Learn in the textbookLaws and Institutions Related to the Digital Society
DefinitionThe National Strategic Special Zones Act (国家戦略特別区域法) is a law that allows regulatory exceptions only within zones designated by the state, in order to boost the economy and trial new businesses.
ExplanationEven rules that are hard to change uniformly across the country can be set aside inside a designated zone (a National Strategic Special Zone, 国家戦略特区) to try new approaches. For each zone, the state, the local government and private businesses put together a plan, and the work goes ahead once the state approves it. The act was enacted in 2013.
AnalogyIt is like a school that finds it hard to change its rules for every grade at once, so it first tries a new rule in just one grade. If it works, the rule can be extended to the other grades.
Memory hookIt is often shortened to "tokku" (特区), meaning special zone. The name says it all: the rules change only inside a special zone.