TOKYO - 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 amid the tough external security environment.
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 move comes as the Japanese government aims to ensure the country has footholds to manage its territorial sea and exclusive economic zone, which together span 4.47 million square kilometers.
The current list, before the revision takes effect, includes Nagasaki Prefecture's Tsushima Island, roughly 50 kilometers from South Korea, and Kagoshima Prefecture's Tanegashima Island in the Pacific Ocean.
The six newly designated islands are Teuri and Yagishiri of Hokkaido in northern Japan, Tobishima of Yamagata Prefecture and Awashima of Niigata Prefecture, both in the Sea of Japan, as well as Tokyo's Niijima and Shikine islands in the Pacific.
The additions are the first since the law took effect in 2017.
The law stipulates that the central government bears responsibility for implementing measures to tackle depopulation on remote islands.
Under the revision, prefectural governments with islands near borders are also urged to take such measures, as well as to promote tourism that encourages visitors to stay on the islands.
