The Relocation of the Diet and Other Organizations

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Let’s Consider Relocation of the Diet and Other Organizations
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Home >> National and Regional Planning Bureau >> The Relocation of the Diet and Other Organizations >> Q&A Chapter 2: Why Is Relocation of the Capital Functions Necessary?

Q&A

Chapter 2: Why Is Relocation of the Capital Functions Necessary?

1. Historical significance of the relocation of the capital functions

Throughout its history, when confronted with major turning points, Japan relocated its political center as a means of political reform in order to achieve what was thought to be required and to build a new governing system appropriate for the new age.

At the end of the Nara era, when the Ritsuryo legal code system of government began to decay, the ruling class changed the nation’s capital from Heijokyo (Nara) to Heiankyo (Kyoto) to free the nation from all that was associated with the old system. This relocation led to successful reform. The samurai class then began to replace the aristocratic class, which had ruled the nation in the Heian era. The center of politics then moved to Kamakura, where the foundation for a samurai-ruled nation was formed. At the time of the Meiji Restoration, the ruling class renamed Edo as Tokyo and selected it as the capital of the new nation they intended to build, rather than Kyoto where old traditions and customs remained prominent. The ruling class established a centralized regime based in Tokyo and endeavored to implement rapid modernization under the slogan of “Enrich the Country and Strengthen the Military.” The foundation for today’s prosperity was thus established.

Five decades have passed since the end of the Second World War. The internal and external environments around Japan have changed tremendously during this period and, once again, Japan finds itself at a major turning point. To adapt to this enormous change, Japan is looking for historical innovations covering overall national policies, including decentralization, deregulation, and administration reform. To place the flow of innovations into a stable orbit that leads to a nation appropriate for the new age, it is necessary to review the current government and systems that have continued since the Meiji era by studying all aspects and reconsidering their roots.

When reforming its government at a historical turning point, Japan relocated its center of politics in order to inspire the people to prepare for the new age. Considering the current environments inside and outside Japan, it seems to be an apropos time for Japan to again engage in such historical change.

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2. Significance and effects of the relocation of the capital functions

The significance and effects of the relocation of the capital functions can be summed up into three points: (1) Overall government reform, (2) Solutions to problems of excessive concentration of activities in Tokyo, and (3) Strengthened disaster preparedness capabilities.

(1) Overall government reform

Overall government reform has just begun. An effective impetus will be needed to promote efforts for truly achieving overall government reform. The relocation of the capital functions could work as an extremely effective means of reviewing the overall government system including its origins and roots. Combining the activities for the relocation of the capital functions with efforts for overall government reform would accelerate innovations of the current administration, popularize the new system among the citizenry, and further promote the tasks of making governmental organizations more efficient while achieving decentralization. Separating the centers of politics and economy would initiate a new relationship among legislators, bureaucrats, and ordinary citizens and help build a horizontal information network that covers the entire nation, including local communities. This would enable the adoption of policies that are actually desired by the people.

(2) Solutions to problems of excessive concentration of activities in Tokyo

The increase in population concentration in the Tokyo area temporarily slowed during the past few years when the economy was sluggish, but the concentration of functions and information is still high in this area. The structure that tends to concentrate activities in Tokyo still remains, and Tokyo is still overcrowded. If just the crowded commuter trains and the frequent traffic jams are taken as example, the pains caused by these phenomena are far beyond tolerable. If relocation of the capital functions stimulates more extensive efforts for overall government reform, people would be able to free themselves of the obsessive belief that Tokyo is at the top of the hierarchy that governs all that exists in Japan. At the same time, local communities would become more aware of the importance of self-support and be more likely to foster their own cultures. Companies would no longer be unwilling to build their headquarters outside the Tokyo area.

(3) Strengthened disaster preparedness capabilities

With Tokyo as highly concentrated as it is, if a great earthquake were to occur and cause an enormous disaster, core functions all over the nation would stop, resulting in a serious crisis that could affect not only Japan, but foreign countries as well. At present, however, the central and local government in Tokyo could not properly function as a control tower for crisis management without a great deal of difficulty. The relocation of the capital functions would make it possible to avoid simultaneous damage to all the nation’s centers, including those for politics, administration, business, and culture. If the control tower function that should work in the event of disaster is relocated to an area that is highly safe from major disasters, Japan’s disaster preparedness capabilities would be considerably strengthened.

