FY2026 Professional Engineer (Comprehensive Technical Management) Descriptive Question (3) National Policy Complete Collection | Regional Revitalization: All 18 Outputs Supported [Free]

What you will learn in this article

• National policy answer drafts prepared for each of the 18 outputs (a to r) in the diagram, addressing the "measures that our country should take" asked in Question (3) of the FY2026 (Main Exam) Compulsory Subject I-2one for each of the 18 items

• Each measure is in the format of "(1) Reason for connection to the measure and output / (2) Effectiveness and feasibility (latest policies and figures) / (3) Most significant obstacles and countermeasures (specifying the trade-off of the 5 managements)", within 600 characters each, which is the amount that can be copied directly onto one answer sheet

• How to choose and combine "two measures with different outputs" for Question (3)

The topic for the FY2026 Professional Engineer Second-Stage Examination, Comprehensive Technical Management, Descriptive Question I-2 was "Regional Revitalization". Question (3) is in a format that requires discussing "two measures that our country should take" (selecting different items from outputs a to r in the diagram, and addressing them in (1), (2), and (3)) beyond the scope of individual projects or organizations.

Many examinees stumble, thinking, "I can write about my own work for Questions (1) and (2), but I can't think of national-scale measures for Question (3), or my ideas are too industry-specific." This article is published for free as a "list of measures that can be derived regardless of which output you choose" for Question (3).

About this collection of measures (Free access to preparation from before the exam)

To be honest, the paid "R8 Predicted Problem Collection" on this site narrowed down the themes to six (AI society / Climate change adaptation / Economic security / Disaster recovery / Resource circulation / Aging infrastructure), and "the theme prediction of "Regional Revitalization" itself was missed".

On the other hand, I was prepared separately for the "national policy" in Question (3). In the paid magazine "Question (3) National Policy Bank" published on June 1, 2026 (about 7 weeks before the exam), "Regional Revitalization / Concentration in Tokyo" was already included as one of the 11 future issue themes, and I was able to provide ammunition for national policies that could be used in Question (3) of the main exam from before the exam (this bank is linked from the end of the article). Even if you cannot predict the theme, Question (3) can be handled by "drawing on future issues"—in this article, I have "expanded this to all 18 outputs for free", and prepared one national policy that can be used regardless of which one you choose from a to r.

How to use this article

Based on the project or initiative you chose in Questions (1) and (2), in "Question (3), choose two items from outputs a to r in the diagram that are different from Questions (1) and (2) and from each other". Please look up the measures for the output you chose (or want to choose) from the correspondence table below. If you combine "XX Management x XX Management" axes written in (3) of each measure with "two different measures", your paper will have more depth.

Correspondence table of measures by output

Policy Goal 1 "Strong Economy": a Utilization of regional resources / b GX/DX (2 plans) / c Relocation of industry to local regions / d Earning power of small and medium-sized enterprises / e Startups / f Export of local products / g Inbound / h Human resource development/reskilling

Policy Goal 2 "Rich Living Environment": i Public transportation / j Shopping environment / k Maintenance of infrastructure / l Strengthening disaster response (2 plans) / m Child-rearing, medical care, nursing care, welfare (2 plans) / n Sustainable town development

Policy Goal 3 "Preferred Local Regions": o Local regions rich in diversity / p Development of educational environment / q Symbiosis between urban and local areas / r Promotion of migration to local regions

Below, all 21 measures are listed for each policy goal.

Measures corresponding to Policy Goal 1 "Strong Economy"

Value creation through promotion of utilization of regional resources (a. Promotion of utilization of regional resources)

(1) Content of the measure and reason for connection to the output: Promote "value creation through regional resource utilization" as a national policy, which creates new businesses by combining regional resources such as agricultural, forestry, and fishery products, nature, scenery, and historical buildings with other fields such as tourism, welfare, and education. By shifting from simple material supply to a structure where the region itself designs and acquires added value, profits that were flowing out of the region are kept within the region, which leads directly to the output of a. promotion of utilization of regional resources.

② Effectiveness and Feasibility：The government plans to formulate a "Regional Future Co-creation Strategy" by the summer of 2025 to increase the related population through public-private co-creation, and there are policy trends supporting these measures. As a numerical target, a policy has been indicated to increase the percentage of business entities that utilize regional resources and work on improving added value from 68% in FY2023 to 78% in FY2030. With the tailwind of increasing inbound tourism, the idea of rearranging existing resources requires small initial investment and has high feasibility.

③ Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures：The biggest obstacle is that the recovery of investment in new businesses and the preservation of the regional environment and landscape are in conflict, which is a conflict between Economic Management × Social Environment Management . From the perspective of economic management, diversify revenue sources through business plans that bundle multiple fields and visualize the prospects for investment recovery. From the perspective of social environment management, establish usage rules through regional consensus to avoid excessive use of resources, thereby balancing preservation and utilization.

