5. Steadily proceed with measures for a “new Tokyo”

Through the grand reform of Tokyo, I aim to realize the three new faces of the city.  We are also steadily advancing measures to achieve this goal and will accelerate such efforts together with the Tokyo citizens.

Safety and security generate hope and vitality

Getting prepared for a massive earthquake

It is said that the possibility of a massive earthquake directly hitting Tokyo or its surrounding area within the next 30 years is 70 percent. With a renewed sense of crisis that this can happen at any time, we will proceed with our efforts to build a city that does not collapse or burn.

A proposed ordinance to promote the removal of utility poles, which would be the first such ordinance for a prefecture in Japan, has been presented to this regular session of the Assembly. We will clarify how the removal of utility poles serves a worthy cause, such as its contribution to making the city more resilient to disasters and creating a beautiful cityscape, and will prohibit the new installation of poles on metropolitan roads. We will also collaborate with municipalities and advance the development of technologies to lower the costs of burying power lines and other associated costs. We will hold educational events and symposiums as well to deepen the understanding of Tokyo citizens about utility pole removal. As in the martial arts’ concept of “Shin Gi Tai” (harmony of mind, skill, body), we will employ citizen rapport, new technologies, and cooperation with relevant entities to accelerate the move to eliminate utility poles, which has been so slow to make progress.

In March, the TMG updated the development programs of the Urban Development Plan for Disaster-Resistance. While continuing to create firebreak belts, we will strengthen efforts to develop local roads for enhancement of disaster response -- roads that allow the passage of emergency vehicles and smooth evacuation and rescue activities -- as well as accelerate our efforts in Special Development Zones to Advance Fire Resistance (Fireproof Zones), in which extensive measures are taken to improve districts with close-set wooden houses. To realize by fiscal 2020 a “city that does not burn,” where no built-up areas are destroyed by the spread of fire, we will proceed with these measures while employing ingenuity to gain the understanding and cooperation of the local residents.

Those affected by a disaster are given strength by attentive measures that provide them with solid care to deal with the difficult circumstances they face. To that end, last month we launched a panel to study a range of matters concerning women, such as considerations needed for them to change clothes or nurse their infants at an evacuation center, in order to draw up a disaster preparedness manual that reflects women’s viewpoints. This panel is made up of women in various fields who are engaged in disaster preparedness efforts. At the same time, we are carrying out a program to nurture personnel who can lead the effort for measures from a women’s perspective. We will make Tokyo fully prepared for imminent dangers from both tangible and intangible aspects.

In April, I visited Kumamoto Prefecture, where a strong earthquake occurred one year earlier. Every time I visit a disaster-afflicted area -- including my visits to Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate prefectures, which were hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami -- and see its current state, I renew and reinforce my determination to bring together strength from around Japan to accelerate recovery, and my awareness that this is precisely why the 2020 Games is the Games for Recovery. This month, in Kumamoto Prefecture, we will organize a business event that connects local food companies to department stores and other businesses in Tokyo, with the aim of promoting the delicacies of Kumamoto and expanding sales channels. The TMG will continue supporting the people of the disaster-hit areas so that they can live safe, secure, and sound lives.

Protecting Tokyo citizens against all threats

The other day, I inspected the operations of the Metropolitan Police Department, which is at the frontline of protecting the daily lives of Tokyo citizens, and renewed my resolve to do all I can to protect the lives and assets of Tokyo citizens as the governor of Tokyo. Turning our eyes to the world, we see the spread of threats that cannot be overlooked by Tokyo. These include repeated missile launches by North Korea, terrorist attacks in various parts of the world, and massive cyber-attacks, which affected Internet users in Japan as well. As we move toward the 2020 Games, with a solid awareness of the threats around us, we will work closely with relevant agencies to ensure safety and peace of mind, which underpin the dreams and vitality of the Tokyo citizens.

The day before yesterday, I received a report from the Council on Youth Issues about what should be done to protect children from troubles arising from selfies. We will take proper action to deal with such serious issues threatening the safety of our youth.

Achieve sustainable growth by creating an environment where everyone shines

In population estimates released in April, Japan’s working-age population was projected to shrink by about 40 percent in 50 years. In this situation, to enhance vitality for a bright future, we will work to build a society where everyone can fully realize his or her potential.

Reducing waiting lists for child daycare to allow more women to take on active roles

To resolve the situation in which women are forced to make an either-or choice between child rearing and career, I allocated a bold budget for measures to reduce waiting lists for child daycare. We are implementing initiatives that address this problem from multiple approaches; these include improving the working conditions of childcare workers and providing companies with subsidies to cover part of the costs of opening daycare facilities for their employees.

