A 30 km/h speed limit will apply to traffic on the roads without center lines, multiple lanes, etc.in residential areas from September 2026 which under a revision to the Order for Enforcement of the Road Traffic Law, approved at a Cabinet meeting on July 23. In the pre-enforcement phase, the development and establishment of efficient and effective nationwide uniform road traffic condition and usage monitoring methods and the assurance of their effectiveness are policy issues, while the implementation of practical monitoring is an urgent issue after enforcement. This study focuses on car probe data, a kind of passive data, and aims to organize policy issues by proposing a practical monitoring method and case studies of road traffic when the 30 km/h regulation is enforced on residential roads. Considering the ease of handling by the management entity of residential roads, we propose a method that allows regular monitoring at the municipal level and evaluation of traffic conditions over multiple periods of time by elementary school. As monitoring indices, we developed indices related to the areas adjacent to the roads, such as the number of sudden deceleration and the number of vehicles traveling at less than 30 km/h on the roads, taking advantage of the characteristics of the car probe data. Through a case study in Gifu City, we could identify there was value differences between two periods by elementary school district and mesh. As a result, we could clarify that practical monitoring of the 30 km/h regulation on residential roads is possible by using car probe data, which is a nationally uniform standard and passive data. In addition, we could extract policy issues from the viewpoints of use data, monitoring indicators, management system, and monitoring for the future.

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In recent years, there has been a growing interest in “edible landscapes” around the world. In this paper, using the city of Andernach in Germany as a case study, we aim to clarify the mechanisms, achievements and issues of the “edible city,” which is an expansion of the edible landscape to the urban environment. The following four points were clarified through an interview survey of the project staff in 2024, on-site surveys and systematic literature surveys. (1) The reality of the “top-down” approach led by the local government was based on a cross-sector team that included the mayor. (2) The attempt to allow anyone to harvest produce from public green spaces in the city of Andernach attracted a great deal of attention both domestically and internationally. (3) The attempt to make the entire city of Andernach an edible city was confirmed. (4) Rather than aiming for quantitative expansion, qualitative expansion was required. The edible city project in Andernach can be said to be a unique project on a global scale. However, it is being developed in stages, and it can be said that the concept of permaculture is also present. In terms of suggestions for Japan, the example of the city of Andernach can be understood as a means of using public green spaces in a new way. It can also be said that the feasibility of implementing this in Japan is high, but it is important to calmly assess the risks and implement it as a small project. In addition, it can be said that expertise and interdisciplinarity are the foundations of implementation.

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This study interprets and analyzes the development of Japan’s so-called “external territories (gaichi)” in the first half of the twentieth century—particularly the expansion of state-led development projects in Manchuria—by focusing on the ideological transformation of the concept of “technology (gijutsu)” as generated through the engineers’ movement and by reformist bureaucrats, drawing primarily on documentary research. The documentary investigation demonstrates the historical fact that the narrative of technology came to play a certain role in national development projects through the following trajectory. Under the pressures exerted by the great powers during Japan’s modernization, scientific knowledge was subordinated to practical utility， fused with technology, and incorporated into state policy according to the criterion of serving national interests. Nevertheless, engineers at the time occupied a low social and institutional status, and in an effort to improve these conditions, figures such as Rintarō Naoki and Takenosuke Miyamoto launched the engineers’ movement. It was in the external territories—most notably Manchuria, where institutional constraints were far weaker than in the Japanese metropole—that this movement ultimately bore fruit. As a “new frontier,” these territories were opened to engineers, enabling technology to acquire a dynamic and central position as the driving force of development. Moreover, reform-minded bureaucrats constructed a narrative framework that linked technology to the conception of a national-defense state and to the formation of an East Asian order, through conceptual maneuvers involving terms such as “synthetic technology (sougou-gijutsu),” “technology for Asian development (koua-gijutsu),” and “economic technology (keizai-gijutsu).” Through this interpretive analysis, this study reveals that the narrative formation of technology operated as a principle that joined scientific rationality with an ethnic mission, integrating political divisions and orienting them toward development. In this sense, technology at the time was not merely an instrument for policy execution; rather, as this study makes clear, it assumed ideological and normative functions that directed the state’s survival strategy and mobilized national resources to drive development.

