Competition among local governments across Japan is intensifying as the country moves to designate a "backup capital" to guard against a paralysis of Tokyo's administration in the event of a major earthquake or other disaster.
After a bill to designate a "secondary capital" passed, 13 local governments — including Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Nagoya and Gunma Prefecture — have entered the competition, The New York Times reported on the 23rd. The winner is expected to receive hundreds of millions of dollars in fiscal support and tax benefits, along with gains in tourism and urban regeneration.
The rivalry is already fierce. Osaka has created a cat mascot named "Naniwa Fukumaru" for its promotional push, while Nagoya is touting its manufacturing base. Sapporo, on the northern island of Hokkaido, is emphasizing its geographic advantage of being far from the Nankai Trough, where a major earthquake is feared. One think tank official described the contest as "a giant festival," saying the mood is that "no one wants to miss the gold rush."
Behind the push is the threat of earthquakes. Japan sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone that keeps the risk of a major quake ever-present, while the Tokyo metropolitan area's population has swelled to 37 million, deepening overcrowding and rural depopulation at the same time.
Early on the 23rd, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck southern Ibaraki Prefecture, sending tremors of up to a lower 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale across Tokyo and other parts of the metropolitan region. At least 17 people were injured, and burst water pipes led to a series of water outages. Some observers put the probability of a major earthquake at 70%.
Criticism, however, is considerable. Because Osaka, a leading candidate, is the political base of the Japan Innovation Party — a coalition partner of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi — suspicions of favoritism have been raised. Experts point out that Osaka is not free from earthquakes either, and that the bill got ahead of substantive measures such as ensuring ground stability. Others voice concern over the enormous cost of building a new government complex, and that dispersing the capital could simply create yet another concentration in a large city.
The final decision rests with Takaichi. There is no official timetable yet, but the cabinet plans to set the selection criteria within a few months.
