Pacific Belt Zone - Pacific Belt Zone

This refers to a continuous industrial and economically advanced region stretching from Southern Kanto through Chukyo, Hanshin, Setouchi, and Kitakyushu. This name was chosen based on the Pacific Belt Zone Concept, which was established in August of the following year by the Industrial Location Subcommittee of the Economic Council in order to determine the areas for the allocation of priority public investment to strengthen the industrial base based on the Ikeda Cabinet's Income Doubling Plan. However, geographically, it includes areas that cannot be considered the Pacific coast, such as Setouchi and Kitakyushu, so this name is not very appropriate. It would be better to call it the main axis of Japan. Tokaido Megalopolis is a part of this. According to this concept, under a liberal economic system, companies should be free to decide on the location of their factories, but for the time being, the development of the industrial base should be promoted with a focus on this region. After that, there was a strong call to correct regional disparities, and plans such as the New Industrial City Construction Promotion Act (1962), the New Comprehensive National Development Plan (New Comprehensive National Development Plan, 1969), the Third Comprehensive National Development Plan (1977), the Fourth Comprehensive National Development Plan (1987), and the Fifth Comprehensive National Development Plan (1998) were enacted one after another, and the special development of this belt region was no longer an issue. However, this does not mean that the region's advanced nature and importance were lost.

[Takano Fumio]

"Illustrated Japanese Land Series 5: Japanese Industry and Industrial Zones" edited by Aki Koichi et al. (1967, Seibundo Shinkosha) " "Focusing on the Pacific Belt Zone (Tokai Region)" by Ishibashi Toshiharu and Misono Yoshihiro (1975, University of Tokyo Press) " "Japan's Regional Structure and Regional Policy" by Abe Kazutoshi and Yamazaki Akira (1993, Unite)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

南関東から中京、阪神、瀬戸内を経て北九州に至る連続的な産業・経済先進地帯をいう。この呼称は、1960年（昭和35）池田内閣の所得倍増計画に基づく産業基盤強化のための公共投資重点配分地域を決定するため、翌年8月経済審議会産業立地小委員会によってたてられた太平洋ベルト地帯構想によっている。ただし、地理的には瀬戸内、北九州のように太平洋岸とはいえないものを含み、地域の呼称としてあまり適切とは思われない。むしろ日本主軸地帯とでもすべきであろう。東海道メガロポリスはこの一部である。この構想では、自由主義経済体制のもとでは工業立地は企業が本来自由に決定すべきであるが、産業基盤の整備は当面この地帯に重点的に推進すべきであるとされた。その後、地域間格差是正が強く主張され、新産業都市建設促進法（1962）、新全国総合開発計画（新全総、1969）、三全総（1977）、四全総（1987）、五全総（1998）などが次々と打ち出され、このベルト地帯を特別に取り上げた整備などは問題にされなくなったが、この地帯の先進性・重要性が失われたわけではない。

［高野史男］

『安芸皎一他編『図説日本国土大系5 日本の工業と工業地帯』（1967・誠文堂新光社）』▽『石橋俊治・御園喜博著『太平洋ベルト地帯〈東海地域〉を中心として』（1975・東京大学出版会）』▽『阿部和俊・山崎朗著『日本の地域構造と地域政策』（1993・ユニテ）』

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