Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pushing for the passage of a secondary-capital bill as the National Diet session concludes this week [1].
The legislation aims to establish a backup region for capital functions to ensure government continuity during large-scale disasters and reduce the over-concentration of power in Tokyo. However, the bill has faced significant criticism for being too focused on Osaka, leading to disputes over its geographic scope and specific legal provisions.
With only four days remaining in the session [1], Takaichi said the ruling party must work together to ensure the bill is passed. This effort coincides with a push to amend the Imperial House Law. LDP member Hidehiko Isozaki said that a combined amendment and vote on the imperial succession law is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15 [1].
Yoshifumi Yoshimura, leader of the Japan Innovation Party, said he intends to ensure the certain passage of both the imperial law and the secondary-capital bill [1]. Despite the shared goal of passage, the draft has been labeled "Osaka-centric" by critics. While some reports suggest the bill could eventually allow for multiple cities to serve as secondary capitals, the initial focus on Osaka has drawn scrutiny.
Controversy also surrounded an annex in the bill that originally included provisions for a prefecture-wide referendum on the "Osaka-to" plan. According to reports, this referendum clause was removed at the request of the prime minister [4].
The legislative push comes amid a tight timeline. While some reports indicated the session would end around July 17 [1], other records show Takaichi met with Yoshimura regarding the bill as late as July 22 [2].
“The bill has faced significant criticism for being too focused on Osaka.”
The secondary-capital bill represents a strategic attempt to decentralize Japan's administrative power, which is currently heavily concentrated in Tokyo. By designating a secondary hub, the government seeks to increase national resilience against seismic events. However, the political friction regarding Osaka suggests that the bill is not just about disaster preparedness, but is also tied to regional power struggles and the specific administrative ambitions of the Japan Innovation Party.
