Policy Speech by the Governor of Tokyo, Yoichi Masuzoe, at the Second Regular Session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, 2014
2. Policies for new metropolitan administration
(New vision for the capital)
Turning Tokyo into a city full of vibrancy
With six years to go before 2020, projects are underway in many parts of Tokyo to bring about changes to the city. The Toranomon Hills skyscraper, which is set to become one of the new landmarks of Tokyo, will open tomorrow. Today I have just attended its opening ceremony with Assembly President Yoshino. Ring Road No. 2, which passes beneath the building, could be called the Olympic and Paralympic road as it will connect the city center with the waterfront area, which will host many venues for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the Olympic Village. On the Shintora-dori Avenue, the section of the ring road linking the Shimbashi and Toranomon districts, an outdoor cafe will open shortly as the first one under the scope of our Tokyo Champs Elysées Project, which aims to transform Tokyo’s streets into pleasant and enjoyable spaces. The TMG will, in cooperation with the local ward government and residents of the area, work to create here a promenade full of vibrancy and international flavor.
I also visited the business districts of Marunouchi/Otemachi and Nihombashi, which are home to many domestic and foreign companies. There, I saw firsthand that businesses, retailers and people working in these districts are actively involved in community development. By actually visiting various corners of the city, you can find clues for developing policies. For example, if Naka-dori Avenue, the main street of the Marunouchi district, and the other Naka-dori Avenue in the Nihombashi-Muromachi district, where you can sense a traditional Japanese atmosphere, are made vehicle-free, it would help add life to the districts. Also, if we transform the passageway under Gyoko-dori Avenue into a promenade of art where advertisements can be displayed, that would convert this lifeless space into an attractive, appealing spot. Discussions are already underway with Chiyoda Ward, where the Marunouchi district is located, regarding methods for bringing more vibrancy to the entire district. We hope to proceed with the plan in stages while carefully building consensus.
We will also see major changes in the area around Shinagawa Station. The station is not only becoming increasingly convenient, but it is also scheduled to be a starting point for the maglev Chuo Shinkansen line. Development will be advanced to turn this area, which is also close to Haneda Airport, into a hub for global interaction that will drive Japan’s growth. The private sector is also redeveloping the area around Shibuya Station. As part of this project, the upstream section of the Shibuyagawa River will be resurrected to create a relaxing and refreshing riverside. This will also include the construction of water walls, with reclaimed water purified through advanced treatment processes flowing down the walls of the river. The TMG, private sector, and the local ward government will work together to proceed with the project.
In step with the globalized economy
Along with these urban renewal projects, we will take measures to transform Tokyo into a global business center that attracts human resources, capital and information from around the world, to further enhance the city’s vitality.
Finance is the lifeblood of the economy. If Japan wants to maintain its position in the world as a major economic power, we must raise Tokyo’s presence as a financial market. Our financial sector has not been successful in utilizing the capabilities of its superb talent or developing innovative financial instruments, and that has prompted global financial institutions to relocate their bases to other cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong.
In response to this, the TMG launched a taskforce to identify problems surrounding the financial business, which is now collecting opinions from people in the financial industry including those from banks and brokerages. With the aim of realizing the “Tokyo Global Financial Center,” the TMG will quickly do what it can, and urge the national government and others to do what needs to be done. I wish to turn Tokyo into a financial center that aligns with Wall Street in New York and The City in London.
The development of new drugs that protect the people of the world from illness and help the sick return to good health is an area with great growth potential. In the Nihombashi district, which is home to many pharmaceutical companies, efforts are underway to shore up the drug development business, including the creation of a center that will serve to connect companies and research institutions. Regarding patents, which are at the core of these efforts, the TMG has requested that the national government ease regulations and lower tax rates. We are committed to making Tokyo the hub for the drug development business.
When I visited the Marunouchi/Otemachi district, I heard that daycare centers in the area, certified under the TMG’s own system and open for long hours from morning to night, have been a great help to parents with small children. I used to believe it best for children to be cared for at daycare centers close to their home. However, some people, such as those working at brokerages that deal with overseas-based entities, go to work early in the morning when trains are not that crowded. In such a case, placing their children in daycare close to the workplace becomes an option. I came to think that such an arrangement would be an effective solution, and this is one of the things I was able to learn by actually going out to various places in the city. I will do my utmost to make available various types of child daycare services that meet the needs of those who live and work in Tokyo.
