5. “People” are the main actors in the “New Tokyo”

The power of each citizen of Tokyo is what it will take to open the doors to the “New Tokyo.” In order to fully draw out that strength, we will advance measures to resolve inequality.

A society where women can play even more active roles

One inequality we will work to resolve is “gender inequality.” The seriousness of this issue is demonstrated by the fact that Japan ranks 111th among 144 countries of the world.

Broad initiatives to eliminate waiting lists for child daycare

A bold budget has been allocated for the next fiscal year to address the issue of children waitlisted for daycare facilities -- an issue posing hurdles to women wishing to play an active role in society. We will implement sweeping measures of a scale never before seen in order to totally eliminate this waitlist by the end of fiscal 2019.

First, we will secure childcare providers and reduce turnover. As a way to improve their working conditions, we will increase the subsidy for career support that we currently provide to daycare establishments, and have this lead to a monthly salary increase by, in a model case, 21,000 yen. In addition, we will subsidize babysitter expenses for daycare workers returning to work after maternity and parental leave, and launch support for the introduction of ICT systems to daycare centers to help reduce the workload. Through the implementation of detailed measures we will prepare an environment that will encourage more people to take on the rewarding job of childcare provider and continue working in this sector.

In order to advance the construction of daycare centers on privately owned land, we will introduce a new taxation support scheme for a 100 percent exemption of fixed assets tax and city planning tax when property within the 23 wards is rented out as a site for a daycare facility. With regard to daycare facilities established by companies for their employees, which provide flexible services to match employee work styles, we will encourage their establishment by opening consultation desks for their establishment and operations, and setting up an original subsidy system to help with some of the opening expenses. Moreover, we will bolster support for private kindergartens that are actively working to expand after-hours childcare services or to accept children who have “graduated” from small-scale daycare facilities. By increasing alternatives to regular daycare facilities, we will firmly support our residents in balancing work and parenting.

But this definitely does not mean that we have wrapped up measures to eliminate the waitlist for daycare. We will continue to strongly advance effective measures.

Supporting women entrepreneurs

We also wish to increase business startups by women. We will provide support to women entrepreneurs by holding seminars at and posting consultants to the Tokyo Startup Station, which opened last month in Marunouchi. We will also promote the construction of private incubation facilities to assist the generation of new businesses. For women who wish to enter the global market, we will strongly aid them in realizing this, such as by providing short-term intensive support programs and opportunities to be sent overseas.

For equal learning opportunities

The Outlines for Education, which is Tokyo’s fundamental policy on education, was formulated last month. In the beginning of the section on important matters in education policy, it calls for the “realization of education where all children can learn and continue growing.” In order to ensure an aspiring future for children and to cultivate rich human resources that make up Tokyo’s greatest energy, we will establish and improve scholarships to eliminate inequality in educational opportunity that arises from the household’s financial situation. Many of the OECD member countries provide strong support for education. Investment in education is truly “investment in the future.”

With regard to metropolitan high school students, we will newly provide support for expenses related to learning activities at school, such as the costs of study camps and fees for qualification tests. In Tokyo, about 60 percent of high school students attend private schools. Private schools have distinctive curriculums and hold an extremely valuable role in developing diverse talent. Accordingly, for private high school students as well, we will reduce tuition burdens for households with an annual income of less than about 7.6 million yen, and also raise the amount of the zero-interest matriculation preparation loan. We will expand support with a focus on “people” who make up Tokyo’s future, and shall develop an environment where anyone can receive the education they wish, which matches their personalities and capabilities.

We will also ensure that children firmly gain basic scholastic abilities. We will implement new initiatives such as posting additional numbers of teachers to elementary and middle schools that are placing emphasis on raising scholastic ability, and conducting programs to support re-learning by high school students. In addition, at metropolitan high schools, we will raise students with a comprehensive strength to create value, which surpasses the borders between the disciplines of liberal arts and the sciences. We will increase the number of foreign instructors posted to schools through the JET program and increase opportunities outside of class as well to learn “real life English.” In such ways, we will also focus on developing the strengths of children.
Meanwhile, however, the lack of educators in managerial positions poses a serious hurdle to fortifying the strengths of teachers and schools, which form the foundation for children’s learning. We have thus decided to hold a comprehensive meeting on education next month concerning the subject of securing personnel for managerial posts. While furthering discussions with the Board of Education, we will also firmly address educational issues on the ground. By responding appropriately to changes in society such as the advancement of globalization and the development of ICT, we will raise many people who will help build a bright future.

