4. Overcoming pressing challenges to deliver safety and security to the residents of Tokyo

Next, safety and security that support the daily lives of each and every citizen.

Shoring up preparations to create a resilient city

Preparations for disasters

Beginning with the Noto Peninsula Earthquake that struck on New Year’s Day, earthquakes are occurring frequently in all corners of Japan, raising concerns about a major disaster. With regard to the Tokyo Todomaru Apartment and Condominium Building initiative that will help people feel safe about staying in their homes without the need to evacuate, from this fiscal year, through the provision of support for preparing emergency stockpiles and equipment, we are incentivizing not only the registration of multi-family residential buildings but also their implementation of joint disaster drills with neighborhood associations and other local organizations. Raising the disaster preparedness of these residences, where about two-thirds of the people of Tokyo live, and creating connections with their local communities—through the synergy of these two initiatives, we will bolster the community’s power of mutual assistance in times of emergency.

We also need to be fully prepared for storms and flooding, which are becoming more severe and frequent due to the effects of climate change. As a city on the sea, we need to strengthen measures against storm surge. To that end, we are setting up a committee of academic experts and others to study this, and within this fiscal year, we will draw up a policy for response that includes river improvement methods optimized for each river. Furthermore, starting this fiscal year, we will steadily promote the building of a new underground diversion channel connecting the Loop Road No. 7 Multi-basin Underground Regulating Reservoir and other underground regulating reservoirs to Tokyo Bay.

Operations based on the Act on Regulation of Housing Land Development and Specific Types of Soil Mound Projects (Act on Soil Mound Regulation), which was enacted as a lesson learned from the disastrous mudslide that occurred three years ago in a built-up area of Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture, will begin in July. In order to ensure the safety of Tokyo residents, nearly all of Tokyo will be regulated, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will take it on itself to monitor soil mounds using satellite data and tool-facilitated submission of information by the people of Tokyo.

Heat illness measures

Higher than usual temperatures are forecasted for this summer as well. Heat-related illness takes the lives of many people every year, making it imperative for us to recognize this as a “disaster” and take thorough countermeasures. We will share this sense of crisis at the HTT and Zero Emissions Promotion Council, and through firm public-private collaboration, we will implement a broad range of initiatives including the dissemination of detailed information. Through measures such as establishing cooling shelters and also working together with the municipalities to raise public awareness, we will encourage each citizen to take actions to protect themselves.

Protecting Tokyo residents from risks shaking the foundation of their lives

We need to seek a balance between workstyle reform and the various services that support our daily lives. Specifically, the 2024 problem, which concerns the shortages of truck drivers due to overtime restrictions. In cooperation with the national government and businesses, we have launched Tokyo Logistics Biz for engagement in initiatives such as changing consumer awareness in order to reduce redeliveries. In addition, at the Port of Tokyo, which is the hub of logistics, a trial introduction of a system for booking use of terminals successfully resulted in a substantial reduction of waiting time. We plan to expand this system to cover all of the Port of Tokyo, and will also accelerate the modal shift to railways and ships in preparation for reductions in the transportation capacity of trucks. Other than in the logistics sector, serious workstyle reform is now underway in the construction and medical fields. We will firmly support initiatives contributing to enhancing productivity, such as the establishment of efficient work systems that utilize digital tools.

We will resolutely protect our citizens’ livelihoods and corporate activities from the prolonged price hikes. With this determination, this fiscal year’s budget includes various forms of assistance such as support for those in need of housing, the operations of SMEs, and companies in raising wages. Regarding livelihood support to low-income households through the provision of 10,000 yen worth of gift certificates or points, we will begin accepting applications from as early as next month. We will ensure that such measures are put into implementation so that these various initiatives reach Tokyo residents in need. In addition to such efforts, we will protect the lives and livelihoods of Tokyo residents. We will continue to make Tokyo a sustainable city. Doing so is my greatest duty as one entrusted to steer metropolitan government affairs.