Hokkaido and Osaka governors meet to discuss secondary capital concept

SAPPORO – The governors of Hokkaido and Osaka met in Sapporo on Monday and agreed to cooperate on realizing a secondary capital concept in which both of their prefectures would have backup capital functions in the event of a large-scale natural disaster in Tokyo.

The secondary capital concept also aims to ease the overconcentration of people and resources in Tokyo and encourage regional growth and development. Monday’s agreement touched on specific economic strengths of Osaka and Hokkaido that would benefit from a secondary capital designation.

“Osaka Prefecture is a leading region for manufacturing, life sciences and carbon neutrality technologies.

“Hokkaido contributes to national security as a supplier of food and energy, and is expected to continue playing a significant role in this regard. Industrially, it also has the Rapidus semiconductor plant and the AI and space sectors are growing,” Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki said, following a signing ceremony.

Monday’s meeting was requested by Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, who is also the leader of the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), which strongly backed the concept. A bill to establish it was passed by parliament in July.

Their meeting also comes after Suzuki and Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto met with Hitoshi Kikawada, minister in charge of strategy for the future of regions, on July 27 and presented a joint proposal for Sapporo and Hokkaido to become the location for some secondary capital functions.

Details of how the two prefectures will cooperate under the agreement are still to be worked out. But Yoshimura said that the point of a secondary capital concept was to promote multipolar growth in Japan.

“Hokkaido and Osaka each have their own unique characteristics and strengths and developing these is crucial. We have no intention of creating a mini version of Tokyo (in Osaka or Hokkaido),” Yoshimura said.

The central government has not established how a local government can become a secondary capital, or under what conditions it would serve in that role. A Cabinet order establishing the designation criteria for the deputy capital is expected in late October.

In addition to Osaka and Hokkaido, the governors of Fukuoka, Aichi and Hiroshima prefectures have all expressed interest in getting their respective regions designated as secondary capitals, which could lead to a heated political rivalry among local governments.

Yoshimura said that he welcomed the competition and that although Osaka, and the JIP, pushed the secondary capital at the national level, it was never the prefecture’s intention to become the sole secondary capital.

“Considering the purpose, objectives and role of a secondary capital, it’s obviously impossible for Osaka alone to achieve it,” he said.