INTERVIEW: Tokyo Gov. Negative on Addressing Tax Revenue Gaps

Tokyo, Jan. 6 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has criticized the central government’s and ruling bloc’s policy of addressing tax revenue gaps between the Japanese capital and other local governments. The policy “would undermine local autonomy and obstruct the growth of Tokyo,” Koike said in an interview with Jiji Press on Monday. “It would impair national interests.” The ruling coalition’s fiscal 2026 tax system reform package, adopted late last year, includes plans to partially adjust the distribution of property and corporate taxes, which are concentrated in Tokyo. Koike said she wants to raise concerns about the policy with the central government, adding, “I want to tell them how unreasonable it is to Japanese citizens and Tokyo residents who are paying taxes.” She said that the national capital’s support measures for child rearing are starting to show results. The number of births in Tokyo between January and October 2025 increased 0.9 pct from a year before. “Depopulation is a silent emergency,” she said. “We’ve gained the understanding of Tokyo residents for the series of measures, which leads to population growth,” Koike said, referring to metropolitan government projects for free high school tuition and free school lunches, which preceded similar measures by the central government. Child-rearing support is “very important in Tokyo in terms of local autonomy,” she went on. “I’d be delighted if this spread across Japan.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]