Tomorrow we will hold the first meeting of the Public/Labor/Business Council for the Growth of Tokyo. Representatives from business groups, a labor organization and the TMG will gather to exchange candid opinions at the meeting with the aim to steer Tokyo’s economy on the path to steady growth.
Supporting each and every worker to eventually support Japan
The power of women will be essential for the Japanese economy. In this country, however, many women who have left their jobs to have and raise children hesitate to return to work because of fears such as whether they can keep up with the demands of work or successfully balance work and raising children. I think it is the lack of sufficient measures to address such concerns that dampens the enthusiasm of women who are eager to take active roles in society. I recently visited the Tokyo Job Center, which will next month open a desk to support women who wish to restart their careers. The job center also provides child care for its users. Through skill development, job placement, and other services based on past experience, we will work to maximize the potential of women who want to participate more in society while balancing family and work.
At this center I also visited vocational training classes for late middle aged citizens, including one on hotel and restaurant services. I believe labor and employment issues are crucial. Working styles now come in a variety of forms, but still, I feel that the current situation of one out of three workers in non-regular employment is too high a ratio. We will provide support that is carefully tailored to each job seeker, including vocational training and placement services specifically designed for the different age groups of young, middle-aged, and late middle-aged. We will also hold a meeting with executives of global corporations to hear what they view to be issues concerning the work environment and employment conditions in Japan, and use these findings to develop policies that will broaden job opportunities for many.
Three loop roads and a comprehensive transportation policy
To support vibrant urban activities, we need to enhance Tokyo’s functionality. The section between the Takao-san and Sagamihara-Aikawa interchanges on the National Capital Region Central Loop Road (Ken-o-do), one of the three arterial loop roads of the Tokyo megalopolis, will open on June 28. With this, the Kan-etsu, Chuo and Tomei expressways will be directly linked at points outside central Tokyo. So that the merits of the road can be fully leveraged, we will, in cooperation with relevant local governments, urge the national government and the expressway operator to set tolls in a way that encourages drivers to use the loop road instead of unnecessarily passing through the city center. The three loop roads are essential infrastructure for alleviating traffic congestion in the city center by redirecting traffic flows and increasing the reliability of logistics services. The Shinagawa Line section of the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway Central Circular Route is slated to open by the end of this fiscal year. We will also urge the national government to have the section of the Tokyo Outer Loop Road (Gaikan) between the Kan-etsu and Tomei expressways open by early 2020.
During my recent inspections, I also went to see the Minami-Tama-One Trunk Road. Currently the road is just provisionally open, with only one lane on each side in service. This road runs close to the Hashimoto district, home to the station slated to be the first stop from Shinagawa Station when the maglev Chuo Shinkansen line opens. We hope to proceed with the construction of this crucial road for the transportation network to ensure its earliest as possible completion.
As I have repeatedly mentioned, Tokyo’s greatest weakness is its transportation system. Consider the linkages between the rail and bus networks, for example. Apparently, there has been little attempt to make them work in an integrated manner. With improvements in the road network arising from the opening of the loop roads and north-south routes, and with the aging of the population, bus services now have an increasingly important role as a resident-friendly means of transport. We could make more use of bicycles as well. It would be essential to make taxi stands at major railway stations and other transportation nodes more convenient and also improve access to airports from the perspective of users. As such, we recently had the first meeting of the panel on comprehensive traffic policy. In coordination with urban renewal efforts, we will take measures to lower, to all possible extent, the barriers between different transportation networks in order to achieve seamless transportation services and transform Tokyo’s transportation system into one that is user-centered.
Tokyo—a clean and smart city
As an area that consumes vast amounts of electricity, Tokyo must also take a serious look at its energy policy. It is a given that we must firmly endeavor to be more energy efficient and reduce energy consumption. In addition, we must consider how to strike a balance between the three “E’s”—Economy, Energy and the Environment—and formulate wise, practical policies.
As a step toward realizing my pledge of raising the ratio of renewable energy to 20 percent of Tokyo’s total energy consumption, last week, I attended a meeting of a newly established committee to explore the matter, and listened first hand to the opinions of academic experts, corporations, and others. Although 20 percent is a considerably high target, I hope to develop specific policies aimed at expanding the use of renewable energy with the advice of experts in the field.
TMG operations will also take the lead in utilizing renewable energies. The Bureau of Waterworks will introduce a photovoltaic power generating system at the Kanamachi water purification plant this fiscal year, and also expand such facilities at the Asaka and Higashimurayama plants. At the Bureau of Sewerage’s Morigasaki Water Reclamation Center, 20 percent of the facility’s electricity is already being covered by power generated by gas produced during the sludge treatment process and by recycled wastewater outfall. In addition to introducing megawatt-class photovoltaic power generating systems at the Morigasaki and Minami-Tama water reclamation centers, in the next fiscal year, we will also strive to expand usage of energy produced by sewage heat, as well as a new method of producing electricity using the heat generated by sludge incineration.