Promotion of Industrial Location in Rural Areas and Corporate Relocation to Rural Areas (c. Regional Relocation of Industry and Promotion of Industrial Location)

① Content of Measures and Reasons for Leading to Outputs：Based on the Rural Industry Act, the government systematically promotes the location and introduction of industries in rural areas. It supports the formulation of basic introduction plans by prefectures and implementation plans by municipalities, and induces corporate relocation to rural areas through support measures such as tax incentives. By dispersing manufacturing and research functions that are concentrated in cities to rural areas, employment and tax sources are generated in the region, leading to the output of c. Regional Relocation of Industry and Promotion of Industrial Location.

② Effectiveness and Feasibility：As of the end of March 2024, the planned area for municipal introduction implementation plans reached approximately 18,000 hectares, the corporate location area in industrial introduction districts reached approximately 13,900 hectares, and the number of operating companies reached 6,935, proving the effectiveness of the system through results. The social situation where the degree of freedom in location has increased due to the spread of remote work is also a tailwind, and it can be realized by extending existing legal systems and tax support.

③ Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures：The biggest obstacle is that land development and infrastructure improvement accompanying corporate attraction lead to the alteration of farmland and the natural environment, which is a conflict between Social Environment Management × Economic Management . From the perspective of social environment management, incorporate site selection that avoids prime farmland and ecosystems, as well as environmental considerations, at the planning stage. From the perspective of economic management, guide companies to districts where existing infrastructure can be utilized to suppress development and improvement costs and enhance the cost-effectiveness of the location.

Strengthening the Earning Power of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (d. Strengthening the Earning Power of SMEs, etc.)

① Content of Measures and Reasons for Leading to Outputs：Support the "earning power" of SMEs that support the regional economy through equipment investment and AI/digitalization support. By increasing productivity and creating a virtuous cycle of wage increases and growth investment, the quality of employment and income levels in rural areas are raised. Since this is direct support that boosts the added value of individual companies, it is directly linked to the output of d. Strengthening the Earning Power of SMEs, etc.

② Effectiveness and Feasibility：The government supports equipment investment and digitalization through the SME Productivity Revolution Promotion Project (FY2024 supplementary budget of 200 billion yen) and encourages large-scale investment by mid-sized and small and medium-sized enterprises through large-scale growth investment subsidies. It aims to create "10 billion yen companies" that aim for sales exceeding 10 billion yen, and plans to expand and extend the SME Management Enhancement Tax System by adding buildings to the target equipment, which is backed by both budget and tax systems.

③ Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures：The biggest obstacle is the shortage of human resources in regional SMEs to handle digital investment for productivity improvement, which is a conflict between Human Resource Management × Economic Management . From the perspective of human resource management, secure people to handle introduction and operation through reskilling support and sharing of external professional talent. From the perspective of economic management, prioritize the allocation of subsidies to projects with prospects for investment recovery to maximize the effect with limited financial resources.

Promotion of Startup Creation (e. Promotion of Startup Creation)

① Content of Measures and Reasons for Leading to Outputs：Support entrepreneurship in rural areas and foster ecosystems in various regions where funds, human resources, and support organizations circulate. By creating high-value-added new businesses from the region that are difficult to generate through the extension of existing industries, we provide opportunities for young people to take on challenges and curb population outflow. This is a measure aimed at increasing new business openings and growing companies, leading to the output of e. Promotion of Startup Creation.

② Effectiveness and Feasibility：Under the 5-year Startup Development Plan, the government is promoting the formation of startup ecosystem hub cities and the Global Startup Campus concept. The expenditure target amount under the SBIR system is approximately 140.6 billion yen in FY2024, and there is also NEDO support of up to 3 billion yen for up to 6 years for deep tech, and technological innovation such as the rapid progress of AI and digital technology is increasing the feasibility of entrepreneurship originating from rural areas.

③ Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures：The biggest obstacle is that support measures and growth information are concentrated in urban hubs and do not reach entrepreneurs in rural areas, which is a conflict between Information Management × Social Environment Management . From the perspective of information management, the government will establish a foundation where information on support systems, investors, and mentors can be searched from all over the country to bridge the geographical information gap. From the perspective of social environment management, involve regional financial institutions and universities to foster a regional culture that accepts challenges and takes root in entrepreneurship.

Promotion of Export of Local Products (f. Promotion of Export of Local Products)

① Content of Measures and Reasons for Leading to Outputs：Develop overseas sales channels for agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foods as a national strategy, and support production areas and export businesses in an integrated manner. As the domestic market shrinks due to population decline, capturing growing overseas demand will boost sales of local products and producer income. This is a measure that makes the expansion of exports from production areas a direct result, leading to the output of f. Promotion of Export of Local Products.

