4. The foundation for all activities: a safe and sustainable city

Next is safety and security, the foundation of all our activities. We will ensure that the policies we have developed with the future in mind are implemented without fail to realize a sustainable city that is unshakable at any and all times.

COVID-19 response

First, I would like to speak about our COVID-19 response. Three years have passed in this fight we waged against this invisible enemy together with the citizens, businesses and health care professionals of Tokyo. The "Tokyo Model," which has also been highly evaluated by foreign experts, is truly the fruit of everyone’s efforts. Once again, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for all the cooperation we have received.

The national government recently announced its policy to change the categorization of COVID-19 to "Class 5," the same class as seasonal influenza, effective from May 8. It is of utmost importance that the transition to this new stage does not cause confusion among Tokyo residents or at hospitals. We have once again requested the national government to present a specific policy for a phased transition that sufficiently considers the views of those working in the field.

The TMG will continue to firmly protect high-risk individuals and maintain a system that can respond agilely in the event of a resurgence of the virus. Moreover, we will support medical institutions that are not currently accepting COVID patients and build a foundation for coexistence with COVID. We will promote measures from these three perspectives. At this regular assembly, we are also proposing a supplementary budget for the expenditures required to implement these measures.

I ask the residents and businesses of Tokyo to continue taking basic steps to prevent infection, such as airing out rooms, avoiding the three Cs, and hand washing. Based on the national government’s policy on the wearing of masks, the TMG will also respect the independent decisions of individuals. We will inform the public in an easy-to-understand manner about situations in which wearing a mask would be effective in protecting those at high risk of becoming seriously ill, and will encourage the wearing of masks in such situations. With the lives and health of Tokyo residents as our highest priority, we will ensure a sustainable recovery and a Tokyo full of vibrancy. Your continued support and cooperation shall be highly appreciated.

Transforming Tokyo into an even more resilient city

We will also secure the safety and security of Tokyo residents for the next 100 years. With these strong aspirations and determination, we will move forward with the "Tokyo Resilience Project.” The scale of this project over the next 10 years is estimated at 6 trillion yen. While also using a fund to be newly established, we will advance initiatives continuously and with a sense of urgency.

Promoting urban development for a city that does not “collapse or burn, and protects lives”

First, earthquake countermeasures. It is estimated that there is a 70 percent possibility of a major earthquake directly striking the National Capital Region within the next 30 years. Based on the results of the damage estimates released last year, we are shoring up measures to always be prepared. Our efforts to date have led to the earthquake resistance of about 90 percent of residences. In order to further mitigate damage, we will encourage the seismic retrofitting of some 200,000 wooden houses built before 2000, which have relatively low earthquake resistance. Based on my own experience in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the removal of utility poles will also be urgently promoted. Metropolitan roads in the central core area are already nearly completely free of utility poles, and in the next fiscal year, we will strengthen our efforts to remove them from private roads in areas where wooden houses are set closely together and in private housing developments. In the islands, we will strive to shorten the construction period by taking approaches that consider the area’s features, and accelerate the complete removal of utility poles on the islands of Toshima and Mikurijima, the first islands undergoing this initiative. We will also speed up the fire resistance of areas with closely set wooden houses, build disaster management boats that will enable water transport in the event of a disaster, and other measures to promote urban development for a city that does not “collapse or burn, and protects lives.”

Shore up preparations against storms and flooding

Due to the impacts of climate change, heavy rainfall disasters of scales said to strike only once every several decades, are occurring in many parts of the world. Urgent preparations are critical. To that end, in order to accelerate the building of regulating reservoirs capable of holding a total of about 1.5 million cubic meters, we have decided to move up the target dates for the launch of new projects from the original FY2030, beginning with the launch of the Senkawa No.　1 Regulating Reservoir （working name） project in the next fiscal year. In addition, in consideration of rising sea levels and other future changes, we will raise the height of seawalls in stages, and will also provide support for flooding and earthquake measures for municipal sewer systems. While also looking at new systems to promote the construction of high-spec levees, in order to accelerate developments to raise the ground height of the eastern low-lying area, we will steadily shore up preparations through efforts including working with the national government to study highly effective approaches.

Heightening awareness of disaster preparedness among Tokyo residents

Self-support, mutual support, and public support—only when these three function together can we fully demonstrate Tokyo's true resilience. Leveraging the centennial of the Great Kanto Earthquake, we will create a movement to raise the disaster preparedness awareness of each and every Tokyo citizen. First, we will take this opportunity to completely renew the manuals,　“Disaster Preparedness Tokyo （Tokyo Bosai）” which is well known among Tokyo residents, and the "Disaster Readiness Guide （Tokyo Kurashi Bousai）” which incorporates women's perspectives. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will support neighborhood associations, which play a key role in local disaster preparedness, by encouraging them to conduct self-inspections and providing support for any shortfalls in their preparations. Along with this, working together with resident association federations, we will distribute smart circuit breakers for free to households in areas with a dense concentration of wooden houses. These shut off power when detecting shaking and are effective in preventing fires from breaking out in the event of an earthquake. In addition, we will enhance the equipment and materials essential for the activities of volunteer fire corps, and based on visits to disaster-stricken areas, promote their effective training to improve community disaster preparedness. Furthermore, in order to protect the citizens of Tokyo from the growing threat of missile attacks, we will clarify the risks and conduct technical studies on matter such as the requirements and equipment needed for shelters.

