Ministry of Land, Infrastrucutre and Transport
The 5th Comprehensive National Development Plan "Grand Design for the 21st Century"

PART II

The Basis for Development in Different Fields

Chapter III

Improving Living Conditions in Regions

To enable people to lead more comfortable lives, both urban and rural communities should develop their own regions in unique ways using local history, culture and the natural environment to respond to socioeconomic changes and the diversification of people's needs. Based on this concept, promote regional development in the following ways.

1)In cities, to enable citizens to lead safer and more comfortable lives, strengthen disaster-prevention measures, improve living standards, and improve the urban environment. To make cities more convenient and vital, improve the urban and living functions based on local characteristics.

2)For creating unique, nature-rich residential areas, smaller urban communities and rural areas should cooperate to improve inadequate facilities, to maintain forests, farmland, rivers, coasts and communities in good condition, and to utilize regional resources. These efforts will help create pleasant areas, and increase local employment opportunities.

3)To ensure safety, improve social conditions in each region. In today's aging society, the elderly should be able to continue to live in their own houses and communities. People should also be able to raise children in the local area without concern. And to deal with global changes in climate as well as food and energy shortages, secure the stable supply of food and energy for daily living.

Section 1
Making cities more comfortable and lively

To respond to socioeconomic changes and to the diversification and sophistication of people's needs, and to improve the quality of life for residents and to activate regional communities, it is necessary to improve the housing environment and urban functions in cities.

For the housing environment, to enable people to lead safe and comfortable lives, strengthen disaster prevention measures, improve housing standards, and improve the urban and living environment.

For the urban functions, utilize the regional characteristics to improve the fundamental functions according to each city's scale and location. Through various forms of cooperation between cities, wide-area independent regions should be created within a wide, accessible zone where residents can enjoy advanced city functions.

1.Making life safe and pleasant

Improve disaster prevention measures in cities, build better houses, and improve living environment facilities such as urban parks.

(1)Improving disaster prevention in cities

The Hanshin-Awaji earthquake showed again the importance of disaster prevention in cities. Learning lessons from the tragedy, develop communities that are disaster-proof.

Improve safety in cities against large earthquakes and floods. To minimize confusion both within and outside the country, which is caused by damaged services during disasters, plan and implement urban disaster prevention measures, both in hardware and software aspects.

Make urban structures more disaster-safe by the following: Establish evacuation routes, refuge sites, emergency transportation roads, river routes for boats, and firebreak belts. Establish "disaster-preventive blocks," promote rebuilding in urban areas with densely built old wooden houses, improve the urban infrastructure, and strengthen the banks of large rivers.

For public buildings such as the facilities of the governmental agencies, hospitals, schools, and public halls that are important during a disaster for use as shelters, examine their earthquake resistance and make necessary changes. When constructing new public buildings, provide appropriate earthquake and fire resistance according to their importance. For existing private buildings including houses, encourage owners to check the earthquake resistance of their properties and strengthen them. Measures should also be taken to strengthen the earthquake resistance of urban structures such as roads and railways.

For lifeline services (including water and sewage, electricity, gas and telephone), strengthen disaster protection of the main facilities. In close cooperation with the related agencies, establish common channels for lifeline services including those for electric wires, improve the backup system by using multiple routes and loops, and establish substitute facilities.

For smooth emergency operations in areas struck by disaster, establish regional disaster-prevention bases. In metropolitan areas, national parks, large parks, coastal greenbelts and flood plains should be treated as large disaster prevention bases; enable them to function as storage warehouses, emergency transportation bases and heliports. Especially for emergency heliports, to ensure smooth operation and safety for refugees, establish a proper management system. For example, separate the heliport from other parts of the shelter.

To improve the disaster prevention systems in cities, the national government and local public entities should collect information and establish a system for communicating with each other. To enable agencies to communicate between themselves promptly and securely, clarify the flow of information and prepare multiple communication channels. Teach people about disaster prevention, give them training, and encourage them to voluntarily participate in disaster prevention activities. Develop and strengthen voluntary disaster prevention organizations, and improve the environment for voluntary disaster prevention activities.

(2)Providing better houses and building lots

(Providing better houses)

To make lives more comfortable, improve housing standards and promote the construction of barrier-free, energy-saving, durable houses based on master housing plans and policies for the supply of houses and building lots in large cities. Especially, improve the quality of rented houses that is far inferior to that of owned houses and encourage the building of high-quality rental residences. Improve related public facilities, and encourage people to own high-quality houses by providing public loans or tax breaks. Also, promote the building of high-quality rental housing by designating and supporting such housing. Promote the construction of diverse types of houses including houses based on fixed-term lease tenant rights, and thus give more importance to "use" than to "ownership." Also, improve building regulations including performance criteria, and encourage imports of houses and building materials from overseas to reduce building costs. Furthermore, encourage the development of technologies that enable the long-term use and refurbishing of houses.

