The Japanese parliament on Wednesday passed legislation to financially support remote islands near the country's borders to prevent them from becoming uninhabited.
The Japanese parliament on Wednesday passed legislation to financially support remote islands near the country's borders to prevent them from becoming uninhabited, adding six islets belonging to Tokyo, Hokkaido and elsewhere to the eligibility list.
Under the special measures law for inhabited remote islands, which was extended by 10 years beyond the previous deadline of March 2027, a total of 77 islets in nine prefectures will be covered by the measures to maintain local communities, such as lower air and sea fares and support for stable fisheries.
The six newly designated islands are Teuri and Yagishiri of Hokkaido, Tobishima of Yamagata Prefecture and Awashima of Niigata Prefecture, as well as Tokyo's Niijima and Shikine islands. The additions are the first since the law took effect in 2017.
The revised law calls for promoting tourism on listed islands and requiring prefectural governments to make efforts to address depopulation. The move comes as the Japanese government aims to ensure the country has footholds to manage its territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.