1. Foreword

Eight years of total commitment to Tokyo government affairs

In my first policy speech after assuming office as Governor of Tokyo, I said, “We must work for the citizens of Tokyo today and for the future citizens of Tokyo 100 years from now,” and “We will also steer metropolitan affairs in a manner that allows the people of Tokyo to have hope that Tokyo will become a better place.” This resolve has never wavered, not even for a moment. Notably, the 1,200-day battle against COVID-19 was a time of total dedication to protecting the lives and health of the people of Tokyo. We quickly launched the Tokyo iCDC, which was at the core of a great deal of trial-and-error efforts to build the Tokyo model. This Tokyo model was able to keep deaths per million people at an extremely low level, even compared to the other OECD member countries. This was thanks to none other than the endeavors and cooperation of healthcare professionals, the residents and businesses of Tokyo, and everyone involved. And I believe that the Tokyo 2020 Games, which were held under the pandemic, united Tokyo to deliver courage and inspiration to the world.

Over those years, concerns over energy, natural disasters, international competitiveness and other various matters have confronted the people of Tokyo. The international situation is also changing rapidly. It is precisely because these times are uncertain and difficult that I have taken a broad perspective of metropolitan government affairs, focusing on “people,” and have surged ahead with Tokyo’s grand reform for a sustainable city that balances maturity and ongoing growth. We have nearly eliminated the number of children on waiting lists for daycare. We have built a system to accelerate digital transformation at a blistering pace. And we are strongly promoting greater resilience of our city. At the same time, so that we can continue implementing these measures that put the people of Tokyo first, we have taken thorough measures to eliminate wasteful spending, generating new fiscal resources of about 100 billion yen every year, some 810 billion yen over eight years.

What the Tokyo government needs to do now

Dedicating my full resources to confronting the situation of the metropolitan government bolstered my belief that Tokyo has the power to not only to boost Japan but, as one of the world’s largest metropolises, to also lead the international community by overcoming the common challenges facing humankind. Issues shaking the very foundations of society, such as the declining birthrate, graying society, and the shrinking population, are now being brought into sharp relief. I feel that there is an even greater need than ever to bring Tokyo’s fundamental strengths into full play and pave the way to the future.

We must not overlook the signs of the changing times. We must allow the buds of our grand reform to blossom even more, and by demonstrating a successful model, create a dynamic flow that will fundamentally change society. To that end as well, what is needed now is speedy execution of what needs to be done and what only Tokyo can do. In other words, we must accelerate the actions of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.