(Encouraging people to move according to the changes in their lives)

To meet the changing housing needs of people in accordance with changes in life, utilize existing high-quality housing and encourage people to move into new housing according to changes in their lives. Establish a system to evaluate and announce the level of housing, provide more information about housing, and provide consumers with consulting services to improve the housing infrastructure. Furthermore, as many apartments rapidly become older, examine a system for smooth, large-scale repair or rebuilding both in hardware and software aspects while also improving the disaster resistance of buildings.

(Responding to new needs)

In response to the aging of society, encourage the construction of barrier-free housing by promoting building specifications designed for the elderly. Develop technologies and train experts on housing reform according to the changing physical abilities of the elderly, etc. To promote usage by the elderly, construct welfare facilities adjacent to public apartment complexes and integrate housing policies with welfare policies.

To improve harmony with the environment, introduce energy-saving criteria and promote the construction of residences that are in harmony with the environment and do not impose excessive load on the environment. To encourage people to settle in the provinces and to develop rural areas, construct unique housing that blends in with the scenery, based on housing master plans and local characteristics and uniqueness.

In response to new lifestyles such as multi-habitation (owning multiple residences) and tele-commuting (working from home by telecommunications), construct houses in the suburbs and promote the construction of houses that have information and communication equipment.

(Providing high-quality housing lots)

In response to the diversification of people's residential needs, plan high-quality housing lots at reasonable prices to enable people to afford them. To meet new housing demands, plan urban development and convert farmland within urban areas into housing lots, while improving the urban infrastructure including transportation facilities.

In metropolitan areas, based on the policies for the supply of houses and building lots in large cities, draw up and implement plans for the supply of housing lots. With cooperation between the public and private sectors, develop housing lots in line with the construction of new railroads, while considering the natural environment and convenience for the elderly. Draw up and implement plans to change farmland within the urbanization promotion areas to housing lots, and promote fixed-term lease tenant rights. In the provinces, establish better infrastructure to encourage people to settle there, and develop housing lots and facilities based on local characteristics and diversity.

Improve related public facilities such as roads and revise the Land Development Guidance to moderate the contents appropriately.

(3)Improving living environment facilities

(Urban parks, etc.)

Urban parks make cities more pleasant, help prevent disasters, and promote health and welfare. To reap the benefit of parks, systematically establish parks near residential areas in cities, and link them with other green spaces. Especially, establish parks that will serve as wide-area disaster prevention bases or refuge sites in case of disaster.

To help preserve nature in cities, designate more areas as scenic or green-belt areas. Plant more greenery within the sites of public welfare facilities and along roadsides. Decorate the roofs of buildings and walls of elevated highways with more greenery, which was difficult in the past. Create pleasant waterfronts along rivers and establish biotopes in which various creatures can live. To increase greenery on private land, encourage citizens to plant vegetation based on the agreements or systems to encourage greenery.

Furthermore, establish national parks and other large parks for recreational activities and interregional exchanges.

(Sewerage)

Draw up and implement plans to establish and improve sewerage to raise living standards and maintain the quality of public water bodies. Especially, implement improvement projects focusing on the small- and medium-sized cities having inadequate sewerage facilities. Besides targeting important water bodies including closed bays, rivers and lakes that supply public water, promote advanced water treatment as well as measures to clean rivers.

To prevent flooding by heavy rainfall in cities, take countermeasures against rainwater by utilizing sewerage for the smooth removal, storage and permeation of rainwater, in line with river improvements.

Furthermore, to promote recycling of sewage and to create good urban environments, use sewage after treatment, and recycle sludge as fertilizers or as building materials. For the effective use of sewerage, use sewage pipes for carrying optical fibers.

(Urban roads)

Build and improve trunk roads, section roads, sidewalks, bicycle roads, etc. in line with rising urban traffic demand, to improve city areas and to make roads suitable as evacuation routes, emergency transportation roads and as firebreak belts.

To reduce traffic congestion, build or improve bypasses, beltways and traffic nodes, and take action against bottlenecks. To improve road usage, build or improve public transport facilities including new transportation systems and urban monorails. Build more parking lots, improve the parking availability guidance system, and promote ITS (intelligent transport systems).

Furthermore, to ensure traffic safety in cities, implement comprehensive traffic safety measures and improve road networks. For example, for particularly dangerous roads, install signals or sidewalks, and make intersections safer.

2.Developing lively cities

(1)Urban improvement for development of good national land structure

There are signs of the population concentration in Tokyo abating, and hub city and core areas of similar importance are increasingly providing a wider range of advanced city functions. This is stimulating independent regional development. This tendency should be continued for the development of a balanced national land structure. Taking a long-term view for attaining a desirable national land structure comprising multiple zones, it is necessary to promote urban improvement and convert the hierarchic structure between cities into a horizontal network.