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3. Principal arguments

The Council for the Relocation of the Diet and Other Organizations recorded the principal opinions regarding the relocation presented during Council meetings, hearings, and numerous symposia as well as through the mass media, and then classified the opinions into a number of categories, such as overall significance (including historical significance) and effects, and scale and method.

Some of these opinions are summarized below.

General (including historical significance): Opinion—The relocation of the capital functions requires profound reasoning, such as that required for the creation of a new political regime that is completely dissociated from the current political power; however, the present project lacks such reasoning. Refutation—When confronted with a major historical turning point, Japan sometimes relocated its capital (center of politics) and succeeded in building a new political and administrative system appropriate for the new era of the time. Today, facing a major turning point, Japan sorely needs to relocate its capital functions.

Overall government reform: Opinion—The necessity for overall government reform may be true, but reform need not be linked with relocation. There is no guarantee that relocation will accomplish the intended reform. Instead, decentralization and deregulation should be given priority. Refutation—The relocation is a grand opportunity to review the nation’s overall system, including its origin and roots. The relocation would make the separation between politics and economy visible to the people and give a strong impression regarding overall reform, thereby facilitating the acceleration of activities aimed at achieving reform.

Solutions to the problems of excessive concentration of activities in Tokyo: Opinion—Japan’s population will peak within ten years, followed by a decrease. The concentration of the population in and around Tokyo has already been considerably lowered. Refutation—The pains caused by problems related to a population concentration such as commuting, housing, traffic congestion, and disaster vulnerability are far beyond tolerable. The obsessive belief that Tokyo is the center of everything Japanese still remains. The differences between Tokyo and other areas in terms of culture and information availability are widening.

Strengthened disaster preparedness capabilities: Opinion—What should be built immediately is a dual-function system so that all requisite activities can continue if a major earthquake affects Tokyo. Priority should be given to efforts to diversify risks by extending and duplicating the capital functions and by building an information backup system. Refutation—An earthquake could hit Tokyo directly at any time. The relocation would prevent the occurrence of simultaneous damage to the headquarters of the political, administrative, and economic sectors. This would thus minimize serious problems that could even affect foreign countries.

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4. Why will the Prime Minister’s official residence be rebuilt while the relocation of the capital functions is being studied?

The present official residence for the Prime Minister was built in 1929 and is over 70 years old. It is too old and small to perform its functions adequately. The earthquake in Kobe taught us the urgent need to improve the nation’s crisis-management functions. The rebuilding of the Prime Minister’s official residence is an urgent task.

In contrast, the relocation of the capital functions is a long-term project, requiring more than ten years before the streets of the new city become ready for business and life in general. The rebuilt official residence would have to function until the new city is able to function. For a prolonged period, the legislative, executive, and juridical functions would be shared between the new city and Tokyo—sort of a double-capital situation. During this period, the Prime Minister’s official residence would remain in Tokyo.

Even after the relocation of the capital functions, Tokyo would still be the center of Japan’s economic and cultural activities. The rebuilt official residence would function as the center of government in Tokyo. It would also serve as backup facilities if a major disaster causes significant damage to the Prime Minister’s official residence in the new city, thus contributing to risk diversification.

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5. What is the level of the people’s awareness of this undertaking?

The relocation of the capital functions is a project deeply related to the future of our nation, its land and its society. Promotion of the relocation requires citizen participation from a wide range of fields and establishment of a consensus among all the people on the location of the capital functions.

According to the polls conducted to date, the number of people approving of the relocation is generally higher than the number disapproving of it in most areas throughout the country, with the exception of the residents of Tokyo, where the number of residents disapproving of it is quite high.

Since the Diet passed the Resolution, the relocation of the capital functions has been subjected to investigations and deliberations from many perspectives. It is an important subject that concerns a large number of individuals. The Council’s report is expected to encourage discussions in broader aspects, from wider angles, by an even greater number of people.

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