The planning section of the National Land Development Council has penned a 10-year national land formation plan that the Cabinet will approve by the end of March after receiving it from the council. The plan is expected to gain public support. The central and local governments must work out ways to implement the plan's ideas. It will be especially important for prefectural governors to overcome the narrow interests of each prefecture so that larger blocs, each encompassing several prefectures, can develop into viable entities with economic vitality.
The plan's main goal is to ensure national development, even as the population shrinks and grays, by drastically changing the current system. The nation's economic and other functions and the population are concentrated in the central Pacific coastal areas of Honshu Island, with Tokyo serving as the hub.
Under the plan, the nation will be divided into eight blocs. Each bloc will be designed to develop autonomously so that the synergy created through the activities of each bloc contributes to the development of the whole nation. Stress is placed on maintaining a high quality of life, making the nation resilient to natural disasters and protecting the natural environment.
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