［March 2018］
29-Road Administration – A Year of Local Governments in Japan

This Japanese winter season was colder and had more snowfall than usual with experts saying that ‘La Niña’ was what triggered such extreme weather. Northern Japan was hit particularly hard and there were instances where the Japanese Self- Defense Force was deployed to free more than 1500 vehicles stranded on major roads buried in heavy snow.

All roads in Japan, depending on their size and location, is managed by a specific tier of government, be it the central or prefectural/municipal government. The deployment of the Self-Defense Force to deal with road blockages such as what happened recently is very rare.

The Japanese central government is responsible for all major roads and highways that connect major cities and the overall nationwide road framework. On the other hand, prefectural and municipal governments are in charge of their respective regional road networks. Although the central government is responsible for ‘national roads’, about 60% of these roads are administered by prefectures or designated cities. This exemplifies an aspect of Japan’s fused public administration system.

Road administration is one of the biggest responsibilities for Japanese governments and also one of the most expensive. Roads were formerly funded by special duties placed on petroleum and diesel oil but due to a change in policy in 2009, these special duties have been channeled into general purpose revenue as Japan grapples with tough financial circumstances and an aging population.

Katsunori Kamibo

Director