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2 Policy implementation for 2020 and beyond

2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Review of venue plans

In order to lead the 2020 Games to success, the task we must first devote our full efforts to is the review of the venue plan. We will vigorously advance the review while maintaining close communications with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and athletic federations in Japan and abroad.

In proceeding with our review, we gave priority to six of the facilities to be constructed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for which the basic plans are scheduled to be drawn up within this fiscal year. Of these venues, with respect to the Aquatics Center, which will host swimming events, the Sea Forest Waterway, the venue for rowing and canoe sprint events, and Ariake Arena, where volleyball will take place, we have determined that there are no or very few other potential facilities, including those in nearby prefectures. As such, we have decided that it is appropriate to proceed with the construction of these three venues at the locations outlined in the existing plan. Now, we will promptly start on the basic design, and work out further details such as facility size that takes post-Games use into consideration and the reduction of construction costs. We will also move forward with a diligent review of the remaining facilities, having the overall results reflected in the Games Foundation Plan to be submitted to the IOC and IPC next February.

Starting the day after tomorrow through the 21st, I will make an official three-day visit to South Korea to observe the Asia Games 2014 in Incheon. I hope to learn first-hand about the operations and facilities of a major international sporting event for future reference. I will also take part in a reception hosted by the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and work to build trust with all of the parties involved, including members of the IOC.

Working together with the residents of Tokyo and Japan

As the host city for the 2020 Games, Tokyo has the duty to spread the spirit of Olympism. With this in mind, next month, we will launch a council made up of academics, experts, and those from the world of sports and public and private schools to consider the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic educational program. By having many children come in contact with the Olympic and Paralympic Games, I hope to leave the greatest legacy for the future—people who will contribute to world peace and the development of the international community.

To make the Games a success, the understanding and support of the residents of Tokyo and Japan are essential. At this summer’s Meeting of the National Governors Association, the first in six years attended by a governor of Tokyo, I proposed that the whole country rally together to make the 2020 Games a success. Receiving the support of all of the governors, a headquarters was set up to coordinate efforts. With this, the framework for all 47 prefectures to work together has been created. In addition, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Tokyo Games, we will coordinate with the municipalities, the JOC, Japan Paralympic Committee (JPC), and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee to hold a variety of events that look back at the legacies from the Games throughout Tokyo around the Sports Day holiday. I hope that many people come out to enjoy these events.

Tokyo’s candidacy to host the 2019 Rugby World Cup

Next, I will speak about the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which will be held in Japan. The Rugby World Cup tournament is an international festival of sport attended by a total of approximately 2 million spectators and viewed by 4.2 billion. If Tokyo is selected as the host city, it will be held at the new National Stadium ahead of the 2020 Games. This global sporting event would be an excellent opportunity for Tokyo and Japan to show our ability to deliver a major sporting event to the world. The TMG will continue to study the possibility of becoming a candidate city to host the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Following coordination with the relative parties, I hope to arrive at a formal conclusion at the end of next month.

Using the 2020 Games as an opportunity to further enhance the appeal of Tokyo

The 2020 Games are a major chance for us to convey the attractive qualities of Tokyo to the world. Grasping this opportunity, we will work to further refine this appeal.

Culture and the arts are essential components that contribute to a city’s worth. I want to make the 2020 Games the best-ever in terms of culture as well, and elevate Tokyo to be the best city of culture in the world. As the Olympic cultural program begins to take shape, we must incorporate content that is diverse and attractive. In order to do so, we must look at cultural policy from a global perspective, and adopt concrete measures that raise Tokyo’s international position with respect to culture.

First, the TMG must have its own firm global strategy for culture. As such, we have decided to formulate a new “cultural vision.” We will release the preliminary draft at the beginning of next year. Following debate by the Assembly, I hope to establish the policy within the fiscal year.

Additionally, in order to widely promote the appeal of Japanese gardens and garden culture, along with Tokyo’s metropolitan gardens, we will also call on national, public, and private gardens in Tokyo to participate in efforts such as the creation of garden tours for foreign tourists and a pamphlet that combines information on all the gardens. I believe that our metropolitan parks also hold a great amount of potential. By easing regulations on parks, for example, we could explore the different types of park usage that would be made possible, including the development of child daycare centers, creation of opportunities to capitalize on the new vitality within parks, and utilization as disaster preparedness facilities. By applying resourcefulness and innovation as never before, we will create policies that can solve several problems at once, while also enhancing the appeal of parks.

Tokyo will also work to prepare an environment that allows foreign tourists to have a more comfortable stay. Installation of free Wi-Fi on Toei buses will be followed up by introduction of the service at major Toei Subway stations, making it easier for visitors to access the information they need, enhancing overall convenience. We will also decide on policy concerning the use of digital signage and advance initiatives toward making signs multilingual. In preparation for the 2020 Games, we will move forward with the cultivation of language volunteers, using such programs as an opportunity to let volunteerism take root.

Furthermore, with the 2020 Games approaching, in order to prevent passive smoking at restaurants and other establishments, we will establish a committee and hold a series of meetings to gather opinions on this issue from experts and industry organizations. As we gather a wide range of opinions, I hope to continue further study of the matter.

