Japan Govt Confirms Plan to Utilize Land with Uncertain Ownership

January 19, 2018

Tokyo- The Japanese government confirmed Friday a plan to submit a bill to promote the utilization of land with uncertain ownership for parks, squares and other purposes, by newly establishing a right to use such land.

The plan to submit the bill to an ordinary parliamentary session, which convenes on Monday, was discussed at a meeting of related cabinet ministers, the first of its kind, held at the prime minister's office.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at the meeting that, in addition to submitting the bill, the government needs to fundamentally review the country's land management system, including land ownership rights and land registrations.

Suga instructed other participants in the meeting to start work so that the government can put forward ways to tackle the issue of land with uncertain ownership in its "honebuto" basic economic and fiscal policy guidelines for 2018.

In Japan, the combined area of derelict land plots is seen reaching 4.1 million hectares, according to a private-sector panel of experts chaired by former Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Hiroya Masuda.

At a meeting of the government's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy in December, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told related cabinet ministers to draw up comprehensive measures to address the problem of land with uncertain ownership, claiming that such land could increase further as inheritance cases will likely surge in line with the acceleration of demographic aging.

The planned bill, being drawn up mainly by the land ministry, calls for establishing the right to use plots of land that have been derelict while keeping their ownership intact, to promote their utilization by private entities and nonprofit organizations.

Prefectural governors will be entitled to establish the right to use such plots of land, effective for up to 10 years, land ministry officials said.

The bill is expected to be submitted to parliament in early March, according to the officials. Jiji Press