Japan's pressing regional affairs to unfold quietly in shadow of Olympics

OSAKA – This year, all attention will turn to the 2020 Olympics, with politicians, business leaders and the media talking about how to ensure its success, what it means for Japan domestically and internationally and how to avert a post-Olympic economic slump. Outside the seven prefectures in the Kanto region centered on Tokyo, however, the high drama of the games will be absent with the notable exceptions of Hokkaido (marathons and soccer), Fukushima (baseball and softball) and Miyagi (soccer). With that in mind, here are some issues that parts of the rest of Japan will face in 2020 and official plans to deal with them. From Hokkaido to Okinawa, governments are fighting to stay optimistic and energetic in the face of ever-increasing aging, declining populations and the flight of younger residents and businesses to Tokyo and other major cities. In late December, the government unveiled a five-year plan for regional revitalization aimed at easing the overconcentration of resources in Tokyo and the Kanto region by early 2025. Financial assistance will be available for some startups relocating outside of Tokyo, and the plan calls for the greater use of artificial intelligence in those areas of the country where it would be difficult to relocate or in which the needed number of employees can't be found.