A new phase of city diplomacy

Seoul visit

In order to successfully stage the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is a festival of peace, it is essential for Tokyo to strengthen its friendly relations with other cities and countries in the world.

During my visit to Seoul, one of Tokyo’s friendship cities, Mayor Park Won-soon and I reached an agreement that Tokyo and Seoul will share their expertise in subway safety measures and that our two cities will work together in such areas as PM 2.5 reduction and other air quality measures, sports exchanges, and exchanges between museums for collaborative exhibits. Preparation for the visit was done in close coordination with Prime Minister Abe’s office, and at my meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, I conveyed to her our prime minister’s view to improve bilateral relations.

After my visit to Seoul, the tone of the South Korean media started to change for the better. Continuous exchanges and cooperation between cities can eventually support and supplement the diplomatic activities of the national government. I hope to pursue city diplomacy of that kind.

Hate speech

When I met with President Park Geun-hye, we shared our concerns over “hate speeches.” It goes without saying that the freedom of speech is an important right guaranteed by the Constitution of Japan. Still, it can never be acceptable to have abusive speech full of hatred and hostility hurled toward people of particular nationalities or ethnic groups. However, there is a limit to what the TMG can do on its own to address this problem. I spoke with Prime Minister Abe about this matter, and, under his instruction, studies to consider what can be done have already begun. No bright future awaits a society where members do not share the values of democracy, freedom, and basic human rights. In cooperation with the central government, we will proceed with educational activities to raise public awareness about human rights.

Future direction of city diplomacy

Early this month, I visited Tomsk, Russia, with Mr. Toshiaki Yoshino, president of the Metropolitan Assembly, to attend the plenary meeting of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC21). On my way back, I also went to Moscow, which is Tokyo’s friendship city, and met with Mayor Sobyanin.

The ANMC21 has been very successful in promoting exchanges and cooperation among the member cities. For example, in the infectious disease project, we have shared our expertise not only on the new strain of influenza but also on tropical diseases like dengue fever. Tokyo has also utilized its advanced technologies and know-how to tackle common problems faced by the member cities, thus contributing to the development of Asia. I think such efforts are very good. However, with more than 10 years passing since the launch of the network, we have seen a decline in the number of leaders attending the plenary meeting in recent years; many cities send other officials instead. In light of this, I proposed at the latest plenary that we conduct a thorough review of the current state of the network, and this matter was discussed and agreed upon. As the secretariat of the network, Tokyo will be collecting further views from the member cities.

In the run-up to the year 2020, Tokyo, for its part, must learn more widely from the best practices of overseas cities and cooperate with them, and also must convey its attractions to the world. The amount of manpower and financial resources we can invest for city diplomacy are limited. As there are only six years to go before the 2020 Games, in order to make our efforts more efficient and better-planned and to get the maximum results, we will compile a new basic strategy for city diplomacy by the end of the year. Its content will be reflected in the fiscal 2015 budget and the finalized version of our new long-term vision.

In order to expand international public relations efforts to raise Tokyo’s global presence and acclaim, we will launch the Council to Think of Tokyo's International PR next month. We will collect the ideas of experts from various fields to serve as the basis for effective promotional activities.

In West African countries that are combating the outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever, medical materials and equipment, including personal protective gear for healthcare workers, are in short supply. We therefore decided to, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry, the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), provide West African countries, including Sierra Leone and Liberia, with personal protection kits we had prepared for new strains of influenza. We already decided to provide 100,000 kits, and, if there is a request for more, we hope to extend further assistance in cooperation with the central government.

Realizing a safe and secure city

Improving disaster preparedness through repetitive drills

In order to realize the Tokyo described in the long-term vision, it would be essential to ensure the safety and security of residents. Without this base, vigorous urban activities would not be possible.

At the end of last month, the TMG conducted the Comprehensive Joint Disaster Management Drill with Suginami Ward to prepare for a major earthquake directly hitting Tokyo. In the drill, volunteer fire corps members and local residents played a key role in fire-fighting and rescue activities carried out under the scenario of an outbreak of fire in an area with close-set wooden houses. The Tokyo Fire Department will expand its efforts to have more residents to take part in such hands-on activities, including conducting drills on the occasion of school and other community events. Drills for conveying injured people and accepting emergency relief goods were also conducted in the waterfront area as part of the comprehensive disaster drill, and the content of TMG’s response manual for an earthquake directly hitting Tokyo was verified. In this year’s comprehensive disaster drill, we welcomed participation by a rescue unit from Seoul, and, from Taiwan, rescue teams from Taipei and New Taipei City and staff from the Red Cross Society. Cities can help each other in the event of major disasters, so I hope to continue to value such cooperative relationships. Recently, I visited Tokyo Metropolitan Higashikurume Sogo High School to observe an overnight disaster drill for students. We will raise Tokyo’s overall disaster preparedness by holding such disaster drills, which will enhance people’s capabilities to help themselves and help each other, and also expand the public authorities’ capabilities to help people.

