Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will promote business climate improvement in metropolitan cities such as Tokyo and Osaka to enhance urban competitiveness in business and daily lives. Financial support for developers of facilities such as convention centers and hospitals which accept foreign patients will start in fiscal 2014. The ministry also gives aids to transport infrastructure such as rail stations in urban redevelopment area. 700 million yen expenses for these schemes were requested in fiscal 2014 budget. Targeting 2020, the government aims to improve urban competitiveness as a part of the Growth Strategy.

The schemes will be applied in the government’s designated 11 regions for Special Urban Renaissance Districts including Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Yokohama and Kawasaki, where easing of restrictions are admitted to promote urban development. (2014/01/30)