Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Saturday that he plans to establish a council tasked with helping promote regional revitalization led by the private sector.
He hopes to include the plan, unveiled in talks with reporters during his visit to Maebashi, the capital of Gunma Prefecture, in a basic concept of his signature “Regional Revitalization 2.0” program.
The envisaged council will be directly supervised by Ishiba. The basic concept is expected to be compiled this summer.
“We’ll consider the possibility of revising related laws while learning from the efforts being made in Maebashi” in order to help accelerate community building through public-private cooperation, Ishiba said.
In Maebashi, Ishiba visited Jins Park, a regional interaction hub, which also includes an eyeglasses store.
At the complex, set up by glasses chain Jins Holdings, the prime minister tried on Jins brand glasses and tasted pastries sold at the facility. He smiled and said, “This is a very nice facility.”
Jins Holdings has built a new office in Maebashi, using the government’s tax incentive program designed to facilitate business relocations to rural areas as part of regional revitalization.
Ishiba also held talks with Jins founder Hitoshi Tanaka and others, and visited a shopping district in the city.