② Effectiveness and Feasibility：Under the Export Expansion Execution Strategy for Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishery Products and Foods, the government has set a goal to expand the export value from 1.5 trillion yen in 2024 to 5 trillion yen in 2030. As of December 2024, 80 flagship export production areas that serve as models for exports have been certified, and new entries are supported through the New Exporter Support Program for 10,000 companies. The economic situation of rising global demand for Japanese food is a tailwind, and the feasibility is high.

③ Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures：The biggest obstacle is that responding to food regulations and quarantine of the other country accompanying export expansion and the burden of quality control due to a rapid increase in export volume are in conflict, which is a conflict between Information Management × Safety Management . From the perspective of information management, consolidate regulation and procedure information for each partner country and provide it so that production areas can respond without hesitation. From the perspective of safety management, guarantee hygiene and quality standards through production area certification and establish a system to maintain safety even under increased production.

Attracting Visitors to Rural Areas through Inbound Promotion (g. Inbound Promotion)

① Content of Measures and Reasons for Leading to Outputs：Promote tourism measures to attract foreign visitors to Japan to rural areas and increase regional consumption centered on food and food culture. By spreading the demand for visits to Japan, which tends to be concentrated in cities, to rural areas and having consumption of accommodation, food and drink, and experiences fall within the region, we will sustainably enrich the regional economy. This is a measure that makes the expansion of foreign travel consumption in rural areas a result, leading to the output of g. Inbound Promotion.

② Effectiveness and Feasibility: Under the Basic Plan for the Promotion of a Tourism-Oriented Country, the government has set goals to increase the number of foreign visitors to Japan from 25.07 million in 2023 to 60 million by 2030, and to raise per-capita food-related spending from 64,000 yen to 75,000 yen. With policies in place, such as the certification of 43 regions under 'SAVOR JAPAN' as of December 2024 to promote agricultural lodging and food culture overseas, and the tailwind of an economic environment characterized by a weak yen, the feasibility is high.

③ Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures: The greatest obstacle is that the concentration of visitors causes excessive congestion in specific areas, threatening the safety of both visitors and residents; in other words, the conflict between Safety Management × Economic Management. From the perspective of safety management, we will implement over-tourism measures to grasp congestion levels and disperse the timing and location of visits, thereby preventing accidents and the deterioration of living environments. From the perspective of economic management, we will expand receiving areas such as agricultural lodging to distribute demand across a wider area, capturing consumption throughout the region to ensure profitability.

Policies Corresponding to Policy Goal 1 'Strong Economy' (GX, DX, Human Resources)

Regional Decarbonization and Creation of Green Industries (b. Promotion of GX/DX)

① Content of the Policy and Reasons Leading to Output: While rural areas possess suitable sites for renewable energy and abundant natural resources, the transition to decarbonization can also become a burden on regional industries. Therefore, the government is supporting decarbonization efforts centered on local renewable energy and hydrogen, integrated with the creation of local green industries. By transforming into a structure that simultaneously achieves stable energy supply, economic growth, and decarbonization, we will generate new high-value-added industries in rural areas and achieve the promotion of b. GX/DX as a result.

② Effectiveness and Feasibility: In February 2025, the government approved the 'GX2040 Vision' in a Cabinet meeting, revising the GX Promotion Strategy to establish the simultaneous achievement of decarbonization and economic growth as a national policy. The Green Innovation Fund, which provides continuous support from research and development to social implementation for up to 10 years, has a scale of approximately 2.8 trillion yen, providing a foundation for nurturing regional green industries over the long term. This can be realized as an extension of existing budget frameworks, making it highly effective and feasible.

③ Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures: The greatest obstacle is that the transition to decarbonization imposes short-term cost burdens on existing regional industries and employment; in other words, the conflict between Social Environment Management × Economic Management. From the perspective of social environment management, we will form a consensus with local residents and businesses, and visualize environmental value and regional benefits to increase acceptance. From the perspective of economic management, we will level out investment burdens through long-term support from the fund and design a transition path where decarbonization investment is returned to local employment and profits, thereby balancing burdens and benefits.

AX for SMEs and Automation of Construction (b. Promotion of GX/DX)

① Content of the Policy and Reasons Leading to Output: Local SMEs and construction sites are facing a serious labor shortage. Therefore, the government is supporting AI transformation (AX) and the utilization of digital technology to shift to a structure that increases productivity even with fewer personnel. By positioning AX for SMEs as a trump card to overcome labor shortages and promoting automation in the construction sector, we will raise the earning power of regional industries and achieve the promotion of b. GX/DX as a result.

② Effectiveness and Feasibility: In the 'Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan' approved by the Cabinet in December 2025, the government positioned AX for SMEs as a trump card for leapfrogging large companies by overcoming labor shortages. In the construction sector, 'i-Construction 2.0' has set a goal to reduce labor at construction sites by at least 30% and increase productivity by 1.5 times by fiscal year 2040, promoting the automation of construction, data linkage, and management, making it highly feasible with technological innovation as a tailwind.

③ Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures: The greatest obstacle is that the faster the introduction of AI and digital infrastructure, the more local SMEs and on-site personnel will be left behind as they cannot adapt to new technologies; in other words, the conflict between Information Management × Human Resource Management. From the perspective of information management, the government will establish standards for data linkage and provide a common digital infrastructure that is easy for SMEs to use. From the perspective of human resource management, we will provide education and support for on-site personnel in parallel with the introduction, transitioning gradually in a way that aligns people and technology.

Three-in-One Labor Market Reform and Reskilling Support (h. Human Resource Development/Reskilling Promotion)

① Content of the Policy and Reasons Leading to Output: To overcome labor shortages in rural areas, a mechanism to send human resources to growth sectors is essential. Therefore, the government is promoting 'Three-in-One Labor Market Reform,' which advances reskilling for capability improvement, the introduction of job-based personnel systems, and the facilitation of labor mobility in parallel. By strengthening the functions of universities and technical colleges in growth sectors and supporting the reskilling of workers, we will enhance regional human resource capabilities and achieve the promotion of h. Human Resource Development/Reskilling as a result.

② Effectiveness and Feasibility: The government has proposed the three-in-one labor market reform, advancing reskilling, job-based personnel systems, and labor mobility in parallel, and realized the increase of the upper limit for education and training benefits and the creation of education and training leave benefits through the revised Employment Insurance Act enacted in May 2024. The project to support the strengthening of university and technical college functions, which encourages the conversion of faculties to growth sectors such as digital and green, is continuously supported by a fund of approximately 300.2 billion yen, establishing an institutional foundation for human resource supply.

③ Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures: The greatest obstacle is that it takes time and investment for the effects of reskilling and university restructuring to appear, with fiscal and corporate burdens coming first; in other words, the conflict between Human Resource Management × Economic Management. From the perspective of human resource management, we will create an environment where people can learn while working through benefits and leave systems, facilitating labor mobility to growth sectors and improving the quality of human resources. From the perspective of economic management, we will verify the effects of long-term investment through the fund by focusing on human resource retention and productivity improvement, allocating limited financial resources to high-impact areas.

Policies Corresponding to Policy Goal 2 'Rich Living Environment' (Living Infrastructure)

Re-designing Regional Public Transportation (i. Maintenance of Public Transportation)

① Content of the Policy and Reasons Leading to Output: Due to population decline and driver shortages, the abolition of unprofitable routes continues, and 'transportation voids' where elderly people without cars lose their means of transportation are spreading nationwide. Therefore, led by the government, we are promoting the re-design of regional transportation, where local governments and transportation operators collaborate to remake routes, timetables, and operation forms on a regional basis, reconstructing transportation networks that can function even with thin demand by combining autonomous driving mobility services and demand-responsive transportation. Since we are mobilizing personnel and technology to redesign mobility, this is directly linked to the maintenance of public transportation.

② Effectiveness and Feasibility: The government has formulated the 'Guidelines for Collaboration and Cooperation in Regional Public Transportation Re-design' and has a policy to fully deploy this by designating fiscal years 2025 to 2027 as the intensive period for eliminating transportation voids, making the policy support clear. In terms of technology, the permit system for specified autonomous operation (equivalent to Level 4) was enforced in April 2023, with 6 cases permitted nationwide by the end of 2024, and 99 cases of support provided to implementing municipalities in fiscal year 2024, meaning implementation has entered a realistic stage and feasibility is high.

③ Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures: The greatest obstacle is the conflict between the fiscal burden of maintaining unprofitable routes and the social demand to secure means of living; in other words, Economic Management × Social Environment Management. From the perspective of economic management, we will reduce operating costs through autonomous driving and demand-responsive systems, and visualize benefits and costs to prioritize subsidies. From the perspective of social environment management, we will identify necessary mobility demand through discussions with residents and businesses, and design service levels under regional consensus to ensure acceptance.

Maintaining the shopping environment through last-mile logistics (j. Maintenance of shopping environment)

① Content of the policy and reasons why it leads to the output: In rural areas, the withdrawal of retail stores is increasing the number of shopping-vulnerable people who find it difficult to do daily shopping, threatening the maintenance of their livelihoods. Therefore, the government will support delivery systems tailored to the region, such as mobile sales vehicles, unmanned stores, drone utilization, and joint delivery, to strengthen last-mile logistics that handle the final leg. At the same time, it will promote the formation of rural RMOs to support shopping and daily life at the community level. By establishing a mechanism to reliably deliver goods, it directly leads to the maintenance of the shopping environment.