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An analysis of the revitalization of Manchurian development from the perspective of interactions between the local (Manchuria) and the central (Japan) reveals that development there unfolded through a persistent tension between centrifugal forces (local independence and autonomy) and centripetal forces (subordination and coordination with the center). Although Manchuria was under Japan’s control, its geographical separation and its founding ideology enabled it to retain a certain degree of its own local character—its centrifugal force—and to function as an experimental frontier. At the same time, much of its capital, technology, and institutional design depended on Japan, and centripetal forces toward the center were indispensable, as symbolized by the formation of the Japan–Manchuria economic bloc. These centrifugal and centripetal forces did not simply oppose each other; rather, they constituted a mutually complementary relationship that served as a driving force for development. As a new frontier, Manchuria offered a space in which engineers and reformist bureaucrats—who felt constrained within the Japanese homeland—could pursue ambitious projects and bold institutional and urban planning initiatives. Meanwhile, a distinctive local pride strengthened group discipline and cohesion, fostering developmental dynamism exemplified by construction contractors’ ethos of “national service through civil engineering.” Such locally grounded development in Manchuria ultimately influenced policy innovation at the center, as seen in the “re-importation” of planning and controlled-economy methods by figures such as Nobusuke Kishi. In conclusion, the revitalization of Manchurian development was sustained by a cyclical relationship that harmonized the enhancement of local particularity with central control—a structural condition that suggests general applicability to contemporary national land development.

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This study aimed to comprehensively describe and compare trends in healthcare and long-term care resources and expenditures between depopulated and non-depopulated areas in Japan. We analysed panel data for all 1,741 municipalities from 2015 to 2022. Using indicators of healthcare and long-term care resources and expenditures per population (or per population aged ≥ 65 years) derived from official statistics, we fitted a two-way fixed-effects model (municipality and year), including an interaction between the depopulated-area indicator and year to evaluate differences in annual trends. To control the type I error rate across multiple outcomes, we applied false discovery rate control using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. Depopulated areas were defined according to the national Act on Special Measures for the Promotion of Independence of Depopulated Areas. Standard errors were clustered by municipality. In depopulated areas, hospitals (β = 0.07), general clinics (β = 0.93) and home-care support clinics (β = 0.34) increased more than in non-depopulated areas, whereas growth in home-visit nursing agencies (β = –0.20) and home-visit nurses (β = –0.31) was slower. Regarding long-term care resources, beds in special nursing homes for older people (β = 0.20) and in long-term care facilities (β = 0.07) increased more in depopulated areas. For expenditures, increases in total medical expenditure (β = –3,305.21) and inpatient medical expenditure (β = –846.68) were smaller, whereas long-term care insurance benefits per recipient increased more (β = 9,123.19) in depopulated areas. These findings suggest a coexistence of healthcare retraction and long-term care expansion in depopulated regions, underscoring the need to strengthen the foundation for home-visit nursing, allocate resources with attention to geographic accessibility and conduct policy evaluations linked to outcomes such as avoidable hospitalisations.

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In Japan, although educational opportunities are institutionally guaranteed nationwide, children’s lifestyle behaviors outside of school are largely shaped by family environments, giving rise to what has been described as experience disparities. While diverse childhood experiences are widely recognized as important for long-term capability formation, their actual patterns of implementation have not been sufficiently documented. This study therefore aims to clarify disparities in leisure activities outside of school associated with household economic conditions and regional differences, and to demonstrate the necessity of developing facilities and access that ensure all children can engage in diverse and enriching experiences. Nationwide analysis indicates that children from lower-income households are more likely to engage in sports and hobbies infrequently—or not at all—underscoring the need to further advance efforts to secure equitable opportunities for leisure activities. Moreover, an examination of the number of activity types reveals that disparities in the diversity of hobbies and entertainment are shaped by both city size and household income. Analysis of specific activity categories shows particularly pronounced differences in sports such as skiing and mountaineering, which require substantial equipment and travel costs, as well as in hobbies and entertainment such as concerts, which can only be held in limited locations. In contrast, digital activities such as playing games on smartphones or consoles exhibit minimal variation by income or region and are practiced by a substantial proportion of children.