Hydrogen energy is attracting attention as the decisive factor in transitioning to a low-carbon society. I hope to make Tokyo the model for a hydrogen society. I recently had the opportunity to take a ride in a hydrogen-powered fuel cell car. The vehicle was quiet and extremely comfortable. These cars not only run without emitting carbon dioxide, but also present large benefits in terms of resources as Japan is a country poor in natural resources. Fuel cell cars can also function as emergency power sources when a disaster strikes. However, issues also exist such as the high cost of the vehicles and restrictions on the establishment of hydrogen fueling stations. Thus, last month, I established a strategy council made up of members representing manufacturers and energy-related industries, and study of the matter has commenced. Furthermore, as the leader of efforts to popularize hydrogen energy, we will also consider how Tokyo itself can use hydrogen-powered vehicles, such as transporting athletes and organizers at the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as adopting the use of hydrogen energy by Toei Bus. These initiatives will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase Japan’s technologies to the world. At last month’s Conference of the Leaders of the Nine Metropolitan/Prefectural/Municipal Authorities, I proposed this expanded use of hydrogen, and we agreed to cooperate. To cars, prefectural borders do not exist. I believe that the establishment of hydrogen fueling stations and other such developments across the entire National Capital Region will serve as a springboard to further the use of hydrogen energy. Continuing to work hand-in-hand with the assembly, I hope to implement these initiatives at a fast pace.
Misconceptions of the National Strategic Special Zones
With regard to the National Strategic Special Zones, some people soon began making an disappointing argument that shifted deregulation measures from a “means” to an “end,” forgetting the original purpose of deregulation, which is to benefit the people of Tokyo and Japan. I have gone out into the field, and I have talked directly with people who are truly working hard to make their communities outstanding places. If regulations hindering such efforts exist, the relevant laws should essentially be amended in the Diet. However, if there is not enough time to make such revisions, the special zone system can be used to lift the regulations. This is the role of special economic zones.
Tokyo is not just a huge metropolis packed with buildings. There are also beautiful mountains and rivers such as the Mitake Ravine that I visited just last week; islands and surrounding sea; and residential areas in the 23 special wards and Tama area. By combining the different strengths of each area, Tokyo can become the best city in the world.
Understandably, needs differ according to the area. Any argument that ignores that fact and insists that all of Tokyo should be designated as a special zone is nothing but an “empty theory.” The special zone system is, in a sense, just one tool that can be used to make Tokyo the best city in the world. If this tool proves difficult to use, then there is no need to use it. I believe that the actual frontlines differ entirely from the view seen by those looking down from “ivory towers” or the central government in Kasumigaseki. You can see this in the fact that Ring Road No. 2 (Shin-tora Avenue), which I spoke of earlier, took 68 years and great efforts by all involved to realize. Supporting hard-working people and creating down-to-earth policies is the work of the governor of Tokyo. I will continue to follow through on this stance.
(Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games)
Next, I will speak about the progress of preparations for the 2020 Games.
This month, members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), led by IOC Vice President John Coates, will pay another visit to Japan. During their visit, I am planning for them to enjoy cuisine made with our local specialties. Udo, Tokyo-X brand pork, which I recently sampled when visiting the Tama area, Tokyo shamo (a breed of chicken), and milk are some of Tokyo’s locally produced food. At the Tokyo Island Fair Shimajiman 2014 event, I toured the booths and enjoyed the tastes of the islands. These many blessings of the sea and the land are a major attraction of Tokyo. Agriculture in the ward area, including the cultivation of komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), also has a long tradition. I will use these signature ingredients as one of our strong points to promote Tokyo’s appeal as the host city of the 2020 Games.
Leading up to 2020, the number of foreign visitors to Tokyo will also increase. We need to create an environment where visitors can easily access information so that they are able to fully experience the charms of Tokyo. A meeting was recently held with private business operators to discuss these topics. I would like to take the discussions that came out of that meeting and apply them to further strengthening Wi-Fi networks and other information and communications infrastructure.
Furthermore, to make the 2020 Games a success as a festival of culture as well, a committee of the Tokyo Arts and Culture Council has been established to study the formulation of the cultural program, and discussions have begun. I hope to have their proposal reflected in the basic plan for the Games that the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee will submit to the IOC in February 2015.