② Effectiveness and feasibility: The Basic Plan for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas sets a clear policy direction, with goals to increase the percentage of municipalities addressing shopping-vulnerable people from 89% in FY2024 to 90% in FY2030, and to expand the number of joint logistics hubs for fresh food, etc., from 8 in FY2023 to 30 in FY2030. Rural RMOs also aim to form 100 model districts by FY2026, and with the advancement of technologies such as unmanned stores and drones, delivery can be established even in areas with low demand, making it highly feasible.

③ Most significant obstacle and countermeasures: The biggest obstacle is the conflict between ensuring the safety of joint delivery and unmanned store operations and the demand for cost reduction and labor saving, namely Safety Management × Economic Management. From the perspective of safety management, the government will establish standards for drone operations and unmanned store facilities and food hygiene, and build an operational system to prevent accidents and quality degradation. From the perspective of economic management, it will build a profitable structure that absorbs the burden of safety measures by bundling cargo from multiple businesses through joint delivery to increase loading efficiency and lowering delivery unit prices with relay logistics hubs as the core.

Infrastructure life extension and preventive maintenance (k. Maintenance of infrastructure)

① Content of the policy and reasons why it leads to the output: While roads, bridges, and waterways built during the period of high economic growth are aging all at once, the number of engineers and financial resources responsible for maintenance in rural areas are dwindling, making it difficult to maintain facilities. Therefore, the government will shift from corrective maintenance, which repairs after damage occurs, to preventive maintenance that takes action while damage is minor. It will promote stock management based on infrastructure life extension plans, group management, and infrastructure DX such as digital twins in an integrated manner. Because it changes the structure to maintain facilities with fewer people and less money, it directly leads to the maintenance of infrastructure.

② Effectiveness and feasibility: The government has secured approximately 2.1 trillion yen for aging countermeasures through the 5-year acceleration measures and is promoting the removal of unnecessary facilities. In terms of technology, road marking inspection systems that quantify wear using AI and the 3D conversion of electronic national base maps are progressing. i-Construction 2.0 sets a goal of reducing labor at construction sites by at least 30% by FY2040, making it highly feasible.

③ Most significant obstacle and countermeasures: The biggest obstacle is the conflict between the shortage of engineers responsible for inspection and repair and the information requirements for reliably managing a vast number of facilities, namely Human Resource Management × Information Management. From the perspective of human resource management, it will consolidate operations through group management, increase order lots, and promote a system that supports wide areas even with a small number of people, as well as technology succession. From the perspective of information management, it will unify inspection data in a standard format, share facility conditions via digital twins, and establish a foundation for limited personnel to make repair decisions starting from high-priority facilities.

Policies corresponding to Policy Goal 2 'Rich Living Environment' (Disaster Prevention and National Resilience)

Long-termization of pre-disaster prevention and national resilience (l. Promotion of strengthening disaster response)

① Content of the policy and reasons why it leads to the output: As disasters become more severe due to climate change, the national focus will shift from post-disaster response, which repeats recovery after a disaster, to pre-disaster prevention that suppresses damage in advance. It will shift national resilience from reliance on single-year supplementary budgets to long-term stable investment, combining basin flood control with land use guidance based on hazard information. Because rural life is interrupted for a long time by a single disaster, reducing damage in advance directly leads to the maintenance of the living environment, leading to output l.

② Effectiveness and feasibility: Based on the revised Basic Act for National Resilience (enacted in June 2023), a medium-term plan for national resilience implementation will be formulated by June 2025, promoting a project scale of approximately 15 trillion yen, which exceeds the current 5-year acceleration measures (totaling approximately 12.5 trillion yen), over the medium to long term. Basin flood control projects are being deployed across 109 first-class river systems nationwide, securing flood control capacity through pre-discharge from rice paddy dams, etc. The development of flood risk maps is also progressing, and it can be realized through the operation of existing systems.

③ Most significant obstacle and countermeasures: The biggest obstacle is that location regulations and disaster prevention investments that prioritize safety conflict with economic activities in existing urban areas and short-term fiscal efficiency, namely the conflict between Safety Management × Economic Management. From the perspective of safety management, the government will develop and publish hazard information and then encourage the relocation of facilities to lower-risk locations, starting with those important for disaster prevention. From the perspective of economic management, it will level out the investment scale in the medium-term plan and justify the priority allocation of limited financial resources by demonstrating future cost reductions through damage prevention in fiscal outlooks.

Strengthening the effectiveness of disaster prevention DX and road opening (l. Promotion of strengthening disaster response)

① Content of the policy and reasons why it leads to the output: In rural areas where manpower is limited when a disaster occurs, the fragmentation of information and delays in initial response exacerbate damage. Therefore, it will shift to a system where relevant agencies share damage, evacuation center, and road traffic information in real-time via a digital foundation, and road opening is executed rapidly based on plans. By grasping the situation in a wide area even with fewer personnel and accelerating rescue and supply transport, the disaster response capability of rural areas will be raised.

