After many years of military rule in Chile, the Frei administration came to power in 1994, as the result of democratic elections. The Frei administration has pursued policies including anti-poverty programs designed to alleviate the gap in living standards between regions and a program of decentralizing power which stresses promoting local industries.

The history of Hokkaido's development should prove highly useful to Chile, as it embarks upon its decentralized model of development. For this reason, the Hokkaido Development Bureau has taken responsibility for presenting a Seminar on Regional Development and Planning. The training given in this course consists of seminars that introduce the history of development in Hokkaido, development projects actually underway, and local self-government and financial systems. The course also provides the opportunity for actual observation of examples discussed in the seminars. This opportunity to actually see harbors and land improvements built according to plan is proving to be a highly beneficial learning experience.

The political situation in Chile has only recently become stable, while the development of Hokkaido has pursued a consistent policy since the Meiji era of Japanese history (since 1868). Consequently Hokkaido's experiences in development should prove useful for Chile as it progresses in regional autonomy and local development. By making Hokkaido's development known to government officials in Chile who are involved in regional development, it can be expected that these experiences will be put to use in development within Chile.

Observing the Komaoka Cleaning Factory.