5. Future policy development

Tackling structural challenges

“The Tokyo government will change for the changing Tokyo.” In order to transform Tokyo into the world’s destination of choice, we must powerfully advance structural reform by delving deeply down to the foundation of systems. The third pillar of the new Grand Reform for Tokyo is administrative, fiscal, and structural reform from a “Tokyo citizens first” perspective. Our country is up against what could be called a national crisis, making it now the time for us to promote substantial reforms of our social systems. We recently initiated discussions with experts on social structural reform to achieve further growth in Tokyo and Japan with an eye to the post-coronavirus era. Such social structural reform includes acceleration of digital transformation and response to changes in industrial structure. We plan to summarize our views on structural reform by the end of next month.

We will also advance structural reform of the metropolitan administration in a bid to dramatically raise the quality of service for Tokyo citizens and turn the TMG into an organization offering value that goes beyond resident expectations. Such structural reform includes thorough utilization of advanced technologies, review of our work procedures from a zero-based perspective, and the tackling of regulations that are considered bottlenecks. Through these measures, we will build a strong organization that supports a Tokyo that shines in the world. Last week, we selected core projects to lead such reform. The early accomplishments of these projects will provide breakthroughs for the TMG as a whole to press forward with structural reform. We will formulate an action plan for structural reform at the end of this fiscal year for concrete implementation of reform.

Tokyo and the entire country connected and co-prospering through Digital First

Around the time the Showa era gave way to the Heisei era, the overall operations of the TMG were relocated to Shinjuku. This time, in the transition from the Heisei to Reiwa era, we will move the whole metropolitan administration to the digital world. We will forcefully advance this concept of the virtual TMG and other structural reform which will create higher value through advanced technologies, and spur on the further evolution of the metropolitan administration.

We have submitted to this regular session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly the Tokyo Digital First Ordinance in order to thoroughly enforce the digitalization of administrative procedures at the TMG. This proposed ordinance will be a drastic amendment of the current Ordinance on General Online Rules. With this amendment, we will bring about a major shift in the TMG’s administrative procedures that have been based on paper forms, and establish an environment where procedures can be completed digitally anytime and anywhere.

The power of digital technologies is also essential for our country’s sustained growth into the future. Generating new value by overcoming temporal and spatial differences to connect the respective traits and strengths of Tokyo and the rest of Japan holds the key to growth of Japan as a whole. Our “digital first initiatives” will allow all corners of Japan to be immediately connected, and not only will Tokyo and the rest of Japan prosper together, but we will also prevail in the intensifying global competition. Through connections with the other regions of Japan, which go beyond the debate of urban concentration or regional dispersion, I wish for Tokyo to drive the growth of Japan as a whole.

“Sustainable Recovery” as our new stance

Massive restrictions on socioeconomic activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic have also forced a severing of our connections with others. A crucial perspective in the recovery of a vibrant and sustainable Tokyo will be to create a society where people can lead fulfilling lives while reconnecting and developing new connections with the help of digital technology. Creating an environment where people can connect, while also working to prevent infection. Allowing no disruption of children’s learning under any circumstances. Preparing an environment where people can continue activities in the arts, culture, and sports.

In the implementation of such policies we will take on the new perspective of “sustainable recovery” for a society where people from all walks of life can continue to shine, to build a resilient Tokyo that can create new value while flexibly responding to change.

Formulating a “Long-term strategy” to serve as our new compass

Realizing sustainable lives for each and every citizen while establishing the “new normal” and advancing a digital transformation.
In order to refine policies from this perspective we will leverage the structural reform of society and the metropolitan government to upgrade our strategic vision for Tokyo’s future.

The accomplishments will be realized in the formation of the new compass for metropolitan affairs, the long-term strategy, at the end of this fiscal year. Together with the members of the Assembly and the people of Tokyo, we wish to build a bright future for Tokyo that balances maturity and ongoing growth.