Position the three largest metropolitan areas (Tokyo, Kansai, Nagoya), hub cities (Sapporo, Sendai, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Kita-kyushu), and the prefectural hub cities of similar scale and importance (Niigata, Kanazawa and Toyama, Shizuoka and Hamamatsu, Okayama and Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Naha, etc.) as the major core city areas. These should offer advanced urban functions and serve as centers for international exchange. While promoting cooperation between them, establish a stratified network of these areas on a national scale. Especially, improve the functions of the areas according to their scales and characteristics. Build networks between the prefectural hub cities and other smaller local cities to extend the reach of accumulated urban facilities.

(2)Urban improvement policies

Noting the points described above, correct the excessive concentration of population and functions within the 23 wards of Tokyo, and continuously increase and improve the core business cities in the Tokyo metropolitan area. At the same time, improve the quality of advanced urban functions and promote the wide use of such functions. In the Kansai and Nagoya metropolitan areas, while encouraging cooperation with the Tokyo metropolitan area, develop advanced urban functions with local characteristics. Promote the renovation of such large cities and better use of their spaces, and hence solve problems of overpopulation and concentration in mega cities and make the three largest metropolitan areas better places to live.

In the provinces, establish and improve the major core city areas and prefectural hub cities as bases for independent development both at the regional and prefectural levels. Position the smaller local cities as cores of nature-rich residential areas and make bases of regional independence. In each of the local cities, depending on its scale and location, improve the urban functions by inter-city cooperation, and promote the strategic improvement of local cities based on their characteristics to create a better residential environment.

Both in the three largest metropolitan areas and in the provinces, revitalize commercial center areas that are suffering from depopulation and promote the rebuilding of cities.

In these processes, according to the national land development concept based on participation and cooperation, each region should strive to develop rich and lively urban communities and the national government should support the regions. Urban improvement should be promoted while encouraging cooperation among the various bodies.

3.Renovating large cities

(1)Basic policy

Large cities are suffering numerous problems, including depopulation in city centers, poor urban structure including increasing commuting hours, traffic congestion, vulnerability to disasters such as large earthquakes, etc., degradation of the urban environment due to air and water pollution, worsening waste disposal problems, and land that is not used at all or not satisfactorily on old factory and railway sites in city centers and coastal areas. Life in cities is impeded by the excessive concentration of population and functions. Can large cities respond to greater inter-city competition beyond national boundaries and increasing international mobility? Can they contribute to Japan's development?

In large cities where such problems are worst including the Tokyo metropolitan area, renovation based on the following concept is needed.

1)Solve problems related to depopulation in city centers and long commuting hours to improve the living and working environment. Redevelop areas where old wooden houses are built close together due to the risk of disaster and make cities safer. Improve the urban environment and amenities, create beautiful urban scenery, and change the large cities into safe, pleasant places.

2)In response to the greater inter-city competition beyond national boundaries and increased mobility, improve the quality of urban functions in large cities so that cities can contribute to Japan's development.

(2)Measures to renovate large cities

(Improving public living standards)

Revitalize city-center residential areas, make effective use of land, and create urban structures that provide well-balanced working and living environments to properly deal with the urban problems including the long commuting hours. For this, designate more districts for the construction of multi-stored residences, and promote the construction of medium- and high-rise buildings in the districts by deregulation on the ratio of building volume to lot area, etc. Encourage people to live in city centers by using land that is not used at all or not used satisfactorily, by building flats in city centers and designing them properly. In commercial areas located in city centers, give training on how to improve urban functions by rebuilding old buildings.

To reduce traffic congestion and make large cities more accessible to citizens, increase traffic capacity by building more bypasses and beltways as well as multi-level railroad crossings. In addition, promote ITS for introducing the VICS (vehicle information and communication system) and automatic fare receiving system. Implement more measures for TDM (transportation demand management) including the introduction of a flex-time system and promote the park and ride system. To reduce the rush hours and long commuting hours, construct new railroads, increase the tracks of the existing urban lines, and establish new transportation systems, urban monorails, etc.

(Redeveloping areas that have many old wooden buildings and establishing disaster prevention bases)

Areas that are crowded with old wooden buildings and the areas surrounding the centers of large cities are extremely vulnerable to disasters such as large earthquakes in terms of fire prevention, evacuation and rescue. Such areas are also suffering from poor amenities and housing. To make large cities better places to live, give priority to the redevelopment of areas with many old wooden buildings and establish disaster prevention bases.

Conduct surveys on problems of such areas in terms of disaster prevention and the residential environment, and announce the survey results. Support the activities of public councils, etc. to encourage citizens to improve local disaster prevention and residential environment for themselves. Make it easier to transfer land rights to boost disaster prevention, destroy old wooden buildings and use the land to build new flats that are more fire resistant. Secure open spaces, implement improvement projects, and build refuge routes and shelters for disasters. Furthermore, to facilitate disaster relief, establish relief bases including disaster prevention centers, storage warehouses and emergency heliports.

