지역정책의 과제와 지역산업의 진흥

Problem of regional policy and promotion of regional industry

Today a number of Japanese regions face many social and economical problems. Since the collapse of the “bubble economy”, Japanese economy has hovered around about ten years later.It is caused of the reduction of domestic demand and investment. Many local regions had a high demand and investment based on the location of industries and large center of shopping in the 1970’s 80’s. However today all or a part of branches of many in the local regions has been shifted into the overseas and the unemployment rate has increased to over 5%(the highest : over 8.4% of Okinawa-ken, the lowest : 3.2% of Nagano-ken, the survey of Oct.2002) in all Japan. Japanese government put into practice of special subsidy i.e. “Special subsidy for increase of employment in emergency region”, by which ＼350 billion will be outlaid through the local government and be newly employed about 500,000 persons during 3 years(Jan.2002 Mar.2005). We must act a strong and comprehensive regional policy for the revitalization of each sector in regional economy. Local government as public sector must meet the needs of citizen through the supply of the public goods and services under the diminishing expenditure. It also has to make efforts to set its finances in order by the introduction of NPM(New Public Management), such as evaluation of administration, PEI(Private FinanceInitiative) and method of accounting in private sector, and by reconsideration of an extra-departmental body(Gaikaku Dantai) getting a subsidy from local government and Daisan Sector(about 6,800 corporations in Mar.31.2000), which is seen as an co-operative organization consisting of the public sector and the private sector. Private sector must develop new industries having a strong competition, such as IT industries and new goods and services based on the various needs in life cycle. Those usually have been supplied by the private enterprise. However, recently we able to find that new supplier, such as NPO(Non-Profit Organization about 6,600 in Mar.31.2001) play the role of the revitalization in a number of communities.