Danger of disaster in Japan! Preparations to build the country’s second capital apart from Tokyo, new law passed in Parliament Japan faces the threat of a catastrophe! Parliament is preparing to establish a new capital, separate from Tokyo

Japan, which has been living under the shadow of severe earthquakes and natural disasters for decades, has taken a historic and drastic step to deal with any major threat in the future. The Government of Japan has started the official process of establishing a ‘backup capital’ i.e. a second alternative capital in addition to the country’s existing capital Tokyo. For this, the Japanese Parliament has also passed a new law in July, so that the country’s power and order can be protected during the emergency. However, sharp opposition and conflict has started in the country’s politics regarding this decision.

Why was there a need to make Japan a second capital?

According to a Bloomberg report, the main objective of bringing this new law is to ensure that even if Tokyo is completely destroyed due to a severe earthquake in the future, there is no interruption in the governance and administrative functioning of the country. Scientists and experts have warned that a catastrophic earthquake measuring 7 or greater on the Richter scale could hit the Tokyo metropolitan area within the next 30 years. If this happens, Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament House, all the central ministries and the country’s main economic institutions could come to a complete halt in one stroke.

The biggest burden of the country’s economy and population is on Tokyo.

At present, the economic and administrative burden of the entire country of Japan rests on Tokyo alone. More than 30 percent of the country’s population lives in this region, while Tokyo alone generates nearly one-fifth of Japan’s total GDP. Apart from this, more than 50 percent of the country’s stock market listed companies also operate from here. The government believes that becoming a second capital will not only provide a protective shield to the country during natural disasters, but will also accelerate employment, investment and overall development in other regional cities outside Tokyo.

Which cities are involved in the race for backup capital?

The name of any specific city has not been finalized yet in the new law passed by the Japanese Parliament. Instead, various states of the country have been given complete freedom to apply for it, although the final approval on this will be given by the Prime Minister. In this race, the names of major states like Aichi, Osaka, Fukuoka, Hokkaido and Miyagi are leading. The condition laid down by the government is that the alternative city to be selected should have minimal risk of an earthquake occurring at the same time as Tokyo and the administrative and economic infrastructure there should already be in a strong condition.

Why has political conflict broken out in Japanese politics?

Even though this plan seems very important from the point of view of national security and disaster management, there is a huge controversy over it in the political circles of Japan. Opposition parties strongly allege that this bill has been brought to provide political benefits to ‘Japan Innovation Party’, an ally of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s coalition government, because Osaka is considered the traditional stronghold of this party. Along with this, critics say that the government has not yet presented any clear data to the public about the total cost and future economic benefits of this huge project, which is expected to put a huge financial burden on the country’s exchequer.