Japan Adopts Local Revitalization Strategy for Strong Economy

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government at a cabinet meeting Tuesday adopted a comprehensive strategy on regional revitalization designed to realize a strong economy, a goal set by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration. The strategy, which covers five years from fiscal 2025, aims to raise labor productivity per person in rural areas to or above that in the Tokyo metropolitan area–the Japanese capital and the three neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa–by 2029 through measures such as developing digital human resources. To make local economies sustainable, the strategy stresses the importance of attracting domestic and foreign demand to rural areas so that they can make money. Luring inbound visitors by utilizing local resources, supporting local industries’ efforts to expand their markets and encouraging companies to relocate their headquarters functions from Tokyo to rural areas are cited as concrete measures. The new strategy calls for making rural areas more attractive places for women and young people to ease overconcentration in Tokyo. It sets new targets to increase by fiscal 2027 the number of migrants from Tokyo to the countryside to 10,000 and that of local governments working to increase so-called connected populations, or people who actively interact with regional areas where they are not registered as residents, to 1,200. Also stipulated in the strategy is improving living conditions in rural areas by maintaining public transportation services and strengthening measures to reduce disaster damage. The government aims to resolve by fiscal 2027 the lack of transportation means in some 2,000 areas across the country by introducing autonomous vehicles and through other measures. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]