Reiwa 8 MLIT White Paper, Hokuriku Shinkansen and Kawabegawa Dam

At a press conference on July 17, 2026, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Yasushi Kaneko explained the white paper on infrastructure policy in the MLIT field and the progress of two important projects.

The Reiwa 8 MLIT White Paper, themed “Hard and soft infrastructure driving economic growth,” surveys infrastructure across the MLIT field and addresses efforts to improve productivity in government and the private sector, as well as the simultaneous resolution of challenges facing infrastructure and the economy and society.

The press conference presented an approach that links infrastructure development to economic growth and flood-control measures while advancing projects in light of challenges involving the environment, land acquisition, and local understanding.

The white paper organizes infrastructure across the MLIT field in relation to economic growth and productivity improvements in government and the private sector, presenting a policy perspective aimed at resolving challenges facing infrastructure and the economy and society simultaneously.

Regarding the Hokuriku Shinkansen, reporters raised concerns about impacts on groundwater, cultural properties, and historic buildings. MLIT stated that it would advance environmental impact assessment procedures and coordination with local communities while taking into account the circumstances of Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto City, and other relevant local authorities.

For the Kawabegawa Dam, the government stated that it would temporarily defer the transition to adjudication procedures even after project approval and continue explanations to landowners and voluntary negotiations. It also said that, in cooperation with Kumamoto Prefecture and municipalities in the basin, it would explain the dam’s effects and other matters to basin residents whenever opportunities arise.

For the Tsuruga–Shin-Osaka section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, the ruling parties’ development committee compiled the Katsuragawa plan for the Obama–Kyoto route as a route proposal intended to satisfy the five construction conditions. MLIT will consult with the ruling parties, advance environmental impact assessment while taking into account the circumstances of relevant local authorities, and consider the five construction conditions during the preparation of the Reiwa 9 fiscal year budget.

For the Hokuriku Shinkansen, the policy is to connect an early start of construction with a careful review of the construction period and to steadily and thoroughly coordinate with local communities toward opening the entire line together with the Railway and Transport Agency. No definitive opening date was presented at the press conference.

The Kawabegawa Dam is positioned at the core of the Kuma River Basin flood-control project being advanced by the national government, Kumamoto Prefecture, and municipalities in the basin as a flood-control measure following the torrential rains of July in the Reiwa 2 era. Land acquisition includes locations that are difficult to acquire, such as land whose owners cannot be located, and project approval under the Land Expropriation Law was therefore applied for.

Even after project approval, the transition to adjudication procedures will be temporarily deferred. The project will proceed with maximum effort, based primarily on explanations to landowners and others and resolution through voluntary negotiations. The project will be appropriately reevaluated, and, in cooperation with Kumamoto Prefecture and municipalities in the basin, the government will explain the dam’s effects and other matters whenever opportunities arise.

The Kawabegawa Dam targets the start of foundation excavation for the main structure in the Reiwa 9 fiscal year and completion in the Reiwa 17 fiscal year.