noun
thirty-percent autonomy of local governments
A term describing the limited fiscal autonomy of Japanese local governments, which historically controlled only about 30% of their revenue, with the rest coming from the central government. Used in political and administrative contexts.
日本の地方自治体は長らく「三割自治」と呼ばれてきた。
Japanese local governments have long been called 'thirty-percent autonomy'.
Compound of 三割 (さんわり, 'thirty percent') and 自治 (じち, 'self-government'). The term reflects the historical reality that local governments in Japan had independent control over only about 30% of their financial resources.