The five years since the inauguration of the Abe Cabinet was marked with a press conference by the Prime Minister on December 26 2017. During December there were a number of national government events related to decentralization and local autonomy, which are summarised from the Prime Minister’s Office, below.
On December 14 the third meeting in FY2017 of the Forum for Consultations between the National and Regional Governments was held at the Prime Minister’s Office. At the meeting, discussion took place on the formulation of the budget for FY2018 and local government finance measures. The Prime Minister said in his opening address that the Cabinet recently approved a new economic policy package up to 2020 for tackling the challenge of a declining birth-rate and ageing population that will promote revolutions in productivity and human resources development as two central planks.
“Japan will not have vitality unless its regions do as well, we will work together with local public entities to overcome the challenge of a declining birth-rate and aging society, fully harness the talented human resources and the knowhow of the regions, and pave the way for the future of Japan.”
The following day, Prime Minister Abe held the 32nd meeting of the Council on National Strategic Special Zones at the Prime Minister’s Office. During the meeting, the Council discussed issues including the certification of special zone plans, improving transparency and strengthening the functions of National Strategic Special Zones, and the regulatory sandbox system. Following the discussion, Mr Abe acknowledged the contribution of Semboku City Mayor Kadowaki as a leading figure of near-future technology demonstration tests, with the very first tests of fully-autonomous driving on public roads in Japan, for his briefing on the initiatives implemented by his city. Mayor Kadowaki also stressed the importance of a regulatory sandbox system for such tests, a point mirrored by private sector Council members at the meeting. He added: “As we develop the regulatory sandbox system, it is important that we leverage the ability to develop special regional sandboxes, and enable the implementation of various demonstration tests in a flexible and agile manner in line with the actual situation of each region. I want to create mechanisms that are speedy and that allow each region to fully exercise its own autonomy.”
On December 18 2017, Prime Minister Abe held the 14th meeting of the Council on Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy in Japan at the Prime Minister’s Office. At the meeting, there was discussion regarding the revision of the comprehensive strategy for overcoming population decline and vitalizing local economy, and on best practices in vitalizing local economies. The meeting heard from local universities in Yamagata and Kochi, which had collaborated with local companies and farmers to revitalize their local economies. Mr Abe added the government would revise its comprehensive strategy based on the meeting and that ministers would compile a set of bold policies not constrained by conventional thinking, to help young people feel there are opportunities for them in the regions.
On December 22, Prime Minister Abe held the eighth meeting of the Ministerial Council on the Promotion of Japan as a Tourism-Oriented Country at the Prime Minister’s Office. At the meeting, an exchange of views took place on the basic policy regarding the uses of revenues from the international tourist tax (provisional name) and other matters. In conclusion, the Prime Minister said that his Cabinet had positioned tourism as a pillar of its Growth Strategy and signature policy for vitalizing local economies. As a result, the number of annual foreign visitors to Japan had increased during his administration (since 2012) from eight million to 24 million last year, at the current pace expected to exceed 28 million this year. On the decision to establish an international tourist tax, a basic policy would compile concrete for measures for the use of revenues from this new tax. Furthermore, local areas’ expectations for tourism can be boosted through communicating their culture and history to the world using social media.
On December 26, 2017, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the fourth meeting of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Promotion Headquarters at the Prime Minister’s Office. At the meeting, discussions took place on the SDGs Action Plan 2018, which consists of three pillars that characterise Japan’s SDG model: the joint promotion of Society 5.0 by the public and private sectors; regional vitalization driven by the SDGs; and the empowerment of future generations and women.
Finally, also that day, Prime Minister Abe held the 11th meeting of the Headquarters for Promoting Decentralization Reform at the Prime Minister’s Office. At the meeting, discussion took place on the measures to address the proposals received from the regions in 2017 and other matters. In conclusion, Mr Abe said:
“Japan will not have vitality unless its regions do as well. In order to realize a society where the people can feel its prosperity and enjoy secure livelihoods, it is important for each region to build on the distinct features of its designated local areas and develop these areas creatively based on its own ideas. To that end, we must continue to strongly promote decentralization reform that increases regional autonomy and independence.”
He added that the government had responded to 90 percent of proposals received from the regions, including those that contribute to the promotion of culture and tourism, support for childrearing, and support for areas affected by natural disasters.
