44 Pct Support Passage of Secondary Capital Bill: Jiji Poll

Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–A Jiji Press survey showed Thursday that 44.8 pct of respondents welcomed the recent enactment of a bill to create a secondary capital of Japan that would supplement Tokyo’s functions in the event of a major disaster. The figure far exceeded the 19.8 pct who viewed the bill’s passage negatively, while 35.4 pct were undecided or unsure. The bill was advocated by the Japan Innovation Party, the coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. While most opposition parties, including the Centrist Reform Alliance and the Democratic Party for the People, opposed the bill, it passed the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, by just two votes. Among LDP and JIP supporters, 59.9 pct and 62.5 pct were in favor of the bill’s passage, respectively. In the Kansai western Japan region, where the JIP is based, 52.3 pct welcomed the enactment, while only 10.2 pct viewed it negatively. The prefectural governments of Aichi and Fukuoka as well as other local governments have shown their eagerness to be designated as the country’s secondary capital. In the Tokai central region, including Aichi, 49.4 pct backed the passage. The survey found that 42.2 pct, or the largest group, in the southwestern Kyushu region, including Fukuoka, were undecided or unsure, while 39.2 pct were in favor of the passage. The interview-based survey, conducted for four days through Sunday, covered 1,974 people aged 18 or over nationwide excluding Kumamoto Prefecture, hit hard by a recent powerful earthquake. Valid responses came from 59.1 pct. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]