Recovery from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake is fundamental for the success of the 2020 Games. This year as well, runners will embark on a 1,000 km relay from Aomori to Tokyo that passes through areas affected by the disaster. By running through areas that convey the current state of recovery efforts, we will ensure that the memory of the disaster lives on and that the entire country is provided with the opportunity to deepen ties with the affected region.
(Disaster preparedness is the foundation supporting Tokyo)
Neither the successful delivery of the 2020 Games, nor the development of the capital, can be realized without protecting the lives and assets of the residents of Tokyo and Japan. Disaster preparedness measures are the very foundation that supports Tokyo as the world’s leading city.
Formulation of disaster preparedness plans
Crisis management is a never-ending process. Quickly and decisively, one by one, we will take every possible measure. Based on lessons learned from the landslide that occurred on Oshima Island last year and damage estimates for the predicted Nankai Trough mega-quake, we will revise the TMG’s disaster management plan which is at the core of our disaster preparedness measures.
Recently we formulated an initial response manual for times when a disaster such as a major earthquake strikes the capital. This set of guidelines will enable the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the municipalities of Tokyo, Japan’s Self Defense Forces, and police and fire departments to quickly demonstrate their collective abilities in responding to a disaster.
In order to effectively carry out disaster response based on these guidelines and to promote measures that combine self-help, mutual assistance, and assistance from public agencies, within the year, we will create a disaster preparedness plan that outlines preparations to be made by the government, Tokyo residents, and companies, and measures that extend beyond Tokyo to cover the entire National Capital Region. This plan will clarify targets to achieve by 2020, the year we host the Games, and specific courses of action to be taken. In addition, as cooperation from businesses is absolutely essential in times of disaster, we recently signed an agreement with the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce to collaborate on disaster preparedness measures, including measures for stranded commuters.
Furthermore, we are enhancing disaster drills that residents take part in, choosing a specific theme for each season and increasing the number of drills to four times a year. Each drill will conduct training based on a different scenario. In the spring, the theme will be storm and flood damage. The scenario for the summer drill will be a major earthquake that strikes Tokyo, while the scenario for the fall drill will be the Nankai Trough earthquake. The winter drill will center around responding to commuters stranded by a major earthquake or disaster. The first such drill, to be jointly conducted with Okutama-machi on the 22nd of this month, will be based on a storm and flood damage scenario. I hope these drills will serve to raise awareness regarding disaster preparedness among Tokyo residents, encouraging them to engage in activities such as checking stores of emergency supplies at their homes and businesses.
In addition to these measures, I recently met with the Minister of State for Disaster Management, and we decided to launch a joint TMG-central government team to study measures related to a major earthquake striking Tokyo. It is not an exaggeration to say that the fate of Tokyo affects that of the entire nation. I hope to work with the central government to thoroughly strengthen Tokyo’s disaster resistance from a variety of perspectives, including communication channels, emergency stockpiles, and measures for stranded commuters.
Recovery and restoration of Izu-Oshima Island
Continuing, I would like to speak about recovery and restoration efforts on Izu-Oshima, which sustained serious damage caused by Typhoon Wipha in October of last year. In the Motomachi area, where a major landslide occurred, we completed emergency measures that were undertaken at a rapid pace to have them in place ahead of this year’s rainy season. Based on a report by a committee of experts that studied landslide mitigation measures for Izu-Oshima, we will now move forward with the construction of debris-flow retaining walls to guide slide material and prevent flow into the village, as well as large-scale slope stabilization projects.
Currently, Oshima-machi is working to draw up a restoration plan by the end of September. Tokyo will steadily implement recovery and restoration projects for Izu-Oshima using the 7.5 billion yen allocated in the initial budget for fiscal 2014. TMG staff have also been dispatched to Oshima-machi, and Tokyo will continue to do all that it can to support Oshima, including support in areas such as restoring roads in the town and the creation of the recovery plan.
(Becoming a world-leading city for citizen welfare)
Welfare that responds to the realities of a metropolis
Tokyo will become the world’s best city in terms of social welfare. This goal is at the core of my administration. My first year in office just happens to be the year we reformulate three important plans for the elderly, children, and the disabled. I hope to leverage my background as the minister of health, labour and welfare, as well as my experience caring for my mother and raising children, and I will exercise leadership while taking in the views of our citizens and the municipalities.