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One of the prominent political issues in contemporary Japan is the “uragane” (slush fund) scandal. This issue has been extensively covered by the media and is believed to have played a significant role in shaping public opinion during recent elections. However, the legal essence of the uragane scandal pertains to “fukisai” (off-the-books money) in political funding income and expenditure reports. The term uragane itself is inherently ambiguous and lacks a clear, consistent definition. Moreover, there are discrepancies in its usage across different politicians and factions, with some being labeled as uragane and others as fukisai. This inconsistency raises concerns regarding fairness and impartiality in reporting. Decision-making research has demonstrated that framing effects—the influence of language on decision outcomes—are prevalent in various contexts. Accordingly, it is plausible that the framing of the uragane issue may have shaped public opinion and voting behavior. In light of these considerations, this study aims to examine the targets of the uragane label in media discourse. Using a database of major newspaper editorials, we analyzed the use of the terms uragane and fukisai in relation to different political factions. The findings indicate that, overall, the term uragane was more frequently applied to the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) as a whole, as well as the Abe faction, while the term fukisai was more commonly associated with the Kishida and Nikai factions. For other factions, the use of either term was relatively infrequent. These results suggest a bias in the application of the “uragane” and “fukisai” frames in media coverage.

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This study empirically examines how vision-driven leadership, which articulates public-oriented purposes such as reconstruction and regional co-creation, and joint leadership interact to advance regional co-creation and contribute to regional revitalization, drawing on the practices of business leaders engaged in Tohoku’s reconstruction and revitalization. Although the role of business leaders who spearhead regional development has attracted increasing attention in recent years, research remains limited on their characteristics and on the mechanisms through which they generate co-creation. Focusing on two entrepreneurs who, in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, founded new businesses in Akiu, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture and have been engaged in reconstruction and regional revitalization, this study conducts a qualitative analysis based on approximately five years of university–industry collaboration, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews. In Akiu, a long-established hot-spring tourism destination, the two entrepreneurs created new industries under the concept of “Terroage,” exercised joint leadership that complemented their respective strengths, and promoted empathy-building among stakeholders inside and outside the region. The analysis suggests that, in this process, joint leadership evolved into shared leadership, accompanied by the expansion of regional co-creation and collaborative networks. The resulting “Akiu Model” presents a hypothetical framework in which the visualization of the guiding public-purpose vision and the cultivation of empathy trigger an evolutionary process in leadership and mutually reinforcing development of regional co-creation. This study contributes not only to reconstruction and revitalization in disaster-affected regions but also offers theoretical implications for deepening leadership research and practical implications for designing regional co-creation models.

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Function consolidation and guidance toward core areas is progressing nationwide through location optimization plans. And in recent years, the need for compact city policies at the regional city area level has increased. In order to promote compact city policies at the regional city area level, it is necessary to focus on urbanization control areas, which also have the aspect of being “areas where development should be restricted,” as well as non-planned areas. These areas also include the centers of former municipalities and existing settlements with a certain degree of population and functionality, and some municipalities are positioning these areas as arbitrary bases in their location optimization plans. In this study, we elucidate the actual status of core areas of urbanization control areas and non-planned areas and we examine the sustainability of its core areas based on urban environment and resident awareness, therefore obtaining suggestions for the future formation and maintenance of its core areas. Specifically, (1) categorize the original core areas in location optimization plans by focusing on the urban environment, and (2) elucidate resident awareness according to its categorization. As a result, in convenient core areas, residents’ perception of the town, settlement intention, and residential satisfaction were a positive outlook, and a certain degree of sustainability of core areas was observed. On the other hand, in inconvenient core areas, resident awareness was a negative outlook. Therefore, it was shown that the core areas are at risk of decline, such as a decrease in the number of users of the core area’s functions due to future population outflow in terms of resident awareness.

