Under paragraph 8 of the article, "The Prime minister" shall read as "The Minister for Home Affairs or the governor of the To, Do, Fu or Ken". Under paragraph 9 of the same article, "by the Prime Minister with the approval of the Diet" shall read as "The Minister for Home Affairs or governor of the To, Do, Fu or Ken", "more than three members" shall read as "more than two members", and "two" shall read as "one" Under paragraph 10 of the same article, "The Prime Minister" shall read as "The Minister for Home Affairs or governor of the To, Do, Fu or Ken" and "two" shall read as "one". Under paragraph 11 of the same article, "The Prime Minister" shall read as "The Minister for Home Affairs or governor of the To, Do, Fu or Ken" and "any such member ... with the approval of both houses of the Diet" shall read as "any such local dispute arbitrator". Under paragraph 12 of the same article "the latter half of paragraph 4 and from paragraph 8 to the previous paragraph" shall read as "paragraphs 8, 9 (excluding number 2), 10, the preceding paragraph and paragraph 4 of article 251".
Subsection IV. Procedures for Investigation and Arbitration by local disputes arbitrators
(Arbitration)
Article 251-2.
When a dispute has arisen between ordinary local public bodies or between the organs thereof, with the exception of matters determined specially under this law, the Minister for Home Affairs in the case of a dispute between To, Do, Fu or Ken or an organ of To, Do, Fu or Ken, or the governor of the To, Do, Fu or Ken in other cases, may, in order to settle the dispute, appoint local dispute arbitrators in accordance with paragraph 2 of the previous article, who will arbitrate in the dispute on the basis of a written petition by the concerned parties or through the official authority of the arbitrators.
2.
In an arbitration instigated on the basis of a petition by the concerned party, the party concerned may withdraw the petition with the approval of the Minister for Home Affairs or the governor of the To, Do, Fu or Ken.
3.
The local dispute arbitrators shall draw up a proposal for arbitration which they may set forth to the parties concerned and recommend that they accept. The arbitrators may also make the purport of the same public, stating reasons.
4.
When the proposal for arbitration has been set forth to the parties concerned and its acceptance recommended, the arbitrators shall immediately submit a report to the Minister for Home Affairs or the governor of the To, Do, Fu or Ken on the purport of the proposal and the progress of the arbitration, accompanied by a copy of the proposal for arbitration.
