FY2026 MLIT White Paper: Building a Competitive Economy

The subject is Chapter 5, “Building a Competitive Economic Society,” of the “MLIT White Paper 2026.” Its section headings are Section 1, “Developing Transport Networks”; Section 2, “Advancing Comprehensive and Integrated Logistics Policies”; and Section 3, “Revitalizing Industry.”

Section 1 covers trunk roads, railways, aviation networks, and airport access; Section 2 addresses logistics challenges and measures. Section 3 covers trends and policies in railways, road transport, maritime affairs, aviation, freight forwarding, logistics hubs, real estate, public works, and the construction industry.

The white paper says that trunk road development contributes to revitalizing regional economies, enables people in rural areas to access wide-area medical services, and helps secure wide-area detour routes when trunk roads are cut off during disasters. It also states that Shinkansen lines greatly shorten travel times between regions and have a major effect on regional development and economic revitalization.

Road networks are being developed systematically, including in areas that are not yet connected, to strengthen network functions under the “WISENET2050 Policy Package.” ETC2.0 enables two-way communication between vehicles and roadside units at approximately 1,800 locations nationwide and is used for toll policies and congestion measures. In the Tokyo, Kinki, and Chukyo regions, tolls have been introduced to encourage traffic to shift to ring roads and disperse traffic entering city centers. Congestion locations are identified using speed, acceleration, and deceleration data, and measures include adding lanes within existing road widths.

Shinkansen sections under construction are Hokkaido (Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto–Sapporo), Hokuriku (Tsuruga–Shin-Osaka), and Kyushu (Shin-Tosu–Takeoonsen). After receiving a report that the Hokkaido Shinkansen project cost could rise by as much as 1.2 trillion yen, the government continues to examine the matter. In the Seikan Tunnel, during specific periods when freight trains are few, time slots are separated to allow Shinkansen trains to run at 260 km/h. The treatment of usage fees for construction Shinkansen lines, including for the 30 years after opening, is under consideration; there are 11 routes in the basic plan. Construction of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen between Shinagawa and Nagoya and consultations with stakeholders are proceeding.

The target annual capacity of the Tokyo metropolitan airports, Haneda and Narita combined, is approximately 1 million takeoffs and landings. New flight paths at Haneda will expand international flight capacity by approximately 40,000 flights per year, and Narita aims for 500,000 flights per year. Kansai International Airport targets 300,000 flights per year, while Chubu Centrair International Airport is developing an alternative runway to enable fully 24-hour operations, among other objectives. The white paper also covers facilities and access at regional airports, airport management reform, training pilots and other personnel, and upgrading air traffic systems.

To respond to the “2024 problem,” the government has designated the period through FY2030 as an intensive reform period for logistics innovation and formulated a comprehensive logistics policy outline for FY2026 through FY2030. The outline is built around improving logistics efficiency; reviewing business practices and changing behavior; raising the status and skills of workers and improving working conditions; standardization, DX, and GX; and strengthening supply chains. Measures include new modal shifts, developing logistics transfer points, diversifying delivery and collection options, joint delivery, drones, automated logistics roads, and logistics data standardization.

Industrial policies cover railways, road transport, maritime affairs, aviation, freight forwarding, logistics hubs, real estate, public works, and the construction industry. They aim to improve transaction and fare conditions, secure and train drivers, seafarers, and other workers, accept foreign workers, and raise productivity. The Shipbuilding Industry Revitalization Fund aims to provide support totaling approximately 350 billion yen over the next 10 years. Public works measures address appropriate estimated prices and construction periods, leveling construction schedules, anti-dumping measures, and design changes. In construction, the government is advancing improved working conditions, work-style reform, and DX.