A long-sought response from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is finally listening to the problems faced by the other Japan — the one outside Tokyo — or a cynical attempt to rally the Liberal Democratic Party before key local elections next April?
Whatever the answer, Abe's creation of a new government office devoted to rural areas, a traditional LDP stronghold, takes place amid genuine concern among local leaders. While life is good in Tokyo, difficulties elsewhere aren't just short-term political concerns, but long-term socioeconomic problems that urgently need a national response.
The fears of local governments start with the declining population. At a meeting last week of the 47 governors, Tokyo was urged to create a comprehensive plan of economic reform that takes into account the fact that many prefectures have drastically shrinking labor forces.