SMALL-CONCESSION
Small public assets, thought through from the terms.
How to choose the building, public-private dialogue, tenders, and the operating questions.
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Recommendation for Small Concession (May 2026 Edition): The Achievement of the Three Steps × Four Cases in the MLIT-Cabinet Office Joint Guide
A structured breakdown of 'Recommendation for Small Concession: Guide for Utilizing Idle Public Facilities,' jointly published in May 2026 by MLIT Policy Bureau and Cabinet Office. Covers the three definitional elements of small concession, the effects on three actors, the organization of business methods, the three-step procedure (project concept review / project realization review / tender selection contract), and the achievements of four lead cases (Hagi / Komatsu / Kasama / Maizuru).
SCPF Newsletter 2026-06 Public Call Review — Small Concession Trends in the Last 3 Months
A review of the public call and sounding trends visible through Japan's Small Concession Platform (SCPF), jointly operated by MLIT and the Cabinet Office, as of June 2026. We organize the six active municipal cases and two MLIT direct programs from the last three months, parsing scheme types, municipal intent, and the structural questions facing private operators.
Information Asymmetry in Japan's Traditional Townhouse Market — Connecting Individual Purchase to Public Asset Activation
The single biggest obstacle in Japan's secondhand traditional townhouse (kominka) market is the information asymmetry around renovation costs. Starting from FIRST-HAND Local's field reporting in Nara Prefecture, this article re-reads the structure through the lens of public asset activation — closed schools, former government buildings, and akiya (vacant house) policy.
Small Concession Case Study: The Reproducibility of Fukuchiyama's Zero-Burden Public Model
Drawing on MLIT's 'Recommendations for Small Concession' (R8.5.25) and Public Management Consulting seminar materials, this article extracts Fukuchiyama City's small-scale concession case and structurally analyzes the reproducibility of the model that delivers VFM-exempt status and minimum administrative burden.
MLIT's Small Concession Guidebook Explained — Three Walls, VFM Exemption, and Contract Risks [May 2026 Release]
On May 25, 2026, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and the Cabinet Office jointly published a 40-page practical guidebook titled 'Small Concession Recommendations — A Handbook for Utilizing Idle Public Facilities.' This article unpacks the three walls (image, partner, project execution), four case studies, the new VFM exemption criteria, the procedural simplification reducing operator selection from 1–2 years to 6–12 months, and the cross-ministry map of 14 support programs.
Three Types of Sounding — Market, Pre, and Trial: How to Use Each【2026 Edition】
A guide to the three types of sounding (market sounding, pre-sounding, and trial sounding) used in public-private partnership projects: purpose, timing, procedures, and deliverables. An introductory guide for municipal officials.
Small Concession vs Park-PFI — A Deep Dive into the Differences【2026 Edition】
A detailed comparison of the legal basis, SPC structure, risk allocation, and financing for Small Concession and Park-PFI. Complements the A-9 selection guide with in-depth analysis for intermediate readers.
A Guide to Entering Public Space Business — Park-PFI, Closed Schools, and Small Concessions [2026 Edition]
A practical guide for private-sector businesses considering entry into park cafés, closed school activation, and Small Concession projects. Covers how to find opportunities, consortium formation, writing proposals, and managing revenue after entry.
Small Concession in Hokkaido — Strategies for Utilizing Vast Land and Idle Facilities
Hokkaido has the highest number of closed schools nationwide, making idle public facility utilization an urgent priority. Analysis of Ikeda Town × Area Craft Hokkaido's Small Concession case, Hokkaido's idle facility platform, and pioneering reuse cases (Koshimizu Town, Asahikawa City), with a Hokkaido-specific utilization strategy framework.
Anjo City × Deloitte Tohmatsu — Legal Constraints and Scheme Design for a Historic Park Kominka
An analysis of the Small Concession case involving the former Kamiya residence (registered tangible cultural property) within the nationally designated historic site of Honshoji Temple in Anjo City, Aichi. This article examines the scheme design structure under dual legal constraints — historic site designation and cultural property registration — with Deloitte Tohmatsu serving as the expert advisor.
How Landscape Companies Can Enter Park-PFI [2026 Edition]
A practical guide for landscape and greenery contractors entering the Park-PFI program. Covers how to leverage your strengths, build the right organizational structure, write a winning proposal, and manage operations — with the latest 2026 information.
Small Concession Financing — What Municipalities Paid in the Handbook's Cases, the Caps on the Two Study-Cost Subsidies, and the Interest Subsidy Rate and Term
Small concession financing checked against the primary documents: the MLIT and Cabinet Office guidebook Recommending Small Concessions, MLIT's draft promotion measures, and the application guidelines of the national subsidy programs. It sets out what municipalities paid in the six case studies and which subsidies they used, the financing instruments open to municipalities and to private companies, the caps and conditions of the two programs that subsidize study costs, and the rate and term of the Regional Revitalization Interest Subsidy.
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