Referendums have prompted public hearings on controversial decisions, a procedure that the construction ministry this week made mandatory for land-reclamation projects, which may have an effect on the wider environment.

ECONOMIST: Reclaiming Japan from the bureaucrats

The proposal would immediately restrict road construction in one-fourth of the national forestland, and set in motion a procedure through which local forest officials would determine what activities are consistent with the values of an additional 11 million acres of forest.

CNN: White House hopes to ban roads in quarter of National Forests