OVERVIEW OF TOKYO

THE STRUCTURE OF THE TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT (TMG)

Organizational Structure of TMG

Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly

- Composition

The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly is made up of 127 members directly elected by Tokyo citizens to serve a term of four years.

- The President

The President of the Assembly is elected from among its members. The President represents the Assembly, presides over its sessions, and supervises its affairs. He or she also expresses the Assembly’s opinions externally. As a support organization for the Assembly, a Secretariat is provided and the President is empowered to appoint and dismiss its staff members.

- Committees

As the workings of the metropolitan administration have become large, unwieldy, increasingly varied and complex, the Assembly establishes committees to ensure thorough debate of all the different matters facing the government. The committees are divided into standing committees and special committees set up by the Assembly to consider specific subjects.

- Authority of the Assembly

The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly is the formal decision-making organ of Tokyo Metropolis. It has the authority to, among other things, enact, amend, and repeal metropolitan ordinances, approve the budget and certify its settlement, and elect members of the Election Administration Commission and other such bodies. In addition, the consent of the Assembly must be sought for important appointments, nominations, and other designations made by the Governor such as those of a Vice Governor or administrative commission member. Representing the people of Tokyo, the Assembly also has the powers to investigate and inspect all aspects of the metropolitan government.

Executive Organs

- The Governor

The Governor is directly elected by the citizens, and represents the Metropolis of Tokyo. With a four-year term of office, he or she has overall control of metropolitan affairs, and the authority and responsibility for managing the metropolitan administration. For the ward area, the Governor may take on the nature of mayor.

- Auxiliary Administrative Agencies

To assist the Governor in dealing with the affairs within his authority, Vice Governors and other staff members are provided. A total of 165,287 positions have been approved as of April 1, 2010, for staff members of these auxiliary administrative agencies. (Breakdown: Governor’s bureaus, 24,414; administrative commissions and the Assembly, 1,017; public enterprises, 13,546; police/fire fighting, 63,998; school staff, 62,312.)

Personnel

- Recruitment

The Personnel Commission usually holds examinations for the recruitment of new staff, and candidates who pass the examinations are employed by the Governor and other officials who have appointive powers. In some occupations like nursing, specially authorized officials directly conduct exams and employ personnel.

Recruitment examinations are conducted after being publicly announced to ensure wide public awareness, and they include written examinations and interviews. These examinations are split into different levels according to the level of the questions. The examinations are completely open to everyone on an equal basis regardless of gender, academic background, or social position.

Nationality requirements on about 70% of all occupations have been removed, opening up employment opportunities to foreign nationals. To accelerate the employment of disabled persons, examinations are held in Braille or using enlarged print, and special selection of people with physical impairments is conducted.

Organization of the TMG (effective as of April 1, 2010)