Japan's government has drawn up criteria for designating a backup capital that would take over the functions of Tokyo in the event of a large-scale disaster.
The government recently prepared a draft decree setting the requirements, the Yomiuri Shimbun and other outlets reported on the 3rd. The draft will go through a public comment period before being approved by the Cabinet later this month.
The move follows passage of a backup capital law by Japan's parliament in July. The law calls for designating as a backup capital a local government that is unlikely to be struck by a disaster at the same time as the Tokyo area, with the aim of substituting for the capital's functions in an emergency and easing the country's concentration of power in Tokyo.
Under the draft decree, a backup capital must not fall within an emergency response zone for an earthquake directly beneath the capital or within a designated alert area for a volcanic eruption of Mount Fuji. It must also host more than half of the national government's regional branch offices, such as district legal affairs bureaus and finance bureaus. In addition, the prefecture must contain a government-designated major city — a city of at least 500,000 people selected by the central government — that accounts for at least 1.2% of Japan's population, and the prefecture's output must account for at least 2.1% of the country's gross domestic product.
Among the local governments that have expressed interest in being designated, four — Hokkaido, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka — are expected to meet the requirements.
A local government seeking the designation must obtain approval from its assembly before applying to the central government. The government then reviews whether the applicant meets the criteria, and the prime minister makes the designation. Those selected can receive benefits including transportation infrastructure upgrades and regulatory easing.
Once the Cabinet approves the draft decree, the government plans to set up a backup capital development task force headed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and to draw up basic guidelines for the designation process.
