[Provisional translation]
On October 30, 2026, Prime Minister Takaichi attended the eighth meeting of the Council of Relevant State Ministers and Other Officials on the Strategy for the Future of Regions and a briefing to the Prime Minister on the Strategy for the Future of Regions at the Prime Minister's Office.
At the meeting, discussions were held on reports concerning the Regional Industrial Cluster Plans and Local Industry Growth Plans.
Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister stated as follows:
(Prime Minister Takaichi)
Thank you very much to all the governors and municipal mayors for presenting your highly ambitious Regional Industrial Cluster Plans and Local Industry Growth Plans that leverage the distinctive characteristics and strengths of each region. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much to all the governors and municipal mayors for presenting your highly ambitious Regional Industrial Cluster Plans and Local Industry Growth Plans that leverage the distinctive characteristics and strengths of each region. Thank you very much.
Concrete plans that harness the respective strengths of regions throughout Japan are steadily taking shape, ranging from growth sectors such as medical and biotechnology, next-generation mobility, aerospace, and drones to locally rooted industries such as agriculture, forestry, and traditional crafts.
With this latest round, more than 100 plans, primarily Regional Industrial Cluster Plans, have now been formulated and publicly announced.
Going forward, we will further promote the formulation of plans by municipalities.
Minister Fujii, please strengthen the framework for providing escort runner-type support to municipalities so that more local governments can formulate Local Industry Growth Plans. This should involve not only strengthening cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and prefectural governments, but also engaging relevant ministries and agencies and their regional offices.
In addition, Minister Fujii, please work closely with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to consider how best to support the strengthening of arrangements for providing escort runner-type support to relevant businesses under plans formulated by municipalities, including management guidance provided by Societies of Commerce and Industry and Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Now, on the Government's side as well, we have gone ahead and appointed some officials to take responsibility for these efforts, much to their misfortune, perhaps. They are here with us today.
To strengthen the framework for promoting the Strategy for the Future of Regions, we have appointed nine officials in charge of promoting the Strategy for the Future of Regions, drawn from director-general-level officials and others at the relevant ministries and agencies. They are also participating in today's meeting.
We intend to formulate the Implementation Framework for the Strategy for the Future of Regions by the end of this year. This Implementation Framework will incorporate measures including:
- Multi-year budgetary measures;
- Local fiscal measures that take into consideration the financial burden on local governments;
- Support for local governments in formulating plans;
- Utilization of support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises in supply chain investments under Industrial Cluster Plans;
- Additional budgetary measures under a Special Framework for the Future of Regions, separate from existing budgets, including new and accelerated infrastructure development projects; and
- Support measures for human resource development.
- Local fiscal measures that take into consideration the financial burden on local governments;
- Support for local governments in formulating plans;
- Utilization of support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises in supply chain investments under Industrial Cluster Plans;
- Additional budgetary measures under a Special Framework for the Future of Regions, separate from existing budgets, including new and accelerated infrastructure development projects; and
- Support measures for human resource development.
The officials responsible for promoting the Strategy have been appointed to take charge of these respective areas.
I ask each of you to devote your full efforts to your assigned area, respond to the specific needs of local governments, and accelerate the work of formulating the Implementation Framework.
Above all, let us, as the national government, work arm-in-arm with local governments to support their overflowing passion and spirit of challenge in their efforts to completely transform their regions, and bring industrial clusters fully into bloom in every corner of the Japanese archipelago.
Thank you very much for your participation today.