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This study compares the image structures of tourist cities by analyzing vocabulary from open-ended keywords for the Kurashiki City Bikan historical quarter and Onomichi City. Intercity differences were quantified with word frequencies and likelihood ratios, and clusters were visualized via co-occurrence networks. In Kurashiki, frequent terms—“white-plaster walls,” “river,” “boats,” “willows,” “storehouses,” “history,” “atmosphere,” “calm”—indicate stay-oriented appreciation centered on watersides and historic design. In Onomichi, “slopes,” “sea,” “temples,” “mountains,” plus “ropeway,” “cherry blossoms,” “cats,” and “ramen” point to mobility-based viewing focused on hillside movement, seascapes, and shrines/temples. “Beautiful,” “streetscape,” “old,” and “scenery” were shared between the two cities. Co-occurrence comparisons revealed city-specific tourism resources. Policywise, Kurashiki should prioritize pedestrians and tranquility, conserve white walls and willow avenues, and use wayfinding and loop/combination tickets to link museums, shopping, and boat rides. Onomichi should support hillside mobility (e.g., display step counts and times, add rest spots) and engage residents sensitively when leveraging everyday cultural assets such as popular eateries and cats.

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This study longitudinally examined how maternal periodontal disease symptoms relate to children’s oral hygiene status at 18-month and 3-year health checkups, aiming to provide foundational evidence for improving dental and oral health care quality in maternal and child health. The average age of the mothers was 33.0 years, with 31.0 % exhibiting symptoms of periodontal disease. At the 18-month checkup, children of mothers with periodontal symptoms had a lower rate of dental plaque. In contrast, there were no associations observed between maternal periodontal disease symptoms and dental plaque accumulation in children at the 3-year-old health checkup. Furthermore, findings suggest an association between worsening dental plaque accumulation in children from the 18-month checkup to the 3-year-old checkup and maternal age, as well as the absence of set snack times. Therefore, interventions promoting health guidance tailored to maternal age groups, and establishing rules for snack times are crucial for preventing dental plaque accumulation in children.

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In Japan, the demand-following approach to parking development has led to an oversupply of parking spaces, creating a supply-demand mismatch that contributes to urban problems such as the fragmentation of the urban landscape and a loss of vibrancy. However, a theoretical framework for managing demand by capping supply is yet to be established, and the actual supply-demand conditions in metropolitan suburbs have not been sufficiently examined. Therefore, this study aims to quantitatively evaluate the parking supply and demand in the central urban areas of three cities in the Tokyo suburbs. It introduces the “desirable car modal share”—a new evaluation axis that considers the realization of an ideal transport system and upper-level policy goals—to examine the effectiveness and challenges of implementing supply-managed parking cap policies. The analysis confirmed a state of oversupply in the target areas, wherein supply significantly exceeds demand even during peak holiday periods. Furthermore, an evaluation of demand reduction potential based on the “desirable car modal share” indicates that a policy of “increasing the public transport modal share on holidays to match weekday levels” has particularly high potential. The results suggest that the proposed methodology serves as an effective tool for concretely examining supply-managed parking cap policies in metropolitan suburbs.

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The Nankai Trough earthquake is expected to occur with high probability in the near future. In the affected areas, urgent countermeasures are necessary. Furthermore, declining populations are prompting a re-evaluation of public facilities, leading to reductions in their overall quantity and relocations or reallocations in tsunami-prone zones. Municipalities expected to suffer significant damage in future disasters require urban development approaches that integrate urban planning, disaster prevention, and public facilities. This study focuses on Wakayama Prefecture, where damage from the Nankai Trough Earthquake is anticipated. Its objective is to clarify the processes for formulating administrative plans for urban development, disaster prevention, and public facilities; the processes related to the relocation or rebuilding of government buildings and the formulation of various plans; and the actual state of coordination and integration between these plans. Based on the planning status and new municipal building construction status of coastal municipalities in Wakayama Prefecture, we selected three municipalities: Kainan City, Gobo City, and Tanabe City. Through literature review and interviews with the municipalities, we examined the conditions of the urban areas and plan contents, the relationship between new municipal building construction and disaster prevention, and the interrelationships between the various planning documents. The results are as follows: We elucidated the relationship between urban development plans and disaster prevention plans. Future facility policies were determined based on utilization rates and the degree of deterioration. Within the plans for public facilities, policies considering disaster prevention were noted. Furthermore, for facilities serving as disaster response hubs, such as city halls and fire stations, there was a tendency to incorporate disaster prevention measures when reviewing building renewal plans.