(Improving the urban environment, amenities, and scenery)

To harmonize urban spaces with nature, the environmental loads in cities must be reduced. Promote recycling and utilize energies that are not used. Build more bypasses and beltways, construct distribution bases around the interchanges of good highways, build more multi-level crossings, improve public transportation facilities, promote the park and ride system, and implement various measures including greater use of bicycles. Also, improve the water quality of rivers, make effective use of sewage after treatment, and ensure proper permeation of rainwater to the underground to maintain the hydrologic cycle.

To provide city dwellers with opportunities to come into contact with nature, improve the neighboring river and coastal environment, plant more greenery, and build a network of water and greenery. Establish more farms where citizens can experience planting. Designate more areas as green belts, and utilize greenery agreements and the civil greenery promotion system to preserve and increase urban greenery.

To create beautiful cities, preserve and utilize the historical and cultural heritage and improve the quality of urban communities for the creation of new cultures. Prepare comprehensive guidelines on how to improve public facilities, regulate private buildings based on district planning and building agreements, bury electric wires, etc., regulate outdoor advertisements, plant greenery on slopes, and preserve historical buildings. Encourage local public bodies and citizens to cooperate on building attractive communities.

(Restructuring cities)

Distribute those functions that are excessively concentrated in the centers of large cities into the surrounding urban areas including core business districts or to prefectural hub cities. At the same time, use land in city centers and coastal areas that is not used at all or not used satisfactorily, and improve the urban infrastructure and functions both at the national and international levels. Especially, for disused factory sites in coastal areas, plan and convert the land with a broad vision. In the process, review the regulations on land use, and integrate land for residential, business, and production use. By these measures, improve the quality of advanced urban functions in large cities and promote the use of such functions by improving transportation and communication networks.

In view of the lack of space for building public facilities in large cities, utilize underground and aerial spaces. Establish underground passages for multiple use including for electric wires and underground parking lots. Construct multi-level roads integrated with buildings, draw up and implement plans related to underground rivers, and utilize the spaces above sewage disposal plants. Also, examine ways to encourage public use of very deep underground spaces, in consideration of safety and environmental conservation.

4.Strategically improving provincial cities

(1)Basic policy

In the provinces, the hub cities and the prefectural hub cities are steadily providing more city functions. Especially, major core city areas in the provinces are having a good influence on entire regional blocks. However, functions such as for central management, R&D, information and international exchanges have yet to be improved. Because of the changes in industrial structure, etc. many areas of the smaller local cities are losing their vigor and are not effective as regional bases. Furthermore, roads, sewerage, public transportation facilities, etc. remain unbuilt or unimproved not only in the smaller local cities, but also in the hub cities and in the prefectural hub cities.

It is therefore necessary to improve the provincial cities as follows.

1)The hub cities and prefectural hub cities should serve as bases for independent regional development both at the regional block level and at the prefectural level. It is thus necessary to strengthen urban functions based on regional characteristics through cooperation. The smaller but important provincial cities will serve as the bases for developing good residential areas, and will cooperate with each other and with the prefectural hub cities to provide better services and more local employment opportunities for regional independence.

2)In each of the provincial cities, utilize the surrounding nature, unique history, culture and industries for the development of unique, attractive urban communities. Also, build better urban infrastructure such as roads, sewerage and public transportation facilities, and improve living standards to levels not found in metropolitan large cities.

(2)Measures for strategically improving provincial cities

(Major core city areas)

In the major core city areas that are to serve as the focus for regional independent development, it is necessary to improve the central management, R&D, information and international exchange functions. Especially, for international exchange, the areas must allow international exchange to promote regional development with a global vision.

In each of the major core city areas, pursue cooperation and role sharing as appropriate to its scale and functions. To strengthen the international exchange infrastructure, build high-quality international airports, harbors, good highways and access roads, public transportation facilities, international conference halls, exhibition halls, and communications infrastructure. In addition, organize international conferences and events, and develop organizations and staff to plan and organize such conferences and events. Also, redesign the main streets and use existing infrastructure more effectively by combining or relocating both commercial and public facilities. Furthermore, to initiate regional industrial development, establish scientific or research areas in cooperation with universities. Improve the universities, R&D institutes, etc. and strengthen cooperation with local companies to develop and train researchers.

Also, to promote cooperation with other metropolitan areas and with prefectural hub cities, create wide-area urban networks by establishing high-quality transportation and communications infrastructure.

Furthermore, because major core city areas will expand as the population grows, avoid city problems and improve the urban and living infrastructure in the early stages, implement TDM measures and provide high-quality housing.

(Prefectural hub cities)

In the prefectural hub cities mainly comprised of prefectural capital cities or cities with a population of 300,000 or more, create prefectural bases for regional independent development. Enable the cities to provide advanced urban functions including those for business management, information, high-level education and culture, and medical care and welfare, based on prefectural needs. For international exchanges, in cooperation with the major core city areas, the prefectural hub cities should serve as secondary centers for international exchange.

