Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is putting priority on his new policy of rejuvenating the stalled economies of regions outside Tokyo, many of which are stuck in long-term slumps and suffering from rapid depopulation.
Abe plans to draw up a road map by the end of the year for tackling rural depopulation through 2020. His government also intends to set up a special fund that can be flexibly used by stagnant municipalities.
But the new initiative is being panned by experts and former bureaucrats from the areas, who say the plan just looks like another half-baked economic initiative from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.