② Effectiveness and feasibility: The new Comprehensive Disaster Prevention Information System (SOBO-WEB) began operation in April 2024, sharing damage information in real-time. A new supply system to coordinate the procurement and transport of supplies will also be in operation from FY2025. With the revised Road Act (enacted and enforced in April 2025), road opening plans have been legalized, and formulation at the Regional Development Bureau level will proceed within FY2025. With the strengthening of the command tower function in view of the establishment of a Disaster Prevention Agency in the background, it can be realized as an extension of existing systems.

③ Most significant obstacle and countermeasures: The biggest obstacle is that the more sophisticated the digital foundation becomes, the less it can be used in rural sites with many elderly people who are unfamiliar with equipment, and information does not reach residents, namely the conflict between Information Management × Social Environment Management. From the perspective of information management, it will standardize data linkage on a disaster prevention digital platform and develop it as a common foundation that automatically connects damage, evacuation, and road information. From the perspective of social environment management, it will support the operations of local governments and the private sector through a public-private partnership platform, and build a system that can be used on-site through training during normal times together with the community.

Policies corresponding to Policy Goal 2 'Rich Living Environment' (Living and Community Development)

Realization of satisfactory childcare services (m. Realization of satisfactory childcare, medical care, nursing care, and welfare services)

① Content of the policy and reasons why it leads to the output: Behind the outflow of young people and women from rural areas is the heavy burden of childcare and a lack of support. Therefore, it will establish nationwide childcare support for infants and toddlers (the 'Childcare for All' system) that allows children to be dropped off regardless of employment status, and improve quality by increasing staff allocation for childcare. If the isolation and burden on child-rearing households are reduced, children can be born and raised with peace of mind even in rural areas, leading to m. the realization of satisfactory childcare services.

(2) Effectiveness and Feasibility: The government has set forth the Children's Future Strategy and is accelerating support with the period from FY2024 to FY2026 as a concentrated effort period. Support for nursery visits for infants and others is expected to be institutionalized in FY2025 after a trial in FY2024, and fully implemented from FY2026, reaching child-rearing households in local areas widely as it does not require employment status. Staffing standards for childcare have been improved for the first time in 76 years, shifting policy from quantity expansion to quality improvement. As a nationwide rollout of existing systems, it has high feasibility.

(3) Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures: The biggest obstacle is the inability to secure childcare personnel in local areas necessary for staffing improvements and nationwide implementation of new systems, and limited financial resources, which is a conflict between Human Resource Management × Economic Management. From the perspective of human resource management, childcare workers will be secured through improved working conditions and support for returning to work, with the national government supporting personnel sharing and training across wide areas. From the perspective of economic management, limited financial resources will be prioritized for staffing improvements and universal nursery access, ensuring sustainable fiscal management by demonstrating cost-effectiveness through population retention effects.

Realization of Sustainable Regional Medical and Nursing Care (m. Realization of Satisfactory Child-rearing, Medical, Nursing, and Welfare Services)

(1) Content of Measures and Reasons for Leading to Outputs: In local areas with advancing aging, it is difficult to maintain hospitals and nursing facilities in the conventional hub-based model, and gaps in medical and nursing care increase anxiety in daily life. Therefore, the regional medical plan will be revised to redesign medical care for the entire region, including outpatient, home, and nursing care coordination, and home-based medical and nursing care will be supported through online consultations and community-based integrated care. Delivering seamless medical and nursing care even with limited resources will lead to the realization of m. satisfactory medical and nursing care services.

(2) Effectiveness and Feasibility: The government is proceeding with revisions to a new regional medical plan looking toward around 2040 and has submitted amendments to the Medical Care Act and others to the Diet. Based on the 9th Long-term Care Insurance Business Plan (FY2024-2026), the policy is to improve productivity in nursing care settings through technology utilization. Infrastructure development for health and medical information is also progressing with the goal of FY2025 through data health reform. It is a realistic measure to reorganize the supply system based on population decline and can be realized as an extension of existing plans.

(3) Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures: The biggest obstacle is the concern that consolidation of hubs and transition to home-based care will conflict with the safety of residents and opportunities for medical consultation, which is a conflict between Safety Management × Economic Management. From the perspective of safety management, home-based monitoring and emergency transport systems will be secured through online consultations and community-based integrated care to ensure the quality and safety of medical care. From the perspective of economic management, limited medical expenses and personnel will be prioritized through efficiency in the supply system, justifying sustainable regional medical care through long-term fiscal projections.

