Agricultural Land Act Regulations Revised for Rights Transf…

The government promulgated in the Official Gazette dated November 9, 2026, a ministerial ordinance partially amending the Enforcement Regulations of the Agricultural Land Act (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ordinance No. 74) and a ministerial ordinance partially amending the ministerial ordinance concerning approved collaborative support projects stipulated in Article 33 of the Act on Strengthening the Foundation for Regional Growth and Development through the Promotion of Regional Economic Leading Projects (Ordinance No. 3). Both are associated with the enforcement of the Act for Partial Amendment of the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act, etc. (Act No. 29 of 2026) and the Act for Partial Amendment of the Act on Special Measures concerning Urban Renaissance, etc. (Act No. 23 of 2026), and directly impact the application procedures for companies entering agriculture, municipalities, and Agricultural Committees. On the same date, Notification No. 1, which establishes standards for green space area ratios and other metrics, was also promulgated.

The amendment to the Enforcement Regulations of the Agricultural Land Act (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Ordinance No. 79 of 1952) is conducted to implement the Agricultural Land Act (Act No. 229 of 1952) based on the provisions of Article 32, Paragraphs 1 and 6 of said Act. The promulgation was made in the name of Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Arata Takebe, with the effective date being the date of promulgation, although some provisions apply from the date of enforcement of the amended Act on Special Measures concerning Urban Renaissance, etc. The ministerial ordinance concerning approved collaborative support projects is Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ordinance No. 2 of 2017; this time, it was amended as a joint ordinance of seven major ministries: the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and Ministry of the Environment.

Revision of Attached Documents Regarding Landscape Maintenance Promotion Corporations for Applications for Permission to Transfer Rights to Agricultural Land

Regarding applications for permission for the transfer of rights to agricultural land or grassland for grazing (Article 10), one of the attached documents has been revised.

The revised Article 10, Paragraph 2, Item 8 requires that if the person seeking to acquire rights is a Landscape Maintenance Promotion Corporation as stipulated in Article 92, Paragraph 1 of the Landscape Act (Act No. 110 of 2004), a document certifying that they have been designated by the Mayor of the Municipality pursuant to the provisions of Article 56, Paragraph 2 of said Act must be attached.
The previous version of this item targeted “Landscape Maintenance Organizations,” and the terminology and legal basis have been reorganized in alignment with the enforcement of the amended Act on Special Measures concerning Urban Renaissance, etc.
This revised provision comes into effect not on the date of promulgation, but on the date of enforcement of the amended Act on Special Measures concerning Urban Renaissance, etc.

Public Notice of Usage Intent Surveys via Posting on the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Website

Provisions regarding the usage intent survey under Article 32 of the Agricultural Land Act have also been revised, clarifying the means of public disclosure.

A new paragraph 3 was added to Article 74, stating that the Agricultural Committee must publicly announce the details of intentions for the agricultural use of farmland that fall under item 1 of paragraph 1 by posting them on the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website.
Item 3 was newly established in Article 77, positioning farmland stipulated in Article 74, paragraph 3, as farmland that is not subject to utilization intention surveys.
In Article 78, regarding the requirements for farmland where no person engaged in the business of cultivation is present, the definition of “owner, etc.” stipulated in Article 32, paragraph 1 of the Act was explicitly restated.
Article 104, paragraph 2 was also reorganized into a provision based on the premise that public announcements are made by posting on the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website.

Ministerial Ordinance for Approval Coordination Support Project: Addition of Description Items for Assets Delivered via Subsidies, etc.

The description items for documents attached to the application for approval of the coordination support plan have been expanded.

Regarding Article 1, paragraph 2, item 4, the citation for the definition of assets delivered via subsidies, etc., was changed from Article 13, paragraph 3, item 7 of the Act to item 5.
The items required for description now include the name of the assets delivered via subsidies, etc., current use, the amount of subsidies, etc., allocated, method of disposal and the business entity, and the use after disposal.
The applicable subsidies, etc., are defined as those stipulated in Article 2, paragraph 1 of the Act on Regulation of Execution of Budget Pertaining to Subsidies, etc. (Act No. 179 of 1955).
Enforcement begins on the date of enforcement of the provisions listed in Article 1, item 2 of the Supplementary Provisions of the Act for Partial Revision of the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act, etc.

Standards for Green Space Area Ratio, etc.: Both Green Space and Environmental Facilities at 1% or More

Standards regarding the location of factories, etc., were presented in a joint notification by five ministers.

Notification No. 1 stipulates that for factories, etc., for approved regional economic revitalization projects as provided in Article 18-2, paragraph 2 of the Act, the lower limit for the ratio of green space area to the site area shall be 1% or more, and the lower limit for the ratio of environmental facilities shall also be 1% or more.
In setting the lower limit values, it was requested that consideration be given to maintaining the living environment of residents not only in areas adjacent to the factories, etc., but also in the surrounding areas.
Land that overlaps with environmental facilities stipulated in the Enforcement Regulations of the Factory Location Act (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, and Ministry of Transport Ordinance No. 1 of 1974), as well as rooftop greening facilities on buildings, can be included in the green space area.
Signed by Minister of Finance Satsuki Katayama, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Kenichiro Ueno, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shin Takebe, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa, and Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tatsunori Ibayashi. Enforcement begins on the date of enforcement of Article 1, item 2 of the Supplementary Provisions of the Act for Partial Revision of the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act, etc.

Companies considering entering the agricultural sector must confirm, during the preliminary consultation stage with municipalities and agricultural committees, that the forms of documents to be attached to the application for permission to transfer rights and the supporting legal provisions will be replaced. Local governments will also be forced to update their counter guidance and administrative processing procedures, given that the publication of usage intention surveys will be unified to postings on the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website. Regarding assets granted through subsidies for approved collaboration support projects, since the application form requires descriptions of the method of disposal and the intended use after disposal, operators possessing factories or equipment that received subsidies must organize their information starting from the planning stage.

Sources

Official Gazette, November 9, Reiwa 8, Main Paper, Ministerial Ordinance MAFF Ordinance No. 74, “Ministerial Ordinance Partially Amending the Enforcement Regulations of the Agricultural Land Act” (Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Shin Takebe)
Official Gazette, November 9, Reiwa 8, Main Paper, Ministerial Ordinance Ordinance No. 3, “Ministerial Ordinance Partially Amending the Ministerial Ordinance Concerning Approved Collaboration Support Projects Prescribed in Article 33 of the Act on Strengthening the Foundation for Regional Growth and Development through the Promotion of Regional Economic Vitalization Projects”
Official Gazette, November 9, Reiwa 8, Main Paper, Notification Notification No. 1, “Standards for Factories, etc., for Approved Regional Economic Vitalization Projects Regarding Green Space Area Ratios, etc.” (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)