Tokyo is the capital of Japan. That’s been the case since quite a while. Yeah the debate which two of the country’s main parties have embarked on comes to fruition, the Japanese institutional reality could nevertheless undergo a radical change: Tokyo would be joined by a ‘backup capital’a city that would take over if necessary. The goal: decentralize the nation… and ensure that Japan won’t be knocked out if a natural disaster or emergency hits Tokyo.
What has happened? That Japan has opened a debate that affects its economy, population, politics and above all the territorial and power balance of the country. Your goal: decide if you should have a “backup capital”a secondary capital that helps decentralize administrations and encourage economic development beyond Tokyo. It may sound strange, but one of its purposes is to assume government functions in case Tokyo suffers a disaster.
Where does the debate come from? The local press began to talk about the matter even before the Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin (JIP) reached a coalition agreement. In fact, in September The Japan Times counted as it was among the “key” issues that the opposition wanted to discuss with the leader of the LDP, Sanae Takaichi. Since then it has remained on the table, with an agreement between both formations to advance their development next year and a open debate about what the creation of a backup capital would mean.
Why a ‘substitute’ capital? For several reasons. One of the main ones is to prevent the Government from being paralyzed in the event that a natural disaster (or any other emergency) hits Tokyo, although that is only one of its purposes.
In the background is the desire to correct the excessive political, economic and demographic concentration that Japan suffers from. “We must aspire to a country that avoids excessive concentration in Tokyo and is not too dependent on it, a place that is an economic zone that can counteract Tokyo and serve as a backup capital in times of crisis,” claims Hirofumi Yoshimura, leader of the JIP.
Is it that important? Over the last few months, both ideas have been emphasized: the advantages that a secondary capital would have economically, politically and to decentralize the country and also to prevent Japan from being paralyzed in the event of a disaster. “The main importance of the concept of reserve capital lies in the dispersion of disaster risk and is a fundamental issue for national crisis management,” highlights Seitaro Hattori, governor of Fukuoka.
In fact, Hattori focuses so much attention on that aspect (that the secondary capital can take a step forward in case of emergency) that he advocates locating it in a place where the risk of a large earthquake in the Pacific that affects Tokyo also punishes the secondary capital is minimized. “Fukuoka is a major city with a low disaster risk, as is Kitakyushu.”
And what city do we choose? That’s the big question. There are those who fear that the true purpose of JIP is to merge the districts of the city of Osaka to give them a format similar to that of Tokyo, a change that would pave the way for it to become the secondary capital of the country. Reserve capital status would bring relevant advantages, such as tax exemptions.
Right now in Osaka the metropolitan government assumes the provision of certain services, such as water supply, firefighters or urban planning. More local tasks, such as garbage collection, social services or education, depend on the districts. The JIP has been wanting to adapt Osaka to a model more similar to that of Tokyo for some time, claiming its benefits. Without success.
Are there more names? Yes. Other names have also been mentioned in the national press, such as Sapporo or Fukuoka. “If we were to imagine an earthquake in the Nankai Trench, the city of Fukuoka, on the coast of the Sea of Japan, would be the least at risk of simultaneous damage. In terms of response capacity, Fukuoka is a suitable location,” claims Takashima.
Images | Louie Martinez (Unsplash)
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