Sustainable Community Development through Compact + Network (n. Sustainable Community Development)

(1) Content of Measures and Reasons for Leading to Outputs: If urban areas are maintained while the population remains thinly spread, the per-capita burden of infrastructure and living services will expand, and local areas will not be sustainable. Therefore, urban functions such as housing, medical care, and commerce will be loosely consolidated into core hubs, and the hubs will be connected by public transportation networks, shifting to a compact + network model. If long-term sustainable land use is guided by location optimization plans, it will lead to n. sustainable community development that supports living with limited resources.

(2) Effectiveness and Feasibility: The government links location optimization plans with disaster prevention and uses the Urban Structure Reorganization Concentrated Support Project to guide facilities for vulnerable people, such as hospitals and elderly day service centers, outside of hazard areas. In the Child-Centered Community Development Project, municipal child plans and urban regeneration development plans are linked to integrally develop places for children and barrier-free facilities. It is consistent with the phase where population decline creates room to reorganize land use and can be realized through the operation of existing systems.

(3) Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures: The biggest obstacle is that functional consolidation involves relocation from familiar areas, conflicting with the continuity of residents' lives, which is a conflict between Social Environment Management × Economic Management. From the perspective of social environment management, relocation will not be forced but gently guided through improved convenience and support, and consensus will be formed by leaving minimum living functions outside the hubs. From the perspective of economic management, maintenance cost reductions through consolidation will be visualized through long-term fiscal projections, justifying the priority allocation of limited financial resources.

Measures Corresponding to Policy Goal 3 "Chosen Local Areas"

Building a Local Society Where Women Do Not Leave (o. Realization of a Diverse Local Area)

(1) Content of Measures and Reasons for Leading to Outputs: Population outflow from local areas is particularly notable among young women, with a lack of employment opportunities and diversity of values in the background. Therefore, the government will institutionalize the expansion of disclosure of gender wage gaps and promote the participation of women in decision-making processes, changing fixed regional gender role consciousness. Creating a region where women can continue to work and participate in decision-making is directly linked to the output of stopping the outflow of young women and realizing a diverse local area.

(2) Effectiveness and Feasibility: The amendment to the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace is moving toward expanding the obligation to disclose information on gender wage gaps from employers with 301 or more regular employees to those with 101 or more, which is highly effective in extending transparency to small and medium-sized local businesses. The 5th Basic Plan for Gender Equality sets a goal of 30 percent female members on prefectural and municipal disaster management councils by FY2025, and aims for 30 percent for agricultural committee members by the early 2020s, supporting participation in decision-making with numerical targets, and can be realized through the operation of existing policies.

(3) Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures: The biggest obstacle is that while improvements in wages and promotions take time, deeply rooted fixed gender role stereotypes in the region hinder the retention of women, which is a conflict between Human Resource Management × Social Environment Management. From the perspective of human resource management, high-quality employment where women can continue to work will be fostered in local areas through the disclosure of wage gaps and promotion targets. From the perspective of social environment management, regional consciousness reform that accepts diverse ways of life will be promoted, preparing the prerequisites for a chosen local area.

Sophistication of Regional Educational Environments Centered on High Schools (p. Promotion of Educational Environment Development)

(1) Content of Measures and Reasons for Leading to Outputs: In local areas, a lack of choices for higher education and career paths leads to the outflow of young people. Therefore, the government will support individually optimized learning through data utilization leveraging a one-device-per-student environment and distinctive high school education, creating an environment where high-quality education can be received locally. Providing attractive places for learning in local areas leads to the retention of child-rearing generations and the output of promoting educational environment development.

(2) Effectiveness and Feasibility: In the GIGA School Program, the Education Data Standard 5.0 will be published in FY2024, and subsidies for next-generation school administration DX through joint procurement at the prefectural level are being provided, creating a foundation where even small local schools can implement data-driven learning. Super Science High Schools had 225 schools nationwide implementing advanced science and mathematics education in FY2024, and community schools responsible for regional school collaboration activities have been introduced in 58.7 percent of public schools, which can be realized on the foundation of regional and school collaboration.

(3) Most Significant Obstacle and Countermeasures: The biggest obstacle is that as terminal and data utilization progress, operational systems in local schools with fewer teachers cannot keep up, widening educational disparities between schools, which is a conflict between Information Management × Social Environment Management. From the perspective of information management, the government will support operations that allow even small schools to handle data safely through joint procurement in line with education data standards and the placement of ICT support staff. From the perspective of social environment management, regional human resources will be involved in learning through regional school collaboration headquarters, fostering regional acceptance and collaboration centered on schools.

Symbiosis between Urban and Local Areas through Dual-Region Living (q. Realization of Symbiosis between Urban and Local Areas)

① Content of the policy and the reason it leads to the output: It is difficult to support regional areas solely through an increase in the resident population; a mechanism is needed to circulate human resources and vitality from urban areas back to the regions. Therefore, the government will use institutional support to expand dual-residence and the population with ties to the region, creating a state where urban residents are continuously involved with regional areas. Increasing the number of people who have both a home and a workplace in both urban and regional areas is directly linked to the output of realizing coexistence between urban and regional areas.

