Japanese cities vie to become second capital

retained text

Japan passed a law to designate one of its cities as a second capital, triggering a flurry of public relations campaigns by the 13 local governments vying for the mantle.
Deemed necessary for ensuring continuity of government in the earthquake-, typhoon-, and flood-prone nation, the law dangles an opportunity for hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies, possible tax breaks, tourism, and urban revival.
Business-flush Osaka, a leading contender, has even designated a mascot for the effort, a talking cat named Fukumaru.
“A ‘don’t-miss-the-Gold-Rush’ mentality has taken hold,” a Tokyo-based expert told The New York Times, but the initiative must promote growth to offset population decline in rural areas, or it “will bring 100 harms and not one good.”

document fetched 2026-08-24 06:55 · canonical https://semafor.com/article/08/23/2026/japanese-cities-vie-to-become-second-capital