Minami-Shinshu (Iida City, Nagano Prefecture) and Higashi-Kubiki (Azuka Town, Niigata Prefecture) - Special Zones for Structural Reform 2003

Minami-Shinshu (Iida City, Nagano Prefecture) and Higashi-Kubiki (Azuka Town, Niigata Prefecture) - Special Zones for Structural Reform 2003
In the early 2000s, the Koizumi administration introduced the "Special Zones for Structural Reform" system as a means of balancing deregulation and regional development. The third round of approval in 2003 included the Minami Shinshu Green Tourism Special Zone (Iida City, Nagano Prefecture) and the Higashi Kubiki Agricultural Special Zone (Azuka Town, Niigata Prefecture), which allowed for the development of experimental projects that made the most of regional characteristics. The new zones will be used for experimental projects that make the most of regional characteristics.

In Minami-Shinshu, regulations were relaxed to allow farmers and guesthouses to offer homemade doburoku, and a system was established for city residents to stay in rural villages while enjoying local products. At the time, "green tourism," which promotes exchange between urban and rural areas, was attracting attention as a means of countering depopulation and revitalizing local economies, and it was also a measure that would provide a source of additional income for farmers. In addition, doburoku production was originally strictly regulated by the Liquor Tax Law, but the special zone system made it possible to utilize local resources.

Meanwhile, the Higashi-Kubiki Agricultural Special Zone (Azuka Town, Niigata Prefecture) combined agricultural promotion and tourism in an attempt to promote local agricultural products and rural culture to people in urban areas. Taking advantage of the unique characteristics of the snowy mountainous region, the project was conceived as a hands-on agriculture and exchange center, aiming to add value to the agricultural industry and revitalize the region.

The background at that time was the stagnation of the regional economy after the collapse of the bubble economy, the decline of farming and mountain villages due to the low birthrate and aging population, and dissatisfaction with the rigidity of centralized regulations. Special Zones for Structural Reform were positioned as policy experiments to address these issues, and the efforts of Minami-Shinshu and Higashi-Kubiki attracted nationwide attention as "reform models originating in local regions.