② Effectiveness and feasibility: The revised Act on Regional Revitalization was enacted in November 2024, establishing the basis for municipalities to receive support for developing housing and co-working spaces once they formulate an environmental improvement plan. In October 2024, the National Platform for Promoting Dual-Residence and Other Initiatives was launched, raising momentum. The Basic Plan for Food, Agriculture, and Rural Areas sets a goal to increase the number of municipalities with an expanded rural-related population from 356 in FY2024 to 630 by FY2030, which is achievable given the tailwind of established remote work.

③ Most significant obstacle and countermeasures: The biggest obstacle is that while the development of housing and co-working spaces to accept dual-residents places a financial burden on the host region, it takes time for the effects of coexistence to appear; in other words, a conflict between Economic Management × Social Environment Management. From the perspective of economic management, we will utilize national support based on environmental improvement plans to prioritize the allocation of limited financial resources to developments that are effective in expanding the population with ties to the region. From the perspective of social environment management, we will seek resident consensus and the maintenance of regional resources through the public-private platform to ensure that coexistence takes root.

Promotion of migration and settlement centered on the Community-Reactivating Cooperator Squad (r. Promotion of migration to regional areas)

① Content of the policy and the reason it leads to the output: To compensate for the shortage of human resources in regional areas, the government needs to strengthen the flow of people moving from urban areas to regional areas and settling there. Therefore, we will expand the Community-Reactivating Cooperator Squad and migration support grants to create a pathway for prospective migrants to build relationships with the region during their term and transition to permanent settlement. Supporting the entire process from migration to settlement is directly linked to the output of promoting migration to regional areas.

② Effectiveness and feasibility: The effectiveness of the Community-Reactivating Cooperator Squad has been proven, with 7,910 people active in 1,176 municipalities in FY2024, and approximately 69 percent of those whose terms ended in the last five years settling in the same region where they were active. From FY2025, migration support grants will also cover employment in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, linking it to securing human resources. This is achievable against the backdrop of rising interest, such as the number of migration consultations at the Furusato Kaiki Support Center reaching a record high of 61,720 in 2024.

③ Most significant obstacle and countermeasures: The biggest obstacle is that consultation and support information reaching prospective migrants is dispersed by system, and they migrate without it matching the actual living conditions of the region, failing to lead to settlement; in other words, a conflict between Information Management × Social Environment Management. From the perspective of information management, we will centrally organize information on grants and the cooperator squad system at the Furusato Kaiki Support Center and provide it accurately to prospective migrants, including post-term settlement rates. From the perspective of social environment management, we will support the relationship building between squad members and the region, and prepare the regional awareness and living infrastructure to accept migrants to ensure settlement.

How to combine two policies in Question (3)

Question (3) requires you to select and discuss two policies with different outputs. There are three tips for a good combination.

1. Set the premise on a national scale: Declare at the beginning that "in our country, the concentration of the population in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the decline of regional functions are progressing," and do not limit the issue to a single municipality.

2. Select two policies with different trade-off axes: In ③ of each policy above, I have clearly stated the conflict of "XX Management × XX Management." For example, if you combine a disaster prevention policy of "Safety Management × Economic Management" with a human resources/migration policy of "Human Resource Management × Social Environment Management," the paper will have a breadth of perspective. If the axes are all the same, it will look monotonous.

3. Clearly state which field's perspective is used in ③: The question asks you to "clearly state in the answer column which field's perspective is being used." Write the overcoming measures as "management actions" for each management type.

If you choose two items that do not overlap with the outputs you selected in your own Questions (1) and (2), you can also maintain the coherence of the entire question.

Related pages and materials

The full text of the exam questions and the background of the questions can be checked on the doboku-note site.

• FY2026 General Management Written Exam Past Question Commentary (Compulsory Subject I-2) — Full text of questions, list of figure outputs, and background of questions

• General Management Written Exam Paper Strategy — Answer templates that do not depend on the theme

Model answers for all 14 personas of regional revitalization (10 municipalities, 4 contractors), including Questions (1) and (2), are summarized in a separate article with the text posted + free PDFs by position.

You can check the provisional answers for the 40 multiple-choice questions (I-1) and how to self-grade in the answer flash report article.

For those who want to be able to draw out ammunition for Question (3) no matter what theme is asked from next year onwards, the "Question (3) National Policy Bank" (a collection of 11 future issue themes × national policy drawers) that served as the basis for this article is the shortcut.

If you want to get a complete set of written exam templates, exercises, and full model essays, the all-inclusive complete pack is the best value.

You can view a list of other free articles and paid magazines for the Comprehensive Technical Superintendent from the 'Comprehensive Technical Superintendent Table of Contents'.