Japan Approves Plan for 'Second Capital': Search for Alternative to Tokyo

Japan's plan to establish a 'second capital' that can maintain the country's governmental functions in emergency situations has been approved by the House of Representatives.According to Kyodo News, the House of Representatives has passed a bill that would allow for the establishment of a backup 'second capital' in emergency situations.The bill, prepared by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), would grant the prime minister the authority to designate a backup capital based on certain criteria.The prime minister would consider factors such as population, economic size, and other criteria when selecting the region to serve as the second capital from among applications from prefectures. The ruling parties emphasize that candidate regions should not have the same natural disaster risks as Tokyo.