Overview of the 2026 White Paper on Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | Chapter 62026 Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism White Paper

The new Basic Plan for Housing (National Plan) is based on projections of future population and household numbers and anticipates declining population and household numbers, an increase in single-person households, a large increase in inherited homes in established residential areas and elsewhere, and a shrinking working-age population. The plan organizes changes in housing life into three perspectives: residents, housing assets, and housing-sector stakeholders.

For residents, the plan addresses environments in which older people can achieve their desired housing life without isolation, a society in which young and child-rearing households can secure the homes they desire, and housing environments and support systems in which people requiring special consideration in securing housing can live with peace of mind. For housing assets, it addresses housing stock used by multiple generations, systems in which performance and utility value are assessed and circulated in the market, and management, renewal, use, and removal from a home's creation to its end of life. It also covers safe residential areas, securing and developing personnel, and the roles and implementation framework of housing administration.

The planning period runs from fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2035 and sets the policy direction for the coming 10 years.

For living spaces, individual measures are presented for the development of urban parks and similar facilities, pedestrian-priority road spaces, safe bicycle-use environments, and more convenient public transport.

Amid changes in population and household structures, the framework identifies securing the desired housing life and homes of older people, young households, and child-rearing households, as well as housing environments and support systems in which people requiring special consideration in securing housing can live with peace of mind, as policy issues.

In condominiums, the two forms of aging of buildings and unit owners are progressing, creating risks of falling exterior walls and other components and making general meeting resolutions more difficult. As aging condominiums and the aging of unit owners advance, these issues are expected to become more serious.

Efforts to improve environments for pedestrians, bicycles, and public transport relate to safety, ease of travel, local vibrancy, environmental impact, health, and tourism-oriented regional development. In public transport, measures are being advanced for users including older people, people with disabilities, and foreign travelers carrying large luggage.

The Comprehensive Urban and Regional Transport Strategy is a framework for considering transport and urban development from the user's perspective rather than by transport mode or operator, and provides a basis for stakeholders to share a region's future vision, transport services, measures, and implementation programs.

The white paper positions stable housing provision, housing-stock management and renewal, pedestrian- and bicycle-centered spaces, and improved public transport as key initiatives for comfortable living spaces in the land, infrastructure, transport, and tourism sector.

The revised condominium-related laws enacted in May 2025 seek to facilitate condominium management and renewal across the entire lifecycle from construction to renewal. They enable appropriate management based on management plans from the time of construction, allow the bulk sale of buildings and land and building renewal, among other actions, to be decided by majority vote as with reconstruction, and establish a registration system for private organizations that support consultations from unit owners and others and consensus building.

For implementation in April 2026, revisions are being made to the Standard Condominium Management Bylaws and the Basic Policy, guidelines for local governments are being prepared, and nationwide briefings are being held in all 47 prefectures to publicize the system. After implementation, management and renewal initiatives will be promoted to secure favorable living environments and protect life and property from damage or collapse involving aging condominiums.

The Japan Housing Finance Agency ensures housing quality through technical standards for durability and other features and property inspections, and reduces loan interest rates through Flat 35 S for homes meeting specified standards in at least one of four performance categories: earthquake resistance, energy efficiency, accessibility, and durability and adaptability. It also implements and supports Flat 35 Child-rearing Plus, which corresponds to the number of children and other factors, and Reverse 60 for older people.

Under the fiscal year 2026 tax reform, the application deadline for the housing loan deduction will be extended by five years, and loan limits and deduction periods will be expanded for existing homes with high energy-efficiency performance and other features. Existing homes in the 40-square-meter range will newly become eligible for support, and from 2030, a location requirement will exclude newly built homes in certain hazard areas from eligibility. Other measures include extending special provisions that are due to expire, easing floor-area requirements, and adding location requirements for some tax measures.

As part of the public-private Housing Literacy Platform initiative, the Housing Decision-Making Skills website was launched in 2025 to provide information for choosing ways of living suited to each life stage.

At the end of fiscal year 2024, urban parks and similar facilities numbered 115,917 sites and covered approximately 131,243 ha, with approximately 11.0 m2 per person. On roads, area-wide measures are being advanced to shift motor vehicle traffic from residential streets to arterial roads and other routes, while reducing speeds and discouraging through traffic from entering residential streets.

In light of an increasing trend in bicycle-pedestrian traffic accidents and the spread of electric kick scooters and similar devices, Japan is working with the National Police Agency to develop travel spaces based on guidelines and promote traffic rules. It also uses special road-occupancy provisions under the Hokomichi system, transfer and walking-tour support through map signs, and special provisions for road occupancy and management for municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and others.

For bicycle use, Japan develops travel spaces separating pedestrians, bicycles, and motor vehicles, as well as bicycle parking, bike sharing, and links with local public transport. Japan encourages operators and others to introduce bicycle commuting and certifies those making active efforts through the Bicycle Commuting Promotion Company Declaration Project. For tourism, it advances cycling environments, National Cycle Routes, and the introduction of cycle trains and cycle buses.

For bicycles, Japan promotes awareness of traffic rules and traffic safety with the police, encourages the enactment of ordinances requiring enrollment in bicycle liability insurance and similar coverage, and advances their use as means of travel and transport during disasters.

As of March 2026, the Comprehensive Urban and Regional Transport Strategy has been formulated or is under formulation in 129 cities. Japan supports the development of light rail transit and other systems based on the strategy.