Striking a balance between decarbonization and energy security

Next, measures for a carbon neutral society, an area of fierce competition in the world. Through the implementation of pioneering measures, Tokyo will strive to strike a balance between averting the climate crisis and ensuring energy security, for the realization of a sustainable city.

Preparation for enforcement of the amended Environmental Security Ordinance

The first system in Japan to require major home builders and suppliers to install solar panels in newly built small and medium-sized buildings will begin from April 2025. What we do over the two years leading up to the start of this new system will determine how well this system operates. Interest in housing that is friendly to both the household budget and the planet is on the increase, albeit due partially to the soaring prices of energy. We will take this as an opportunity to accelerate Tokyo’s green shift, and foster understanding and support among Tokyo residents and businesses. In addition to strengthening support for home builders and others who are taking initiatives for the new system, we will take into account the housing situation in Tokyo and support the installation of small and lightweight panels that are also suitable for narrow roofs. We will also build routes to recycle panels used in residences, which must not be overlooked from the perspective of sustainability. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will also “lead by example” by doubling the number of solar panels installed in metropolitan facilities. Power storage and recharging facilities will also be enhanced. The people and businesses of Tokyo and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will form a solid front in accelerating the movement for solar power generation.

Promoting energy savings by SMEs

Next, energy savings. With the term “decarbonization” becoming firmly established in business models, the HTT strategy of “herasu （save）,　“tsukuru （generate）," and "tameru （store）” electricity becomes an essential strategy for SME growth. We support efforts such as introducing energy management systems that make power consumption visible and renewing air conditioning facilities to highly efficient systems. In addition to supporting these self-efforts to save energy, we will boost emissions trading by SMEs for a reduction of carbon emissions across industries. As the first step, we will support their use of the J-Credit System, a domestic emissions trading scheme, to further promote the decarbonization of SMEs.

To spread the use of ZEVs

Competition to develop EVs is intensifying around the world. We will not fall behind here, and will strongly promote the spread of ZEVs. Taking the opportunity provided by the Formula E race to be held in spring 2024, we will strategically implement events to build momentum and attract the interest of many people who would like to try out ZEVs or are considering switching to ZEVs.

To encourage this, we will increase incentives for purchasing EV vehicles, which can also be used as storage batteries, to stimulate the market. Along with such initiatives, in addition to fundamentally strengthening support for the introduction of recharging facilities, we will be the first in Japan to promote the installation of quick rechargers next to parking meters for street parking on metropolitan roads in the vicinity of Shiba Park and Daikanyama. By accelerating both the popularization of EVs and the development of recharging infrastructure, we will have EVs penetrate society as regular form of mobility.

Realization of a hydrogen society

Hydrogen technology is also important in raising international competitiveness. In particular, green hydrogen, which emits absolutely no carbon from the production stage, is the trump card for realizing a sustainable society. In order to begin production and use of hydrogen in Tokyo as soon as possible, we will not only provide support to business operators, but will also begin work ourselves on developing facilities.

In order to realize a hydrogen society, it would be necessary to not only continue promoting the introduction of hydrogen for mobility, but also expand its introduction from the perspective of urban development. In the Port of Tokyo, for the formation of a carbon neutral port, we will strongly support businesses that are switching to cargo handling equipment that utilize hydrogen energy, and will also start up a leading project in the Oi Pier. In addition, in the Tokyo waterfront subcenter, we will launch the supply of district heating generated by hydrogen boilers using green hydrogen supplied from Yamanashi Prefecture. This will be a first for Japan. And so that demand for hydrogen, which is forecasted to increase through such initiatives, can be properly met, we will proceed with discussions with related local governments on the building of a large-scale hydrogen supply network, including pipelines.

Promotion of sustainable finance

The realization of a decarbonized society will not be possible without the power of finance. During my recent visit to London, I exchanged views with many people involved in finance, and we agreed that it is important to continue revitalizing the investment environment while strengthening our collaboration. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is leading movements for sustainable finance such as by issuing green bonds ahead of other cities in Japan. To further promote this, in the next fiscal year we will accelerate investment in infrastructure for renewable power generation and storage batteries, and also use the strength of a fund to support SMEs in the supply chain in their initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. We will expand trends in financial market for decarbonization, and will link this to becoming a leading global financial center.