Work to consolidate public facilities, including both national and local government buildings, is gaining momentum across Japan, reflecting a growing need to make more efficient use of public spaces amid a declining population.
One notable example is the development of regional government office complexes that bring together multiple branch offices of national government ministries and agencies in close proximity to local government buildings. Municipal facilities such as libraries are increasingly being constructed within these government office complexes, further streamlining public services.
The Finance Ministry, which oversees the management of state-owned property, is actively promoting such initiatives as a key part of regional revitalization strategies.
In July 2022, the Tsuruoka second regional government office complex was completed in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture. Located near city hall, the new joint facility brings together several previously scattered offices in the city, including the tax office, the public employment security office and the Tsuruoka branch of the Yamagata District Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The complex also houses the city’s disaster response equipment warehouse on its first floor, enhancing the region’s disaster preparation and response capabilities. The warehouse stores emergency electric generators and other vital equipment. Previously, the city government had struggled to secure adequate space for such equipment at city hall.
The consolidation of government offices into the regional complex has created new opportunities for health care education in the community. The former tax office site became home to a new municipal nursing school building that opened in April.
The previous school facility was constrained by cramped conditions and the limited availability of equipment, making it impossible to accommodate more students despite growing demand for health care professionals. The new facility has eliminated these problems.
“At a time when securing human resources for regional health care is a major challenge, this will make a meaningful contribution to developing the workforce (our community needs),” a city official said.
The town of Fujikawa in Yamanashi Prefecture celebrated the opening of its first municipal library, housed in the new regional government office complex completed in fiscal 2022.
For years, the community operated without a public library, but many requests from residents prompted town officials to explore establishing one. An expert committee recommended incorporating the library into the planned government office complex, and after a series of discussions between the town hall and the national government, the project finally came to fruition.
A disaster response equipment warehouse inside the Tsuruoka second regional government office complex in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture
| The Tsuruoka Municipal Government / via Jiji
Since opening in July 2023, the municipal library has become a community hub, welcoming an average of 110 visitors daily. The facility regularly hosts community events at the complex’s entrance area, made possible through partnerships with national government branch offices.
“It’s brought new vitality to the entire area,” a town official said, expressing confidence in the library’s community impact.
Officials in the city of Oita are moving forward with plans to construct a new regional government building complex, targeting completion by fiscal 2029. The project addresses critical issues with the current facility, which has served for over five decades and now has marked structural deterioration and inadequate disaster preparation capabilities.
Following collaborative discussions, key organizations, including the local finance office, city government and Kyushu Regional Development Bureau, formally adopted the construction policy in fiscal 2022.
A new nine-story complex will be constructed to strengthen authorities’ rapid response capabilities for large-scale natural disasters, particularly a potential massive earthquake along the Nankai Trough in the Pacific Ocean. The facility will serve as headquarters for both the local meteorological office and regional Self-Defense Forces organization, centralizing emergency response operations under one roof.
Upon completion, the complex is expected to receive official designation as a tsunami evacuation building, providing a vital emergency shelter for local residents during natural disasters.
The new facility’s strategic location near both the city hall and the prefectural government office promises benefits for residents and local administration.
“We anticipate (this proximity) will strengthen our cooperation with local governments while improving convenience for area residents,” said a representative from the Kyushu Local Finance Bureau.
The initiative exemplifies a broader national trend toward greater collaboration between national and local governments.
According to the Finance Ministry, by the end of March this year, local finance bureaus and related organizations across the country had formed councils with a total of 160 local governments. These councils are actively engaging in discussions on various issues, including the consolidation of public facilities.
“Coordination takes time, and this type of initiative can’t be implemented overnight,” a senior ministry official said. “Still, we believe (these programs) can make significant contributions to local communities, and we’re eager to see more concrete examples emerge.”