To allow metropolitan-owned land and buildings to be used for the establishment of daycare facilities, we made it possible for municipalities to sublease these properties to daycare facility operators, and for municipalities to flexibly change the use of land and buildings that were transferred to them from the TMG so that such property can be used for daycare facilities. Thanks to this, since last September, plans were developed for nine new daycare centers, of which one was opened in April. In the same month, another daycare center opened in Tokyo Metropolitan Shioiri Park. It was the first project to be approved through a special provision under the National Strategic Special Zone scheme to allow daycare centers to be established in urban parks. The daycare centers that opened and will open thanks to this special zone deregulation have a total capacity of about 1,200 children. With the TMG setting a precedent, it will become possible to establish daycare centers in urban parks throughout the country. We hope to continue to find ways to promote the construction of daycare facilities, with the determination to lead efforts of the entire country.

Around January next year, we will launch a website tentatively called the Human Resources Information Bank. To reach a lot of people and secure daycare personnel, this website will provide information on job offers and on support for those seeking positions to match up job seekers -- including former daycare providers -- with companies seeking staff. Also, we will launch an initiative to designate private kindergartens that are working actively to broadly enhance their system to care for children outside their regular hours and to accept three-year-old children who previously attended small daycare centers for zero to two-year-olds. By giving these “TOKYO Childcare Support Kindergartens” extensive support, we will also increase options for people using childcare services.

Such expansion of daycare services will encourage more and more women to use the services and join the workforce. The definition of “taiki jido (children waitlisted for daycare)” was changed from this fiscal year to also include children of people who are on parental leave but wish to return to work. Even in this situation, we must work with firm determination to reduce the waiting lists for daycare and definitely achieve the target of increasing the number of children receiving daycare by 70,000 by the end of fiscal 2019. As a starter, we took various measures last fiscal year, which led to the new establishment of daycare centers with a total capacity of about 20,000 children. We will continue to implement initiatives in a speedy manner and in close cooperation with municipalities, to support working women.

Changing work styles in Tokyo through “Flex Time Biz”

It could be said that “long work hours” and “packed commuter trains” have been synonymous with Tokyo since Japan’s period of high economic growth. Such a situation impedes “life-work balance” and robs individuals of energy and the time to improve their skills. If we do not take any action to address the situation, amid the shrinking of the working-age population, this could lead to stagnation of the Japanese economy.

Teleworking, which is a work style free from the constraints of time and location, could trigger solutions to this concern. Next month, the TMG and the national government will jointly open the Tokyo Telework Promotion Center, which will provide one-stop services, including telework simulation and consultation, and the sending of consultants. This center will be located next to the TOKYO Life-Work Balance Promotion Desk, which we set up in April. By having these two entities collaborate with each other, we will strongly lead efforts to reform work styles in Tokyo.

To ease train congestion, we will carry out the Comfortable Commute Movement for about two weeks from July 11. We will call on companies, railway operators, and other parties to join what we call “Flex Time Biz,” or unified efforts to ease train congestion, such as allowing employees to telework or work flexible hours, and granting benefits to off-peak commuters. This period includes July 24, the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Easing train congestion is important also for ensuring the smooth movement of people who will come to Tokyo from around the world for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 as a form of “omotenashi” hospitality. The central government has designated this day as Telework Day and is calling on companies to allow their employees to telework on this day. Using the Tokyo 2020 Games as a catalyst, we want to establish Flex Time Biz as a new norm in Tokyo, just as was Cool Biz (a campaign to encourage people to dress casually to reduce the use of air conditioning in summer).

For the vibrant activity of youth

As globalization continues to progress, English skills present the passport for young generations in particular to expand their stage of activities. This fiscal year, we will launch a project in some metropolitan high schools to expand opportunities for their students to use English, not only during classes but also during breaks and other activities, and, for example, discuss news and familiar topics so that they can enhance their practical English skills. Also, we will promote efforts to accept high school students from abroad at metropolitan high schools, by preparing programs in which foreign students can experience science and technology -- fields in which Japan excels -- and traditional Japanese culture. This is aimed at allowing students at metropolitan high schools to improve their English skills and acquire a global mindset through exchange with foreign students.

Education lays the foundation for people to play active roles throughout their lives. However, this foundation could be eroded by the increasingly complex and diverse problems confronting schools and the lack of time to prepare for class and other worries faced by teachers. We will draw up a plan, tentatively called the Plan to Promote Work Style Reform at Schools, to reform the work styles of teachers and maintain and enhance the quality of education. We will pay due attention to what is going on at schools so that each of the students -- who are our future -- can fully realize his or her potential.

Realizing communities where people can live with peace of mind

Along with building an environment that allows everyone to play active roles, creating communities where people can continue living with peace of mind is also a key to realizing “diversity (diverse city).” To compile a Community Welfare Support Plan, which will include attentive measures that cut across multiple fields, such as promoting “joint services” that cater to both seniors and the disabled, developing a system for supporting needy people, and securing welfare personnel, a group of experts and others will start studying relevant matters later this month.

To support a broader number of families with children with their housing needs, we are presenting to this regular session of the Assembly an ordinance bill to expand households falling under the higher income standards for eligibility to live in metropolitan housing to encompass “households that include a child up to high school age.” We will work to realize a Tokyo where a sense of security for the future generates vitality and everyone can lead a fulfilling life.