In the prefectural hub cities, as with the major core city areas, improve the main streets and build infrastructure for international exchange to provide good public facilities. Also, build advanced infrastructure for production, R&D and service industries to create attractive employment opportunities and encourage people to settle in the provinces.

Besides, for cities that are losing vigor because of delayed response to the changes in industrial structure, promote large-scale land use conversion to utilize the land that is not used at all or not used satisfactorily, and restructure the blocks to improve the main streets. In addition, rejuvenate entire cities by equipping them with better business, commercial, service and cultural functions.

Furthermore, to improve living standards for residents, utilize local characteristics including the natural environment and shorter commuting hours, provide high-quality housing, and improve infrastructure such as roads, rivers and sewerage. Especially, implement TDM measures and improve public transportation facilities.

(Smaller local cities)

Position the smaller local cities that have a population of less than 300,000 as the center of nature-rich residential areas, and provide urban services for the residents. Develop the cities into unique and attractive communities as the basis for regional independence. Especially, in cities that rely on the heavy chemical industry that has not yet adjusted to the changes in industrial structure and the cities that rely on tourism that is now stagnant, make effective use of existing resources. Establish new industrial infrastructure or make the cities more attractive to induce more people to visit them.

In the smaller local cities, provide urban services including basic medicine and welfare, education and culture, and consumer services as well as local employment opportunities. To improve access to the cities from the surrounding areas, improve the transportation and communications infrastructure as well as the cities and surrounding areas. Especially, in urban areas designated to become provincial centers following the prefectural capital cities, strengthen their roles as centers for regional independence. For high-level medical care, culture, and other advanced urban functions that each of the cities cannot provide for fiscal reasons, enable the citizens to enjoy city functions by improving access. Also, promote cooperation between the smaller but important provincial urban areas for the provision of such advanced functions.

In the main streets that are suffering from depopulation, revitalize the shopping malls based on the regional characteristics, establish cultural facilities, exchange centers and parking lots, improve the access by roads and public transportation, and upgrade telecommunications. Through these measures, create attractive, vibrant urban areas. To respond to the need for higher living standards, improve substandard urban areas including the roads, rivers and sewerage. Provide high-quality comfortable housing in harmony with the natural environment and farmland.

(3)Improving smaller cities and creating nature-rich residential areas

Develop the smaller cities into nature-rich residential areas where new urban lifestyles can be established for the 21st century. Develop cities into unique and distinctive communities, encourage people to return to their hometowns, welcome newcomers from large cities, and use local historical and cultural resources, the natural environment and local industries. The objective is to develop resort and tourist cities, art and culture cities, traditional industrial cities, and other attractive and unique cities that are culture-oriented. The results should be announced nationwide and to the world to develop small but international cities.

Section 2
Improving rural communities to form nature-rich residential areas

1.Basic concept

Nature-rich residential areas will provide residents with urban services as well as a natural environment according to the changes in their values and lifestyles, while also ensuring the stable supply of food and timber through agriculture, forestry and fishery.

These areas will be comprised of smaller cities and rural communities including hilly and mountainous areas. Within each area, communities will cooperate and share roles with each other by using the local transportation and communications networks to form the basis for regional independence.

Smaller cities should provide basic health, medical, educational and welfare services as well as cultural and consumers' services. They also need to offer local employment opportunities and urban conveniences based on the regional characteristics.

Rural communities must recognize the value of local resources including the natural environment, culture, farmland, forests, rivers and the sea, and not follow in the footsteps of urban areas. They should preserve and restore the natural environment, and create unique, attractive rural environments. In the management of rural areas, aggressive attitude and ability are necessary just like corporate management by entrepreneurs.

As mentioned above, cooperation both within and outside nature-rich residential areas is needed. Also, improve the smaller cities and rural communities as the basis for developing safe, unique and attractive regional communities and activate the entire regions to improve the structure of the country.

2.Establishing systems

In order to create nature-rich residential areas, a system is needed that enables the municipalities and other related entities to cooperate towards the goal, including the national government, prefectures, agricultural cooperatives, forestry cooperatives, fishermen's cooperatives, public land improvement associations, chambers of commerce, tourist associations and volunteer organizations. To enable these bodies to work toward the goal as aggressively and skillfully as entrepreneurs, systems to evaluate abilities objectively, find defects, restructure the organizations and promote human development are needed.

Presently, many such cooperatives and associations are merging, as it is essential to make efficient investment using limited capital. The systems, therefore, should be established not by individual municipalities but by wider groups based on the cooperation between municipalities.

The municipalities will form wider groups on their own initiative. These groups may be existing municipal groups, regional living zones or subgroups of the prefectures. Also, such groups may be based on land management needs (forests, farmland or rivers), regional characteristics, or coastal areas. The creation of such groups should be promoted.

It might be effective for some regions to cooperate with private companies and utilize their management methods, human resources and funds for developing nature-rich residential areas. Such cooperation should be encouraged.