Driving work style reform

For diversity in work style

A movement to seriously engage in revising work styles is finally emerging in Japan. Work styles that fit individual life styles hold the keys to fully drawing out individual capabilities and raising productivity of society as a whole. We will continue to support private companies -- our goal is 4,000 companies -- in revising work styles. At the TMG as well, through initiatives including having a newly established project team conduct a broad study of work styles, capacity development, and other matters based on the views of TMG employees, we will enhance productivity and thoroughly implant awareness of zero overtime, and robustly drive reform in work styles in Tokyo.

I wish to have the promotion of telework, where people can work without being bound by time or place, trigger work style reform. In the formulation of this time’s budget, assessment by the governor was done using a tablet computer for the first time. Promoting “paperless” work is the first step to teleworking, and so I wish to make this a TMG-wide movement. In order for private companies to adopt teleworking, in cooperation with the central government we will open a one-stop center for information collection, hands-on experience, and consultations. In the future, we plan to also provide matchup services between job seekers and companies with teleworking systems. Working at home, as well as mobile work and satellite offices that make it possible to work close to home, will also help people balance work and parenting. While taking into account the synergistic effects of such measures, we shall strongly promote teleworking under total initiatives including the implementation of model projects responding to various situations and provision of subsidies to cover part of the expenses of companies actually adopting such a system.

Achieving comfortable commutes

Alleviating congestion on commuter trains is also an important issue that needs to be addressed in order to raise the productivity of society. With the central government, private companies, and other organizations, we will launch the “Comfortable Commute Promotion Council” and roll out a movement to split up times when commuters use the trains, such as introducing flextime and making congestion more “visible.” Some sections of the Odakyu Line are scheduled to complete quadruple track construction in the next fiscal year in line with the TMG’s project for eliminating grade crossings; this will strengthen transport capacity. We hope to continue engaging in broad initiatives to achieve comfortable commutes by calling on both railway users and operators.

For a Tokyo where all can continue to live securely

An environment where everyone can lead vibrant lives will make people more radiant and invigorate Tokyo as a whole. We will provide solid support for the livelihoods of senior citizens and the disabled.

Preparing the foundation for long-term care

The greatest obstacle to building the much-needed special nursing homes for the elderly is securing land. Compared to the special wards, it is relatively easier for the municipalities outside of the ward area to secure land. We will establish an incentive that will lead to their building of special nursing homes that surpass their community’s needs, thus boosting the number of facilities in Tokyo overall for broad use by our residents.

A form of long-term care in which it is possible to provide both services covered and not covered by insurance, and which will enhance user convenience and also staff salaries, is attracting attention. In collaboration with Toshima-ku, we presented a proposal at the National Strategic Special Zone for the Tokyo Area the other day for future achievement of “selective long-term care,” which focuses on user selection of services. We will advance preparations for a model project with the goal of receiving special zone designation.

Securing and retaining long-term care personnel also pose major challenges. We will strengthen support to businesses introducing career paths, with the wish to have this lead to the realization of salaries that correspond to work responsibilities. By newly constructing a system to support employment at welfare facilities, which provides services such as information from the perspective of job seekers and those who left their jobs, we will also engage in unearthing personnel, including those who are new to the sector.

Supporting the livelihoods and independence of the disabled

Against the backdrop of advancements in medical technology, the percentage of newborns with disabilities whose lives were saved has risen, and the number of children who need medical care in daily life is increasing. In order to provide appropriate support, we will advance measures such as posting nurses to facilities where disabled children commute for support, special needs schools and day care centers.

We must also firmly engage in promoting the employment and social participation of people with disabilities. In order to provide assistance for the creation of systems for social firms -- a new concept for employment support -- we will promote matchups between disabled groups and the corporate social responsibility activities of companies, and other initiatives to create places where the disabled can work according to their capabilities and aptitudes.