Winning the competition between cities to become a leading international city

To make Tokyo a leading global city, we will implement a growth strategy that will enable Tokyo to prevail in the intensifying race against other cities of the world.

Promoting the attractiveness of Tokyo

Last year, a record 13.1 million foreign tourists visited Tokyo. As Tokyo draws growing interest from around the world, we will use the new, easy-to-understand “Tokyo Tokyo Old meets New” logo and slogan to promote the attractions of Tokyo overseas. The design, which features the word “Tokyo” written in brushstroke alongside the word written in a sleek modern font, has been described by many, including people abroad, as conveying a sense of the tradition and innovation that coexist here. An imprint from a seal modeled after the Shibuya scramble crossing, a popular location with foreign visitors, leaves people with even greater expectations for the new discoveries that await them in Tokyo. Along with the logo, we will also promote the endless attractions that Tokyo has to offer -- from traditional cuisine and culture to the latest fashion and anime.

Last month, I also attended a product launch event held by the TOKYO Teshigoto project, a collaboration between craftsmen who keep traditional skills alive and innovative designers, and was able to experience the great potential of the project’s new creations, which fuse tradition and innovation. In Tokyo, there are many treasures we have yet to discover, which are rooted in the tradition of Edo-Tokyo, as well as excellent technologies and products. Through the Edo-Tokyo Kirari Project established last December, we are advancing initiatives to shine a light on such treasures from the perspectives of “clothing,” “cuisine,” and “living,” with the aim to refine them into “Tokyo Brands.” We will put out a call for applications today to recruit businesses to serve as the models to drive these initiatives. As we work toward our goal to make Tokyo a prime tourist destination and welcome 25 million foreign tourists in 2020, I hope to fascinate the world with Tokyo’s many treasures.

Toward becoming the global financial and economic center that drives Japan’s growth

By doubling the financial sector’s share of our country’s GDP from the current 5 percent to 10 percent, which is equal to that of the UK, it is believed that we can boost GDP by 30 trillion yen. Advanced fields such as IoT, AI, and fintech also hold the key to Japan’s medium- to long-term economic growth. Vitalization of these areas forms the core of Tokyo’s growth strategy. Last month, the Advisory Panel for Global Financial City Tokyo, which is studying sweeping measures to revitalize finance, compiled an interim report based on discussions held to date. Taking into account the final proposal of the advisory board, this fall we will release a new plan to make Tokyo Asia’s number one financial city. Furthermore, in addition to launching a one-stop support service to assist with procedures related to setting up a financial business and other matters, we have also established consultation desks abroad to accelerate the pace of attracting foreign financial firms and companies that possess innovative technologies. We will roll out aggressive plans to attract businesses, including the establishment of a new special exemption to status of residence requirements for foreign nationals, which we are now proposing to the central government, and have this contribute to the future expansion of growth industries in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, we must not forget to care for our own local businesses. We will accelerate support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that support Tokyo’s industries through efforts such as sending more experts to perform evaluations of business operations and consultations at companies aiming to improve management and achieve further growth. This fiscal year, we will also launch comprehensive support for projects of SME groups aiming to revitalize an industry or area of production through the branding of products and services. Support will be provided throughout every stage of the project from survey and analysis to implementation of the plan. Through wide-ranging initiatives, including support for securing personnel and protecting intellectual property for companies venturing into overseas markets, we hope to raise the management capability and earning power of SMEs.

Promotion of environmental measures as a growth strategy

Having to address the reality of being a nation poor in resources, our country has honed its technologies to improve energy efficiency, which is indeed a growth strategy. We must continue to commit to advancing energy efficiency. Next month, we will kick off an initiative that enables Tokyo residents to exchange at least two incandescent light bulbs used at home for one LED bulb. As an example, if four incandescent bulbs are replaced with LED bulbs, and these lights are used eight hours a day, a reduction of about 13,600 yen in annual power costs per household can be expected. By having families experience the benefits of energy efficiency, we will greatly advance the popularization of LED lighting, an area of technology where Japan excels.

As the world combats global warming, I believe that practical application of hydrogen energy, which does not emit CO2, could also be a future growth strategy. The recently announced energy development plan for the Athletes’ Village district sets forth plans for the area leading up to and after the Games. In addition to working to reduce environmental impact by building a  hydrogen station and employing hydrogen in fuel cell buses and residential buildings, hydrogen’s superior storage properties will be used to enhance the self-sufficiency of the community if a disaster strikes. In the near future, we will be inviting bids from companies to undertake these initiatives, and we hope to make this area the model for a future hydrogen society.

Urban development with an eye to the future

What sort of urban vision do we hope to realize through these many growth strategies? Last month, we released a draft of the Grand Design for Urban Development, which sets forth the basic policy for that vision. We will advance urban development that incorporates environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concepts, and will protect greenery, the community, and the people. We will make Tokyo the world’s city of choice as a place that continues to generate new values, as well as a city where everyone is able to choose from a diverse range of lifestyles. The plan sets forth such goals for urban development. While also hearing the views of the people of Tokyo, we will compile the final plan this summer to create a highly developed and mature city that grows sustainably.