3.Developing attractive areas with many amenities

For nature-rich residential areas to be attractive, forests, farmland, rivers, coasts, and rural and urban communities must be well preserved and soundly managed. "Amenities" refers to well-managed facilities for residents and visitors. Local residents should be able to take pride in their areas and enjoy a high standard of living in the surrounding nature. Especially, such areas require attractive amenities. Also, in developing unique areas with local resources and "entrepreneur" spirit, in improving forests and farmland that occupy most of the land of rural communities or in improving rivers or coasts, attractive amenities are essential for preserving and creating a good rural environment. These rural communities will be encouraged to improve towards regional development.

To attain attractive amenities, citizens must take the initiative, respecting the local characteristics. Each citizen and individual community must assume the leadership. Traditionally, Japan's smallest communities are villages, and to promote local development also in terms of the social structure, the activities of villages must be organized to suit local situations. In addition, implement measures to support the citizens' voluntary activities and to enable each community to make decisions swiftly and smoothly.

Local citizens should voluntarily conduct the following activities while preserving and improving the local natural environment and scenery. On their own initiatives, they should manage the local forests, farmland, irrigation and drainage channels for agricultural use, agricultural roads, paths through forests, and fisheries facilities. They should also make local arrangements for the cleaning of roads or channels, and for waste and drainage disposal, and conclude within individual communities agreements on local land use, flower planting, and management of the streets and buildings.

The municipal governments should improve the public infrastructure for production and daily activities including the irrigation and drainage channels for agriculture, community roads and waterways, while considering the rural environment and local characteristics. Also, to support the local citizens' voluntary efforts, they may dispatch experts such as environmental designers, improve the public facilities, enact ordinances based on the citizens' agreements, and adopt ordinances to preserve the local scenery or to protect local historical and cultural assets. They may also promote local development by drawing up land-use plans, or utilize public corporations to improve forests or commission agricultural works. Especially, it would be important for municipalities in mountainous areas to form sister-city affiliation with large cities for local development.

The activities of individuals, communities and municipalities must be supported. Also, to treat residential areas and production areas in an integrated manner in rural communities, examine ways to improve the management of regional development plans including national land use plans.

4.Improving the living environment in rural communities for creating better local communities

For those living in rural communities, there are differences in employment, education and shopping. It is necessary to improve the living environment to resolve such differences.

First of all, sewage disposal facilities, waterworks and roads must be improved to the national minimum level.

Also, education facilities including public halls, cultural facilities, sport facilities and facilities for fire stations need to be built, because they are key to community activities for local development and disaster prevention. Also, existing facilities should be improved and made better use of. Also, establish favorable waterfronts for local citizens to relax.

Municipalities are basic self-governing bodies and should lead the improvement of local public infrastructure. They also undertake administrative services including education, welfare, fire-fighting and disposal of household waste. They therefore should evaluate and improve their own abilities and train people to provide better services.

Promote school and social education by utilizing the local characteristics including the natural environment. Conduct research and development on various instruction methods including using communication methods for improving the education environment based on local characteristics. For local medical care, improve the medical institutions to ensure primary care. Utilize advanced communication and promote cooperation with other areas to establish a satisfactory medical system that provides comprehensive services including the improvement of health, prevention or treatment of diseases and rehabilitation.

Multi-functional and high-quality sport facilities, musical halls, and so on should be established according to local characteristics through cooperation between central cities, surrounding municipalities and the prefecture. Also, improve cooperation and sharing of responsibilities for general public facilities to deliver quality services. Such improvements should be promoted not individually but comprehensively within specific areas.

Although specific areas are the basic units, it is also important to promote wide-ranging cooperation to maintain water quality, share responsibilities for advanced services, create new exchange opportunities and manage the natural environment in mountainous areas.

Improve transportation and establish an advanced communications infrastructure within each area and links to outside areas. Also, implement satisfactory "software" measures.

5.Improving economic conditions for creating better local communities

To ensure income opportunities for local residents, it is necessary to assess the local resources and make entrepreneurial plans. For agriculture, forestry and fisheries, it is necessary to utilize the local conditions including the geography and climate, and to develop new projects without being trapped in the traditional production, distribution and processing methods. For example, introduce value-added agricultural products, develop new distribution channels beyond the existing market systems, and develop new products by utilizing timber from thinning. In addition, create new industries based on local natural environment and culture, and promote the leisure industries including the "green tourism" and "blue tourism" that are becoming more popular.

Also, for the secondary and tertiary industries, by making nature-rich residential areas more attractive, invite more companies to the areas and ensure income opportunities, targeting companies that have few restrictions in relocating.

Improve the infrastructure and software measures accordingly.

Section 3
Enabling people to lead secure lives

1.An aging society with good welfare systems

As society ages and the birth rate decreases, it is necessary to build an aging society in which people can raise children without worries and in which the elderly can lead secure, meaningful lives through social participation. This requires the following measures and broad participation of numerous organizations beyond age and gender.

