Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner submitted Wednesday a bill to parliament to establish a "second capital" to serve as a backup for Tokyo's core functions in times of disasters or other emergencies, and to decentralize power.
The LDP and the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party aim for the bill's enactment by the current Diet session's end on July 17. It would add impetus to the JIP's drive to reorganize the western Japan city into a metropolis like Tokyo by introducing special wards.
Legislation for the second capital system is among agreements under the coalition deal signed by the LDP, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and the JIP in October. The JIP's backing helped her get elected in parliament as Japan's first female premier the following day.
The center-right JIP's Osaka metropolis plan, also aimed at streamlining administrative functions, faced opposition from the LDP in two referenda in the city in 2015 and 2020, both of which rejected the initiative by narrow margins.
Apparently to increase the likelihood of a new referendum passing, the JIP had earlier sought to expand its scope to include voters across Osaka Prefecture, and the bill initially included a supplementary provision allowing such a prefecture-wide referendum.
In a JIP concession to the LDP, however, the provision was dropped after some LDP members said that a prefecture-wide vote to decide the city's future could run counter to the principle of autonomy guaranteed under the Constitution.
Amid Takaichi's popularity, the LDP-JIP camp won a landslide victory in the House of Representatives election in February with more than three-quarters of the lower chamber's seats, well above the two-thirds threshold required to override the House of Councillors to push through bills.
© KYODO
17 Comments
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MarkX
Does any other country in the world have this kind of second capital system? It seems like a huge outlay of money! I know Tokyo could suffer a huge earthquake, but you have to look at the cost for such an undertaking!
syniksan
Democracy doesn't really mean much in this country does it? There's already been many referenda about Osaka To voted down but they're just going to ram it through anyway.
R B Quinn
Former Prime Minister Tanaka also brought up this subject in the early 1970s … nothing came out of it.
Speed
I still don't see why the national govt./Tokyo would be against this. On the other hand, I don't expect this to go very far. I remember back in the 80s, the national govt. pledged to move many of the govt. ministries out of Tokyo but it just disappeared into thin air. Aside from the one in Tsukuba.
masterblaster
This seems quite shady. Something is going on behind closed doors. Probably a ton of undeclared money to be made by the politicians involved. If Osaka wants a second capitol, then fine, but various cities should be suggested as well. Why is Osaka only involved in this?
wallace
With a big earthquake forecast for Tokyo, a second capital is necessary.
A garlic eater_
Considering how badly 3/11 was handled, just building a backup capital isn't going to cut it. If Tokyo is destroyed the fallout/aftermath is going to be so catastrophic that Japan will essentially have to start from zero again anyway.
wallace
Japan needs a second seat of government.
deanzaZZR
Details are important here and the cost.
I quite liked the earlier idea of setting up backup infrastructure in Sendai to give Tohoku a little shot in the arm. Oh, well.
Aly Rustom
Nope.
Sh1mon M4sada
IMHO, any second capital has got to be on a different island.
garypen
This has been a vanity/pride wish of Yoshimura's and the JIP forever. It failed local referendums twice. But, they keep pushing for it, despite the voters' will against it.
I love Kansai and Western Japan. But, I don't want my perfectly fine autonomous city to suddenly become a ward of Osaka. Screw that.
MiuraAnjin
The Philippines, The Netherlands and Malaysia. South Africa's got three!
grund
I understand the need for it, but wouldn't it be sensible to put it a little bit further away? Say that there is a big quake in central Japan, both Tokyo and Osaka will likely be affected. Wouldn't, say, Hiroshima or some other city further away be better? But I am guessing that this is largely a political concession to the Japan Innovation Party.
Legrande
Does any other country in the world have this kind of second capital system? It seems like a huge outlay of money
Huge amounts of money with large amounts contributed by taxpayers who are unable to trace the money is a specialty of the LDP...at the least a budget will be allowed to "research" it's feasibility
Puke
Nara - Kyoto - Tokyo - somewhere else.
ShinyAndChrome
I'd love a moonbase as well, but... priorities! https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/26/japan-pm-sanae-takaichi-pledged-sales-tax-cut-systems-arent-designed