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The purpose of this study was to understand the realities and challenges of young carers based on a survey of the attitudes of the Committee on Social Welfare, and to analyze the potential for initiatives to resolve these issues from the perspective of urban policy. Exploratory factor analysis was applied, and three factors were extracted in relation to the evaluation of each initiative to support young carers. Multiple regression analysis was conducted with the results of the evaluation of overall efforts for young carers as the objective variable and the factor scores of the three factors extracted in the factor analysis as explanatory variables. The results of the analysis indicated that “opportunities/places for consultation and exchange” had the greatest impact on the evaluation of comprehensive efforts toward young carers.

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Compared to the national average or urban areas, mountainous village regions are facing declining birthrates, aging populations, and population decrease, and they are experiencing problems such as being unable to maintain the conventional municipal service provision system due to staff shortages. In these mountainous areas, there are distinct characteristics, such as older residents’ preferences for living in the area depending on whether someone in the household can drive, and younger family members like children or grandchildren feeling burdened by transportation duties. Among these, households with young children are both involved in child-rearing and taking care of relatives while generally being part of the working generation. In addition, the child-rearing generation experiences the burden of having to complete procedures during the period shortly after pregnancy and childbirth, and there are many requests for accurate information related to child-rearing and demands for better municipal office services. Therefore, this study focuses on Tsumagoi Village in Gunma Prefecture, and aims to empirically clarify the impact that the introduction of an information system in the government office counter services has on the intention to live in mountain villages, and to consider measures to improve the intention to live in mountain villages by introducing an information system. The analysis revealed that the use-intention for an information system is formed among households with young children in mountainous regions when the system provides support for community building, assistance with relative transportation and care, and a reduction of the burdens associated with child-rearing procedures. Moreover, it was found that within the child-rearing households, those with children aged three years or younger, relatives living in the village, higher burdens from child-rearing, transportation, and assistance tend to show increased willingness to reside there due to expectations of reduced burdens.

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The rate of students entering graduate school in Japan remains low, especially in the humanities and social sciences. This study analysed the recruitment patterns of new graduates with master’s degrees in humanities and social sciences at major companies as a background factor. A consideration based on the 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2025 editions of “Shushoku Shikiho,” published by Toyo Keizai Inc., showed that no upward trend was observed in the percentage of firms employing master’s degree holders in humanities and social sciences, regardless of the company’s size. Even when there are actual recruitment results, the number is typically one or two people each year. Employment rates by industry were relatively high for business consultants/think tanks, energy, and information and communications, but were only 20-40 % for other sectors. Hypothesis testing revealed that: (1) companies that hire a master’s degree in the humanities and social sciences once do not tend to continue to do so; (2) companies that hire Ph.D.s are more likely to hire a master’s degree in the humanities and social sciences as well, but the percentage of such companies does not increase; (3) the relationship between average length of employment related to “trainability” and hiring in a master’s degree in the humanities and social sciences is indeterminate; and (4) the tendency for humanities and social science master’s degree holders to recruit from a variety of graduate schools is denied, and recruitment results are skewed toward former imperial universities and well-known private institutions. These results indicate that the expertise and “trainability” of master’s degrees in humanities and social sciences are not highly valued in the context of “membership-type employment” in Japanese companies. As a result, it is concluded that graduate schooling does not confer an employment advantage and that academic inflation is suppressed.

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