative provision, which create issues of two way traffic safety and travel performance, and large-scale disaster response. Therefore, in light of enhancing the safety and comfort of drivers and driving performance, a Cabinet Order to Partially Amend the Enforcement Order for the National Expressway Act was decided by the Cabinet on November 13, 2015. The amendment enables flexible action when changing tentative two lanes to four lanes without going through discussions at the MLIT Arterial Road Development Council, on the condition of having discussions at a third party committee and meeting other requirements.

## (vi) Other initiatives

In order to promote cooperation among local areas, the MLIT is improving accessibility, including direct connections between expressways and facilities. By being flexible in building additional Smart ICs, we are increasing accessibility to the distribution centers and tourism hubs from expressways through the consolidation and sophistication of measures based on the concept of “compact” and “networked” roads and reducing traffic congestion around the existing ICs. In view of

promoting the use of expressways and improving usability, the MLIT is organizing new rules, such as directly connecting expressways and large-scale distribution centers, industrial complexes, and commercial facilities near the expressways by using Smart ICs and other means with appropriate assumption of burden. In this fiscal year, the national government newly instituted preparation phase surveys for Smart ICs in places where necessity is found and is implementing the preparation and examination of Smart ICs in systematic and efficient manner.
Column

# Inspection of business of expressway organizations and companies

On the 10th anniversary of the privatization of expressway organizations and companies in October, 2005, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) conducted inspections of the past performance and issues of Japan Expressway Holding and Debt Repayment Agency and other Expressway Companies, and the measures necessary for their futures, and then put together the results as the inspection of business of expressway organizations and companies.

The document summarized the major performance and issues of the past 10 years, such as (i) reliable redemption of debt, (ii) attainment of operation ahead of the schedule or reduction of costs by exercising the flexibility and mobility, and (iii) improvement and diversification of the services by use of knowhow from the private sector.

As for tasks that the Agency and Companies should tackle from now on, it has been confirmed that, while steadily achieving results according to the purposes of privatization, they need to make tireless efforts to address new issues, such as prevention and mitigation of disasters, and take measures against deterioration in order to provide safe and secure services.

They are also required to actively promote measures for smarter use of expressways, aiming to maximize the stock effects of the expressways and to grow the Japanese economy through enhancement of international competitiveness, and regional revitalization.

Inspections on Operation of Japan Expressway Holding and Debt Repayment Agency/Companies—Major Achievements and Issues after Privatization

☑ Major disasters (e.g., Great East Japan Earthquake, heavy snow) and accidents (e.g., falling of Sasako Tunnel ceiling, reverse run by elderly drivers) happened during the 10 years after privatization.

Driving forward systematic countermeasures against aging infrastructure based on regular inspections that became mandatory under the revised Road Act, and other regulations, and implementation of large-scale renovation works projects (for Metropolitan Expressway from 2014)

☑ Basic frameworks which steadily made positive results so far should be continued in the immediate future.

☑ Based on heightened awareness of the public about safe and secure passages due to major disasters and accidents occurred after privatization, express institutions/companies need to take active roles in society more than ever.

☑ Going forward, these roles, which were not stipulated at the time of privatization, need to be handled appropriately, in addition to the privatization objectives.

Source) MLIT
## Figure II-6-1-8 Trend in Number of Passengers and Number of Arrivals and Departures at Tokyo International Airport

Superconducting Magnetic Levitation Technological Practicality Evaluation Committee that met in July 2009 concluded that the “development of the technologies prerequisite to driving superconducting maglev trains to the stage of practical usefulness, including their operation as super-fast mass transit system, are in sight.” Since August 2013, a running test has been in progress on the entire Yamanashi Maglev Test Line to make a final verification of the practical specifications of the cars, propulsion coils and more.

## (ii) Free Gauge trains

Technological development of free gauge trains capable of through operation from Shinkansen railway line to conventional railway line and vice versa is underway for completion scheduled for service on Kyushu Shinkansen and Hokuriku Shinkansen. Building on the efforts made in FY 2015, we will continue carrying out technological development for contributing to the durability of gauge change trains toward their introduction to the Kyushu Shinkansen (Nagasaki route). In addition, we will drive forward technological development activity meant to address snow hazards (snow and cold resistance) for running on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

## 3 Constructing aviation networks

The Basic Policy Committee, Aviation Group, Transport Policy Council had explored the future directions of Japan’s aviation in recurring sessions of discussions since October 2012 and finally came up with a report in June 2014. The report sets forth mid- and long-term directions in the three areas of aviation: laying a firm ground for building an aviation network, building an enhanced aviation network and developing aviation demand, and providing quality aviation and airport services.

Figure II-6-1-7 Overview of Tokyo International Airport

Source) MLIT

## (1) Expanding aviation networks

## (i) Enhancing metropolitan airports functionalities

To beef up Japan’s competitiveness in the global arenas of business and tourism, enhancements to the functions of the metropolitan airports were made, thereby achieving the annual total number of arrival and departure slots at Tokyo International Airport and Narita International Airport of 750,000 in March 2015.

Additions to the international passenger terminal building at Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) elevated the number of boarding/alighting slots on the international lines by 30,000 to 450,000 a year from March 2014. We will continue developing

functions such as tunnels that connect domestic and international flights and parking areas, aiming to enhance airport functions further.
Narita international Airport realized 300 thousand arrival and departure slots a year in March 2015 thanks to the development, etc. of an LCC terminal. Efforts will continue to consolidate its position as a hub airport in Asia by making further enhancements to the network of international and domestic airlines, including LCCs.

Having achieved the number 750,000, in view of smoothly holding 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and looking further ahead, we are working to expand airport capacities of both Haneda and Narita Airports by 2020 to create stronger metropolitan airport functionalities to increase international competitiveness of the area, receive the increasing number of inbound foreign tourists and revitalize local communities.

Specifically, a council composed of representatives of the local public entities concerned, airlines and the like was set up in August of the same year to develop specific measures to enhance the functionalities, such as revision of flight routes at Haneda Airport, and the discussions are ongoing.

Especially, for Haneda Airport, briefing sessions were held to gain broad understanding of residents. Going forward, we expect to develop measures that pay attention to environmental and other impacts by summer 2016, also taking into consideration the opinions received.

Figure II-6-1-9

Source) MLIT

Figure II-6-1-10

Trend in Number of Passengers and Number of Arrivals and Departures at Narita International Airport

With regards to initiatives after 2020, we are working with relevant municipalities to examine specific measures to enhance functionalities, including drastic expansion of capacities of Narita Airport.

## (ii) Driving the Open Skies strategically

The Ministry has strategically pursued the Open Skies Note $ ^{1} $ , including metropolitan airports, to respond to changes in the competitive climate resulting from global trends towards air services liberalization while accommodating vigorous economic leaps in Asian and other overseas nations. Open Skies with a total of 27 nations and regions Note $ ^{2} $ were realized by March 2016. Also, discussions with ASEAN are ongoing with a view to concluding an air service agreement between Japan and ASEAN.

Regarding the second increase in the number of arrival and departure slots at Haneda Airport $ {Note\ 3} $ , in February 2016,