Wide Area Cooperation after the Heisei Municipal Merger

Abstract

　Wide area cooperation is a mechanism for cooperation among local governments that is used for effective solution of wide area issues. Looking back at the past municipal merger and wide area cooperation, wide area cooperation is strongly used as an alternative to the municipal mergers. However, since the Heisei municipal merger, the situation surrounding the wide area cooperation has changed significantly, and the importance of wide area cooperation is increasing.

　In this paper, we review the past wide area cooperation and municipal merger and discuss the background and characteristics of the wide area cooperation. Furthermore, while considering the current wide area cooperation, we discuss the issues such as the center and the surrounding, the governance in the area, and the limits of the population dam.