Takaichi administration approves ordinance outlining secondary capital requirements

Internal affairs minister Hisayuki Fujii (center left) receives the second capital proposal from Fukuoka Gov. Seitaro Hattori (center right) in Tokyo on Oct. 5. | JIJI

Oct 27, 2026

The government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved an ordinance Tuesday that outlines requirements for becoming a designated secondary capital in the event of a large-scale natural disaster in the Kanto region, and is designed to address an overconcentration of population and resources in Tokyo.

Of the 47 prefectures, only Hokkaido, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka meet the necessary conditions. All four are making preparations to submit their proposals to the central government.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the requirements for being designated a secondary capital were objective standards based on available statistics and figures, as well as parliamentary deliberations during which proponents argued for the necessity of a certain population level and economic scale in order to fulfill a core function of being a decentralized economic zone.

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