Policies must always start from the ground. I have visited places like a public housing complex in Chitose-karasuyama, as well as Tama New Town—an area which is confronting issues such as a growing number of elderly residents and decrepit buildings—and have spoken with the residents, shop owners, and people working in senior and child day care services in these communities. We will rejuvenate these areas by rebuilding old homes into high rises and using the space generated to build childrearing and senior support facilities, or serviced senior apartments. I want to bring young people and children back to these communities to create an environment where seniors and people of all generations can interact. I also plan to build an environment where people have a variety of welfare services to select from according to their unique situation. While fully mobilizing policies, both physical and non-physical, in all fields, we will promote a system of welfare that is in step with the actual conditions of a metropolis.
Reassuring medical care
Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital will fully open a new building in August. Equipped with hospitalization and outpatient functions, this building will be able to treat patients with infectious disease separately from the hospital’s other wards. The current building will also be renovated to bolster intensive care units for patients with cerebrovascular disease and heart disease, and other functions. In this way, efforts will be taken to elevate the hospital’s level of care. Furthermore, disaster preparedness will also be enhanced through the addition of emergency power generation facilities in the new ward, along with securing fuel for 72 hours of operation.
In the next fiscal year we are slated to formulate the Local Medical Care Concept for effective provision of medical care according to local needs. We will make every effort to build a sound medical care system that can provide peace of mind to the citizens of Tokyo.
(Advancing a city diplomacy possible only by Tokyo)
Next, I would like to discuss city diplomacy. While remaining fully aware that diplomacy and security are the sole jurisdictions of the national government, I would like to move forward with diplomacy that only Tokyo can implement. Tokyo’s expertise and technologies in dealing with urban problems are powerful diplomatic resources. Meanwhile, there is so much that Tokyo wishes to learn from other cities, including seeing and hearing about the Olympic and Paralympic legacies of cities that have hosted the Games in the past. Building an interrelationship of teaching and learning will be the key to deeper friendship between cities and will also benefit our citizens.
Furthermore, I believe that such city diplomacy will also form the foundation for private-sector exchanges in various fields from economy to the arts. For example, for the governor to interact at the university level with young people who will be the future leaders of their respective countries could heighten interest in Japan and increase the number of people overseas who have a good understanding of Japan. This will surely benefit Japan as a whole. Various positive impacts will come from the additional weight of Tokyo as Japan’s capital. This is exactly the type of “city diplomacy” and “capital diplomacy” that I wish to pursue.
Beijing visit
As the first stage for this type of diplomacy, I visited Beijing in April. This marked the first time in 18 years for a governor of Tokyo to visit Beijing on invitation from its mayor. I felt as if the doors to a 21st century friendship between Tokyo and Beijing had finally opened. I reached an agreement with Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun to expand cooperative relationships in areas such as environmental problems including PM2.5 and waste, traffic congestion, and water supply and sewerage. I invited the mayor to an event next year commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Ota Kinenkan, a metropolitan dormitory for international students from Beijing and other Asian cities, and I also encouraged Beijing to return to the Asian Network of Major Cities 21. I met with my old friend Tang Jiaxuan, chairman of the China-Japan Friendship Association and former Foreign Minister, as well as Wang Yang, Vice Premier of the State Council. We exchanged frank opinions about the current state of Japan-China relations.
I also had the opportunity to deliver a lecture at Beijing’s Capital Normal University. The students listened with much interest and actively asked questions. Participation by such young people in exchanges between Japan and China would certainly support the development of both of our countries. Recently I also had the chance to visit the Ota Kinenkan that I just mentioned, and spoke with the international students staying there. In order to further deepen friendly relationships between Tokyo and Beijing, I would like to call upon the dormitory alumni and current residents of this facility to build a network. Furthermore, in an effort to more readily accept international students studying environmental problems and other issues facing cities, I would like to look into ways to make it easier for them to be accepted into the dormitory.
I hold high anticipations that private sector economic exchanges and exchanges between Japan and China at the local government level will be reinvigorated through this visit.
Various forms of city diplomacy
This year marks the 20th anniversary of our friendship city relationship with Berlin. We can learn many things from Berlin, as well as Paris, which is our current rival in Tokyo’s goal to be the world’s best city. These include arts and culture, the promotion of tourism, and city planning. I would like to hold frank discussions with the heads of such world-leading cities.
Seoul, in neighboring South Korea, is a member of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 and also Tokyo’s friendship city. This autumn the plenary meeting of the ANMC21 will be held in Tomsk, Russia. I will continue to make every effort for diplomacy with these Asian cities as well.