(1)Building a social support system that will enable elderly people to live with peace of mind

Help the elderly and the handicapped to lead independent lives as much as possible, without becoming bedridden and needing to be nursed. Even if they need some care, they should be able to continue living in their own homes or hometowns, receiving user-oriented high-quality services. Establish a social support system for this purpose.

(Establishing a comprehensive servicing system covering health, medical care and welfare)

To enable the elderly to live without needing to be nursed, establish a system to provide them with proper health checks and rehabilitation. For the elderly who need some care, establish a system to provide different types of comprehensive care covering health, medical care and welfare under the public long-term care insurance system, and offer user-oriented nursing services according to individual needs. In addition, promote the participation of numerous organizations including private companies and non-profit organizations comprised of citizens, etc., and encourage private companies to construct facilities for the health and welfare of the elderly. In implementing the measures, utilize communications technologies.

Also, examine the reverse mortgage system to offer loans to the elderly with their properties as collateral. The system might help them to gain enough money for nursing or living expenses by using their own assets, or to live in better residential environments. At the same time, support the elderly in looking after their properties, such as by establishing a system to protect the rights of the senile elderly.

(Establishing the regional infrastructure for providing nursing services)

Even if the elderly need to be nursed, they should be able to live continuously in their own homes and hometowns. For this, focus on the services provided at home, and improve the health, medical and welfare services both in quality and quantity according to regional situations. Improve the home-help services including the expansion of 24-hour visits by helpers, and establish more facilities to provide day-care services and short-stay services or the home-visit nursing care stations. Also, for the elderly who cannot easily be nursed at home, draw up and implement plans to establish special nursing homes, health service facilities and sanatorium-type wards. In the process, consider coordination within each of the areas for the health and welfare of the elderly and to the entire regional development plans. In large cities, utilize public land and land that is not used at all or not used satisfactorily, establish nursing facilities in combination with public residences, or construct small facilities if there is not enough land. In smaller cities, promote the joint, efficient establishment and management of facilities by multiple municipalities.

Furthermore, to secure enough nursing staff and to improve their quality, give more training to helpers, promote nursing center projects, and improve information systems on staff engaged in welfare. Also, develop and popularize welfare tools to help the elderly become independent and to reduce the burden on those who look after the elderly. Also, encourage a nursing leave system to enable family members to take care of the elderly and work.

For senile dementia, establish more centers to deal with senile dementia and provide citizens with satisfactory advisory and information services. To mitigate worsening of the disease, provide more day services and group homes for the elderly suffering from senile dementia.

For the handicapped, ensure that they have places to live or work by establishing group homes where they can be looked after or vocational aid centers. Also, improve the nursing services including those provided at home, and establish more facilities to give them training for daily living and help them lead independent lives in each region.

(2)Building welfare-conscious communities

To give the elderly peace of mind, provide them with barrier-free access to houses and public facilities.

(Building houses designed for the elderly, etc.)

By popularizing standard design guidelines that consider the elderly or by developing renovation technologies, build or reform houses that help the elderly to lead independent lives or that consider people who look after the elderly. As households comprised of only aged people will increase, increase the supply of public rental housing for the elderly, and strengthen the links between housing policies and welfare policies. Provide more housing designed to help the elderly, better rental residences for the elderly, care houses and pay homes for the elderly.

(Improving the environment for safe and comfortable activities)

To help the elderly engage in activities with safety and without worries, provide them with barrier-free access to public buildings and facilities. Build wide sidewalks and narrow the gaps between steps to facilitate movement, and comprehensively improve welfare facilities and parks while making layout plans for welfare facilities. Install elevators at stations, introduce buses without steps or buses and taxis with lifts. By providing proper information, enable the elderly to use public transportation easily and safely. Furthermore, as the number of aged drivers increases, establish easy-to-understand road signs and improve the roads around welfare facilities, etc.

(3)Encouraging the elderly to participate in society

For the elderly to participate in social activities and to live healthy, meaningful lives, ensure employment opportunities for the elderly, and make it easier for the elderly to participate in local social activities including sports, leisure and volunteer activities.

Create opportunities for exchanges between the elderly and younger generations, to make it possible for the younger generation to learn from the elderly and to encourage the elderly to participate in society. For this, build residences and housing lots where people of different generations can live together, and build centers of exchange such as parks, squares, public halls and sport and recreation facilities. Also, hold exchange events, provide information, and set up an advisory system.

(4)Establishing systems to support childcare

To enable citizens to raise children without worries and to help children to develop properly in each region, set up childcare systems. To achieve this, improve and expand the nursing services including those for infants and longer-hour nursing services for which demand will increase. Also, build and improve nursery facilities in line with needs and promote flexible management of kindergartens. Also, create and improve regional childcare supporting systems so that every household with children in the region can receive advice on childcare at daycare centers, etc. In addition, provide safe playgrounds near each regional community. To enable parents to raise children and to work without difficulties, promote the childcare leave system, reduce the working hours, and promote the introduction of flextime.

