On December 23, 2025 (Reiwa 7), Kitakyushu City, together with Yamaguchi Prefecture, issued the public notice of the urban planning decision for the Shimonoseki-Kitakyushu Road and the public notice of its environmental impact assessment report, and opened the documents for public inspection. Following procedures under way since FY2024, the city says a long-held wish has entered a new stage and that it will work toward starting the project as a new national project as soon as possible.On December 23, 2025, Kitakyushu City and Yamaguchi Prefecture announced that the plan for a new road called the Shimonoseki-Kitakyushu Road was officially decided through the legal procedure. It is a wide road with 4 lanes. But the step that actually starts construction work (starting it as a new project) is still to come.
Outline of the urban plan (Yamaguchi side and Kitakyushu side)
Yamaguchi sideKitakyushu side
LengthAbout 3,900 mAbout 4,100 m
Width19.5 to 20.5 m19.5 m
Lanes4 lanes4 lanes
Steps until the road is built
1. Plan decidedWhere the road goes and how wide it is were decided this time (Dec. 23, 2025)
2. New projectThe national government and others decide to start it as a project (still to come)
3. ConstructionThe road is actually built (timing not decided yet)
On December 23, 2025, a cabinet-level meeting adopted the "Countermeasure Package for Large-Scale Solar Power Projects (Mega-Solar)". Its pillars are stronger legal rules to protect nature, safety and landscape, closer cooperation with local governments, and focusing support on projects that coexist with communities. A policy to end FIT/FIP support for commercial ground-mounted solar from FY2027 was also decided, and the related ordinances and notices were revised at the end of March 2026.Big solar power plants (mega-solar) can cause worries about nature, safety and scenery. So in December 2025 the government put together a set of measures. They include stronger rules and a review of national support for ground-mounted systems.
This page summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies. Content is as of the date each article was checked. For decisions in your own case, always consult the original sources and professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence. To search by category or keyword, go to Find articles.