4. Tokyo as a mature city where people are connected with each other and everyone can take on challenges

People are the source of a city’s vitality. Tokyo will grow sustainably as a vibrant city where people are connected with each other and play active roles. The TMG will advance wide-ranging measures to build this mature city for the new era.

Making social firms take root in Tokyo

We, together with an expert panel, have studied how we can support the employment of Tokyo citizens under the concept of social inclusion, which calls for members of society to support one another. The TMG just submitted to the Assembly a proposal for a new Ordinance on Promoting Measures Related to Employment Support for Tokyo Residents and Encouraging the Establishment of Social Firms, which aims to create a society where everyone can take on active roles according to their individual characteristics and abilities. The proposed ordinance not only strives to enhance employment support for all Tokyo citizens, but will certify and support “social firms,” where those who are disadvantaged in the job market can work exuberantly under autonomous management. Leveraging this ordinance, we will work with the municipalities to strongly support the employment of Tokyo residents and have social firms take root in Tokyo, in an effort to create a city where people can continue to shine.

Toward enactment of the Ordinance on Assistance for Crime Victims and Others

The Ordinance on Assistance for Crime Victims and Others will help crime victims and their family members, who are suffering from the physical and/or emotional impacts of crime, to stand on their feet again. The bereaved families also participated in the discussion on the ordinance, providing invaluable input from their standpoints. This summer, the basic concepts of the ordinance were announced to the public. After discussing the ordinance in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly and inviting public comments, we have drawn up an outline of the proposed ordinance, adding provisions including prevention of re-victimization and emergency support services for incidents in which there are a large number of victims. We are again seeking the opinions of Tokyo residents on this draft, and after careful review and study, we aim to submit the ordinance to the First Regular Session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly next year.

To continue protecting the lives and health of Tokyo citizens

Healthcare is the foundation for people to lead productive and fulfilling lives. However, the difficult environment surrounding the healthcare system is projected to worsen in the future, with the onset of a full-fledged super-aging society and shortage of health care workers. Given this situation, metropolitan hospitals, which provide a safety net for Tokyo’s healthcare, must establish an even more stable management base; continue to provide health care that can meet needs under law, respond to societal demands, and take the lead in addressing new medical challenges; and enhance community health care. The TMG had been studying the management structure of the metropolitan hospitals based on the recommendations of the Tokyo Metropolitan Hospitals Management Committee and a long-term vision looking toward the 2040s, without being confined to the past line of discussion.

We will steadily carry out our mission to protect the lives and health of the residents of Tokyo. To this end, we will start preparations for the transition of all 14 metropolitan hospitals and hospitals of the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Hospitals Corporation to fall under the umbrella of a local independent administrative agency. With this organizational shift, the metropolitan hospitals will be able to secure medical staff in a stable and flexible manner and exercise more agile management, while hospitals operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Hospitals Corporation, which serve the medical needs of communities as the core hospitals of their respective areas, will further enhance local medical care through economies of scale. Under the new structure, we will respond to healthcare challenges in a flexible and effective manner to create a Tokyo where safe and high-quality healthcare is accessible to everyone now and into the future.

Living a full and comfortable life in the age of “Chōju”

In an age of chōju (the Japanese word for longevity), the world of the 100-year lifespan, we will create a society where senior citizens can live with peace of mind and stay healthy and active throughout their lives. As part of that effort, next month, we will hold the “Tokyo Senior Community Exchange Event.” Held over three days, the event will connect senior residents through enjoyable hobbies and activities. Through this event that will gather many from all around Tokyo, we will support senior citizens in leading long and fulfilling lives by helping them expand their social circles and discover new purpose in their lives.

In addition, in an effort to create an environment where everyone can go out safely and comfortably at any age, last month, in Tama New Town, we conducted a field test for mobility using autonomous wheelchairs. Based on the test results, we will proceed to study the practical application of autonomous wheelchairs by resolving obstacles to mobility such as those posed by topography.

Fostering the ability to resolutely live through the digital and global age

We will also put effort in the development of “people” who forge the future. To nurture human capital who can contribute to society while adapting to the changing times amid the wave of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technical high schools which have produced many monozukuri (manufacturing) experts are also expected to play new roles. This month, the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education set up a new task force to begin discussing the future vision for technical high schools in a highly advanced IT society. Through extensive study on the future of technical high schools, including the training of personnel who can solve social challenges with cutting-edge monozukuri skills and the enhancement of the appeal of these schools, we will present a vision of technical high schools.

Cultivating a macro perspective of the world and ability to explore challenges is also essential. Last month, in cooperation with universities and research organizations in Japan and abroad, we held a workshop to have metropolitan high school students learn about the world’s latest initiatives concerning renewable energy. Moreover, the Tokyo Metropolitan University hosted an international symposium titled “Five-Continent Student Symposium,” whose name comes from the five continents represented by the Olympic rings. Students from over 20 countries and regions participated and deepened discussions on themes, such as “unity in diversity,” which are the visions of the Tokyo 2020 Games. We will continue to promote practical learning through international programs in order to help students venture out into the world in this global age.