2007 Volume 30 Issue 3 Pages 35-42
For a decade or so after the collapse of the bubble economy, Japanese society has been facing with social and economic decline of regional areas in the difficulties of inevitable decrease of national population and continuing excessive influx into Tokyo Metropolitan area. To cope with these subjects and to realize more independent regions in local areas, it is indispensable to shift Japanese governance system from the present one to more decentralized and autonomous one and to establish a real decentralized state which is composed of effective central government and autonomously independent local governments, in addition to promoting polycentric national land policy.
In this context, some cases in EU countries on wider-area local governmental systems which embrace highly empowered mezzo-governments will give us good implication. And it is the time to form a road map to introduce a Japanese-type wider-area local governmental system, making strong appeal to the public for better understanding and approval.
