The government reported Monday that the sweeping trends of the country's population decline and excess concentration of population in Tokyo have not changed over the past decade.
The report was made at the day's meeting of the Council for the Realization of the Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation, 10 years after efforts by state and local governments to revitalize regional economies went into full swing.
Also in the report, the central government called for the creation of regions that would be attractive to women and young people as well as countermeasures against the falling birthrate. It emphasized population increases in several municipalities, thanks to the promotion of relocation and the creation of jobs.
While appreciating increased interest among the public in moving to rural areas, the government cited growth in Tokyo's net population inflow over the 10 years and stressed the need to take the severe situation of rural areas seriously.
It pledged to tackle Tokyo's overconcentration through regional development from the perspectives of women and young generations, promote measures against the declining birthrate, support local governments and use digital technologies.
In 2014, the government compiled a comprehensive strategy for regional revitalization after receiving a private-sector report saying that about half of Japan's municipalities might disappear in the future. Local governments have also developed and been working on their own strategies to address population decline.