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One Policy, Two Paths: Municipal Governance and Regional Revitalization in Japan

Asia
Governance
Local Government
Public Administration
Policy Implementation
Frank (Thanh) Tu Ngo
Freie Universität Berlin
Frank (Thanh) Tu Ngo
Freie Universität Berlin

Abstract

Municipal governments play a crucial role in governance systems, translating national (and sometimes international) policies into local action while adapting to local needs and constraints. In Japan, rural decline has been a persistent “wicked issue,” prompting the state to implement multiple revitalization policies, most recently the Comprehensive Strategy for Regional Revitalization. This paper examines how municipal actors—including elected officials, bureaucrats, government advisors, and private stakeholders—exercise regulatory authority within this framework. Through comparative case studies of Buzen City and Hasami Town, the study highlights how variations in governance models and institutional constraints shape revitalization strategies and their effectiveness, with Buzen adopting a centralized model and Hasami leveraging collaborative governance with strong private sector involvement. As both approaches have yielded positive outcomes, the findings emphasize that municipal governance should be context-specific rather than one-size-fits-all