A second capital may be established in Japan: law passed

In the future, Japan may establish a second capital for the country. On July 24, the national parliament passed a bill providing for the creation of a backup administrative center for Tokyo in the event of an emergency. This was reported by the Kyodo agency.

It is reported that this initiative could provide additional momentum to the Japanese government's plans to transform Osaka into a major metropolis like Tokyo. At the same time, the law is aimed at organizing public administration more effectively and decentralizing power.

The bill proposed by the ruling bloc was sharply criticized by the opposition. They believe the document was prepared primarily to serve the interests of the Sanae Takaichi -led Liberal Democratic Party's coalition partner, the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party.

There were heated debates in parliament before the law was passed. The opposition demanded a ban on holding local elections and referendums on the same day. They argued that this could influence voters' decisions.

These debates were reportedly sparked, in particular, by Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura's statement regarding his intention to hold a third referendum next spring on the same day as the gubernatorial elections.

Previous attempts to turn Osaka into a metropolis — the 2015 and 2020 referendums were rejected by a small margin of votes. Later, after the ruling bloc agreed to some concessions, the opposition agreed to put the bill to a vote.

Under the new law, the Prime Minister may grant reserve capital status based on applications from prefectures that meet established requirements regarding population and economic indicators.

The document was supported by the Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partners, and several other political forces, and was passed with 123 votes in favor, while 121 deputies voted against it.

For information, there are countries in the world with two or more capitals. For example, in the Netherlands, Amsterdam is the official capital, while the parliament and government are located in The Hague. In Bolivia, Sucre is considered the official capital, while the government and parliament operate in La Paz. Also, in countries such as Chile, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Ivory Coast, Benin, Eswatini, and Burundi, public administration is distributed among several cities.

The only country in the world with three official capitals is the Republic of South Africa. It serves as the executive center in Pretoria, the legislative center in Cape Town, and the judicial center in Bloemfontein.