LDP, JIP to Allow Multiple Secondary Capitals in Japan

Tokyo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)–The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, on Friday agreed to allow the establishment of secondary capitals in multiple regions. During working-level talks at the Diet, Japan’s parliament, the LDP presented a proposal for allowing several regions to be secondary capitals, and it was accepted by the JIP, which had been calling for a framework effectively limiting the potential sites to the western city of Osaka, its home base. “This was a big step toward creating legislation,” Eikei Suzuki, an LDP member of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, said of the agreement reached at the meeting. The two parties will begin drafting an outline for the legislation with the aim of submitting related bills to the ongoing Diet session. The JIP had previously insisted that a region designated as a secondary capital must fulfill the requirement of realizing the metropolis plan, which involves abolishing an ordinance-designated city and reorganizing it into special wards. Specifically, this requires procedures under the law on the establishment of special wards in major metropolitan areas, but no support for this exists outside Osaka. The purpose of the secondary capital concept is to provide an alternative for capital functions during disasters. The JIP views the northern city of Sapporo and the southwestern city of Fukuoka, among others, as potential candidates besides Osaka. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]