6 of Japan’s Remote Islands to Be Added to Govt List for Priority Support

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:11 JST, February 27, 2026

The ruling parties plan to add six islands in four regions to the list of remote border islands that need special national support to prevent depopulation.

Remote border islands serve as basepoints for Japan’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. The parties aim to improve support amid the islands’ rising importance for security and hope to submit a related bill for passage in the current Diet session.

The Liberal Democratic Party was to hold a meeting Friday to discuss amendment of the Law on Preserving Remote Island Areas, which was enacted in 2017.

The newly added islands are Teurito and Yagishirito in Hokkaido, Tobishima in Yamagata Prefecture, Awashima in Niigata Prefecture and Niijima and Shikinejima in Tokyo. The islands will be on the list for the first time.

Currently, Japan has 148 inhabited islands spread across 29 regions. Of these, 71 in 15 regions are designated under the law as Specified Remote, Inhabited Islands, making them priority targets for financial support from the central government. They play a vital role as bases for territorial sea patrols and marine surveys. Were they to become uninhabited, it would be difficult to maintain these activities.

The six islands were initially excluded from the list due to their proximity to Japan’s main islands, among other reasons. However, the population in these places has declined noticeably in recent years, and improved support was viewed as essential to sustain their communities.

The law’s revision will also increase support. Currently, islanders are able to commute to the main islands by ship or plane for lower fares, and shipping costs for agricultural, forestry and fishery products are subsidized. The revision will promote the construction of new vessels, including high-speed boats; strengthen measures around the rising price of gasoline and other fuels; and improve infrastructure to accommodate tourists staying for extended periods.

The current law is a 10-year, time-limited measure that was a lawmaker-initiated bill and is set to expire in March next year. The revision would extend the term by another 10 years and set up a review after five years.