Four Candidates for Backup Capital
Sanae Takaichi Cabinet made a decision on conditions for designating a backup capital on October 27 th , which can substitute the function of Tokyo as the capital of Japan in a great disaster. The conditions include certain size of population and economic productivity, inviting skepticisms on relationship with natural disaster. According to the conditions, Sapporo in Hokkaido, Nagoya in Aichi, Osaka in Osaka and Fukuoka in Fukuoka became the candidates for the backup capital of Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan Innovation Party (JIP) agreed in October 2025 that they would pass the bill for backup capital in 2026 ordinary session of the Diet. The bill passed the Diet with strong push of Prime Minister Takaichi who was honest to implement the agreement with JIP. The law promotes measures to maintain function of the state of Japan in a great disaster. But it included another project that would encourage economic growth with decentralization thr...