Abstract
The Japanese Ministry of Trade, Economy and Industry (METI) offered subsidies totaling 146.1 billion yen for the promotion of both low-carbon and job opportunity-creating industries over the 3 years from 2009 to 2011. Those significant subsidies were offered under an approximately 20-year METI program to revitalize the production plants of private companies. The subsidies had a major impact on industrial competitiveness and regional economies. The aim of this paper is to review the effects of the subsidies and to consider the future of similar programs.
