Public Asset Activation in Shikoku — Potential and Challenges in a Blank Zone
The four Shikoku prefectures (Kagawa, Ehime, Tokushima, Kochi) represent a 'blank zone' where PPP/PFI, Park-PFI, and Small Concession adoption significantly lags the national average. This article analyzes the structural factors behind this gap and emerging signs of change including the Sanuki Manno Park sounding and the Ehime PPP/PFI Regional Platform.
TL;DR
- The four Shikoku prefectures have virtually no Park-PFI or Small Concession adoption cases, constituting a nationwide 'blank zone'
- At Sanuki Manno National Government Park (Kagawa), a market sounding survey has been conducted, showing emerging signs of movement
- Ehime Prefecture established the 'Ehime PPP/PFI Regional Platform' in 2022, building an organizational structure to systematically support PPP/PFI adoption across prefectural municipalities
Current State of Public Asset Activation in Shikoku
PPP/PFI adoption status across the four Shikoku prefectures compared nationally
165
Nationwide Park-PFI deployments
End of FY2023
Minimal
Park-PFI cases in Shikoku's 4 prefectures
2022
Ehime PPP/PFI Regional Platform established
Among Japan's four Shikoku prefectures (Kagawa, Ehime, Tokushima, and Kochi), within the 165 parks nationwide where Park-PFI is being utilized, cases in the Shikoku region are extremely limited. No Shikoku municipalities were among those selected for the Small Concession Formation Promotion Project, making it fair to characterize the region as a "blank zone" for PPP/PFI broadly.
National Comparison
Examining PPP/PFI adoption by region reveals clear trends:
| Region | Adoption Status | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Tokyo (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba) | Highest nationwide | Population concentration, abundant private operators |
| Kansai (Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto) | Active | Major cities and tourism asset concentration |
| Kyushu (Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto) | Increasing | Spillover from the PPP/PFI Promotion Mayors' Conference |
| Tohoku | Growing cases | Post-disaster reconstruction experience converting to PPP/PFI |
| Shikoku | Near blank | Structural factors detailed below |
Three Structural Factors Behind Delayed Adoption
Population scale, private operator absence, and lack of internal administrative structures
Factor 1: Population Scale Constraints
The populations of Shikoku's four prefectural capitals — Takamatsu (~420,000), Matsuyama (~510,000), Tokushima (~250,000), and Kochi (~320,000) — are modest, and no designated city exists. Compared to cities where Park-PFI is thriving — Yokohama (3.74 million), Nagoya (2.3 million), Fukuoka (1.63 million) — the population gap is stark.
Smaller population raises the Park-PFI adoption barrier in three ways:
- Lower ceiling on park visitors: The visitor base that drives revenue facility sales is inherently limited
- Weaker private-sector entry incentive: Revenue prospects are harder to establish, weakening major operator motivation
- Fewer precedent cases: Without examples, municipalities lack confidence that "we can do this too," creating a vicious cycle of delayed adoption
Factor 2: Absence of Private Operators
More than half of municipalities cite "no internal promotion structure" as a PPP/PFI challenge — a nationwide issue that is even more pronounced in Shikoku.
The Shikoku region has few private operators with Park-PFI or Small Concession track records. The incentive for major Tokyo or Kansai-based operators to extend into Shikoku is limited, creating a vicious cycle of "no operators → cannot adopt → operators do not develop."
Factor 3: Lack of Internal Administrative Structures
PPP/PFI adoption requires cross-functional coordination among park management, finance, planning, and legal departments. In Shikoku's smaller municipalities with limited staffing, many cannot assign dedicated PPP/PFI personnel.
Emerging Signs of Change
Sanuki Manno Park sounding and establishment of the Ehime PPP/PFI Regional Platform
Shikoku is not a complete blank. Several noteworthy developments are emerging.
Sanuki Manno Park Sounding
At Sanuki Manno National Government Park (Manno Town, Kagawa Prefecture), a market sounding survey was conducted to explore the potential for private-sector energy introduction.Conducting a sounding at a national government park represents a significant first step toward public-private partnership in the Shikoku region. A market sounding survey is a low-cost, low-risk method of "asking the private sector first" — an optimal entry point for PPP/PFI adoption.
Ehime PPP/PFI Regional Platform
Ehime Prefecture established the "Ehime PPP/PFI Regional Platform" in March 2022 (Reiwa 4). The aim is to systematically promote PPP/PFI adoption to address the aging of public facilities concentrated during the rapid economic growth period across the prefecture's municipalities.
The regional platform's functions include:
- Information sharing: Providing PPP/PFI precedent cases and regulatory updates to prefectural municipalities
- Training and seminars: Conducting PPP/PFI training for municipal officials
- Matching: Supporting matching between municipalities and private operators
- Inter-municipal coordination: Supporting joint project consideration across multiple prefectural municipalities
Characteristics of Shikoku's Public Assets
Types of idle facilities, closed schools, and parks with activation potential
The four Shikoku prefectures have numerous public assets that could serve as PPP/PFI targets.
Closed Schools
As declining birth rates progress, closed schools are steadily increasing across Shikoku's four prefectures. Many are located in mountainous areas and on remote islands, with potential for conversion to welfare, tourism, and experiential learning uses.
Idle Public Facilities
Former government buildings, community centers, and teacher housing that have lost their original purpose but lack defined reuse plans exist in municipalities throughout the region. These could serve as Small Concession target facilities, though many cases have not even begun considering activation.
Urban Parks
Urban parks in the four prefectural capitals (Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Tokushima, Kochi) are potential Park-PFI candidate sites. With populations of 250,000 to 510,000, these cities are at a scale where numerous successful Park-PFI cases exist nationwide.
Combination with Tourism Resources
Shikoku's distinctive tourism assets — the 88-temple pilgrimage, the Naruto whirlpools, the Shimanto River, Dogo Onsen — are among Japan's finest. Combining these tourism resources with parks and public facilities could provide visitor-drawing power that compensates for population scale constraints.
Future Developments and Needed Support
What is needed to promote PPP/PFI in Shikoku
What Is Needed to Promote PPP/PFI in Shikoku
① Prefecture-level promotion structures: Extend platforms like Ehime's PPP/PFI Regional Platform to all four Shikoku prefectures. A mechanism for prefectures to compensate for individual municipality capacity gaps is essential.
② Creating small-scale success stories: Rather than targeting large-scale Park-PFI immediately, accumulate small successes of the "single café" type. Success experiences generate subsequent adoption.
③ Inter-prefectural coordination: Shikoku's four prefectures form a relatively compact economic zone where cross-border coordination is effective. Joint sounding events and shared operator pools across the four prefectures are possibilities.
④ Active use of national support programs: The Small Concession Formation Promotion Project's expert dispatch program provides access to expert knowledge at no cost. Shikoku municipalities applying for this program would be a vital first step.
→ For comparison of PPP/PFI methods, see Comprehensive Comparison of 7 PPP Methods.
Complete Guide to Park-PFI
Comprehensive explanation of the system, procedures, and cases
What Is Small Concession?
Basic guide to the idle facility activation system
Park-PFI Latest Cases and Statistics [2026 Edition]
Statistics across 165 parks and regional trends
References
Park-PFI System Utilization Status (FY2023)
Report on PPP/PFI Promotion Challenges and Support Measures by Stakeholder Type (2017)
Ehime PPP/PFI Regional Platform (2022)
PPP/PFI Case Collection (2024)