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Japan creates backup capital plan to prepare for Tokyo emergencies

By The South Asia Times

TOKYO - Japan’s parliament passed a landmark law on Friday establishing a framework for a “second capital” that can temporarily assume governmental functions if Tokyo is incapacitated by a natural disaster or other emergency.

The new legislation, backed by the ruling coalition, allows the Prime Minister to designate a backup capital from among prefectures that meet specific criteria, including sufficient population size and economic scale. The move is a proactive step to ensure continuity of government operations, as Tokyo remains vulnerable to major earthquakes and typhoons.

While the bill was framed as a critical disaster-preparedness measure, it drew sharp criticism from opposition parties. Detractors argue the plan is strategically tailored to benefit the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party (JIP), the junior coalition partner of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The initiative stems directly from a coalition agreement signed by the two parties in October.

Political analysts note that the new system could bolster the JIP’s long-standing ambition to reorganize Osaka and its surrounding region into a metropolis similar to Tokyo—a proposal aimed at streamlining administration and decentralizing power away from the capital.

The legislation was passed after a tense parliamentary session that had to be extended through Saturday. The extension became necessary as a legislative deadlock prevented several key government-backed bills from clearing the original July 17 closing date.

In a separate move on the same day, the upper house of parliament also passed a bill revising the law governing constitutional amendment referendums, clearing a procedural hurdle for what could become Japan’s first national vote on revising its pacifist constitution. As part of the changes, the House of Councillors has officially decided to rename itself the Senate.