2.Ensuring a stable food supply

Japan's food self-sufficiency rate was 42% in fiscal 1996 on a calorie base, which is an extremely low level among the developed countries. The country heavily depends on imported food. In the medium- and long-term, food consumption will increase as the population booms and as the consumption of livestock products increases along with economic growth. On the other hand, certain factors hinder the increase of food production such as restrictions on the expansion of farmland and the environmental problems. The food supply might be increasingly threatened.

Food is the most fundamental necessity and a stable supply of safe food is essential. To maintain the present rich diet of the Japanese, it is difficult for Japan to be entirely self-sufficient in food under the limited land conditions. It is therefore necessary to properly combine domestic production, import and storage to ensure a stable supply of food. For domestic production, based on estimates of the world's supply and demand for food, maintain and expand production as much as possible, and promote the development and utilization of fisheries resources. Furthermore, to establish a domestic food supply system that can handle contingencies, a certain level of agricultural production within Japan is needed. Also, more international exchanges must be made and stable imports of food to supplement domestic production of agricultural and fisheries products must be promoted by international cooperation.

(1)Agricultural measures for stabilizing food supply

For a stable food supply, good farmland and water for agricultural use as well as good soil productivity need to be secured and maintained. Skilled farmers with good management abilities as well as modern agricultural technologies are also needed.

The farmland area will be 4.9 million hectares in 2005 according to the national land use plan. Farmland, once it has been abandoned or converted, is quite difficult to recover. To supply food at proper prices despite stiffer international competition, productivity and the production infrastructure must be improved, and farmland improvement plans created and implemented including for irrigation and drainage facilities. Also, disaster prevention measures for the farmland in coastal areas are needed.

In the future, different methods for conserving farmland must be examined, including whether they are necessary or feasible in terms of costs, with top priority on securing of good farmland.

To stabilize food imports, it is necessary to strengthen global dependence. For this, promote international harmonization including technical cooperation and economic negotiations, and conduct surveys for establishing an international vision on food supply among countries for the sustainable development of agriculture.

(2)Fisheries measures for stabilizing the food supply

Marine products are important for Japanese people and supply about 40% of animal protein. However, due to the reduction of marine resources in the surrounding waters and because of the stricter international fishing regulations, the yield has been decreasing in offshore and distant water fisheries. The self-sufficiency rate has decreased by 24% over the decade to 58% as of fiscal 1996. Although Japan imports a vast amount of marine products, the world's marine production will not remarkably increase, and the supply and demand situation will become tight. It is therefore urgently required to establish a comprehensive, functional system to supply marine products.

To achieve this, within Japan's exclusive economic zone, which is one of the richest fishing grounds in the world, protect the productive coastal fishing grounds and maintain and improve the fishing environment. At the same time, promote good resource management by implementing a new TAC (total allowable catch) system and so forth. Furthermore, train successors systematically, improve fishing ports and villages as the basis for marine production, improve marine productivity, and promote "aqua-culture fisheries based on stock enhancement".

3.Ensuring a stable energy supply

A stable, efficient energy supply is essential for Japan's sustainable economic development and the life of citizens. It is necessary to develop and implement measures to attain sustainable economic growth, stable energy supply, and environmental conservation at the same time in view of the following. First, Japan depends on imports for about 80% of its energy supply. Second, many factors might destabilize the supply and demand of energy in the mid to long term. Third, emissions of carbon dioxide must be curbed to tackle global warming problems.

To attain these goals, we must introduce new energies, promote energy saving, and ensure the stable supply of electricity to cope with growing demand by promoting nuclear power generation, etc.

(1)Introducing new energies and promoting energy saving

Develop and introduce new energies including solar energy power generation to tackle global environmental problems, and take necessary measures on both the supply and demand sides to improve the economic efficiency of new energies. Also, encourage local public bodies and private companies to use new sources of energies, and encourage energy-saving in industry. In the commercial and residential sector and transportation sector in which energy consumption is increasing rapidly, promote energy-saving by establishing efficient transportation networks through public understanding and cooperation. Furthermore, in view of the mid- to long-term unstable factors in the supply and demand of energy, try to ensure a stable supply of petroleum and to introduce natural gas to resolve global environmental problems. Also, it is desirable to examine the feasibility of natural gas pipelines including its economic efficiency.

(2)Ensuring the stable supply of electric power

For electric power, develop power sources to ensure the stable supply of electric power in response to the increasing demand. Also, optimize the composition of power sources by diversifying them. Promote the construction of nuclear power plants that do not emit carbon dioxide, while giving priority to safety and public understanding and cooperation, and develop related technologies. For constructing nuclear power plants, regional development based on a broad vision including surrounding areas is needed, regardless of whether the regions already have such plants or not. Give advice and support to long-term comprehensive regional development plans, and improve the infrastructure in the regions by using related systems including the three laws related to the construction of electric sources, and support regional efforts to develop independent regional economies.

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