Regional revitalization is one in a series of policies that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has touted as priorities for his administration. Alarmed by the nation's declining population and exodus from rural areas to urban centers — plus a private-sector estimate that nearly half of the nation's municipalities could disappear within a few decades — the Abe administration in 2014 introduced a law for revitalizing rural communities and creation of jobs in depopulated areas. It later adopted a comprehensive strategy for regional revitalization complete with specific goals and policy steps.
Although the policy features laudable goals, it's questionable whether the strategy is bearing fruit. These days, Abe himself doesn't talk much about the agenda. Voters should follow developments in this issue as a gauge to see how serious the administration is about new policy initiatives that it continues to launch one after another.
According to government statistics, the Japanese population has suffered a decline eight straight years, with the number at 125.58 million as of January, a drop of more than 300,000 from a year earlier. Of the 47 prefectures, 41 experienced year-on-year decreases, with only Tokyo and five others posting an increase. In recent years, Japan has lost roughly 300,000 people annually on a net basis. The pace of decline is estimated to accelerate in the years ahead.