The government plans to create a registration system linking local governments with the so-called connected population —nonresidents who steadily interact with regional areas — as part of efforts to revitalize rural communities.

The system, under which people will register their links to municipalities using a smartphone app, aims to encourage people living in urban areas to play active roles in rural communities amid their shrinking populations.

Japan launched regional revitalization efforts in 2014 under then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to halt its population decline, as well as to promote migration to rural areas in order to address overpopulation issues in the Tokyo area.

But getting people to move has proven difficult, so some local governments have taken measures aimed at increasing the number of people who may not migrate but might become more deeply involved in areas than tourists.

Hida, Gifu Prefecture, launched a fan club for the city in 2017. Members receive discounts at local stores and hotels.

The city government sends information to members and offers programs for them to participate in activities such as farm work, weeding and event management, in order to promote interaction between the connected population and local residents.

The fan club had 17,000 members as of the end of May, equivalent to around 80% of the city's population of 21,500.

The Japanese government aims to increase the connected population across the country to 100 million by the end of fiscal 2034.

The success of this initiative may depend on whether the registration system can offer incentives for both local governments and people, as does Hida's program.