Furthermore, we will continue to steadily work on disaster preparedness measures for the Tama area and Tokyo islands as well.

With regard to the landslides that occurred on Oshima Island in October last year, the town of Oshima is scheduled to draw up a restoration plan by the end of this month. The TMG will help the town to quickly recover from the damages and enhance its disaster response capabilities. Last month, Hiroshima City in western Japan also suffered severe landslides. I send my sincere condolences to the families of the victims. In Tokyo, there are 15,000 areas susceptible to landslides, mainly in the Tama area and the islands. We will work to ensure thorough risk management by taking measures such as completing the designation of landslide hazard areas and high landslide hazard areas by 2020 and preparing a warning and evacuation system. In addition to such non-structural measures, we will also implement structural measures, including the building of roads that will prevent remote communities from being left stranded when hit by a disaster.

If the Nankai Trough earthquake occurs, a massive tsunami could arrive at Tokyo’s islands soon after the tremor. In areas where people may not be able to reach high ground before the tsunami’s arrival, we will construct necessary structures such as tsunami evacuation towers.

Protecting the public safety of Tokyo

Public safety measures are as important as disaster preparedness in protecting the lives of Tokyo residents. As the governor of Tokyo, I am proud of Tokyo’s high level of public safety. Still, as we head toward 2020, we need to raise this to even higher levels.

Currently, kiken drug (literally “dangerous drug,” intoxicating drugs that do not fall under conventional illegal drugs) is a social concern; one notable example is the fatal car accident that occurred in the Ikebukuro district in June. Following the incident, the Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare jointly conducted a sweep of shops selling those types of drugs. I recently went to inspect the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, which analyzes the substances of kiken drugs. For further measures, the TMG will revise the Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance to Prevent the Misuse of Drugs to allow police officers to forcibly conduct on-site inspection and enable pharmaceutical safety control officers to seize drugs.

Despicable furikome frauds, or “grandparent scams” that mainly target senior citizens, are on the rise nationwide. Also, we need to beef up our defenses against cyberterrorism, not only terrorist attacks in the real world. In order to address the increasingly diverse and complicated crimes as we prepare for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Metropolitan Police Department recently compiled the Metropolitan Police Department’s Vision for Making Tokyo the World’s Safest City. Based on this vision, we will implement necessary measures while gaining the understanding of people of Tokyo and across Japan.

Becoming a leading city in terms of social welfare

Continuing, I would like to speak about the measures we are taking to make Tokyo a leading city in terms of social welfare.

In Tokyo, as of April 1 this year, there were 8,672 children on the waiting lists for daycare centers. This is a record number despite our expansion of daycare services. I think this is because latent demand for the services is surfacing. We must quickly take actions to satisfy such needs so that Tokyo residents can feel that their quality of life is improving.

The major hurdle in establishing a daycare center in Tokyo is to secure the necessary land. In light of this, we decided to expand our land rent discount program to promote the establishment of daycare and other facilities in areas where land prices are high, such as the city center. Previously, we offered a 50-percent cut for those seeking to open welfare facilities on metropolitan-owned land. Under the new scheme, the discount rate will be expanded to 90 percent for the portion surpassing benchmark prices. We will also launch subsidy programs for those renting national or privately-owned land, and will help municipalities accelerate their efforts to open new daycares and increase the number of children to be cared for. Within the next 10 years, we will generate new land sites totaling over 30 hectares by rebuilding metropolitan and other public housing into high-rise buildings, and will also provide necessary information to the municipalities so that these can be used to better meet local needs. To implement such measures as soon as possible, a supplementary budget bill has been presented to this regular session of the Assembly. In addition to these efforts, we will promote the effective use of land set aside for public enterprises, such as spaces below elevated portions of ground-level Toei Subway tracks and former sites of water and sewage treatment facilities.

Furthermore, we are encouraging private-sector businesses to open in-house daycare centers that also serve parents other than their employees. The TMG also plans to open a daycare service open to the community at its main building starting in fiscal 2016.

As for the TMG’s healthcare cost assistance program that was launched in accordance with the settlement reached in the air pollution lawsuit, we plan to make a revision that takes the terms of the settlement into consideration, while taking necessary measures to ease the impact of the change. A bill amending this ordinance has been presented to this regular session of the Assembly. Your understanding of this matter would be highly appreciated.

Making Tokyo a place where people and companies are radiant with vitality

Tokyo, which serves as the locomotive for the Japanese economy, is exposed to harsh international competition between cities. In order to win this race, Tokyo must fully draw out the strengths of the people and companies in Tokyo.

Tokyo’s strength is none other than the vitality of its people

I believe the first key to stimulating Tokyo’s economy lies in the power of women. Yesterday, the “Where Women Shine: The Tokyo Symposium” was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building. We were able to hear the precious experience-based views of women active in the frontlines both in Japan and abroad. These views will be reflected in discussions conducted at the “Council to Promote the Activities of Women,” which the TMG launched with trade associations and other organizations, and will be linked to initiatives to promote women to responsible positions and encourage their continued employment. We will also recognize the forerunning efforts taken by various sectors such as industry, healthcare, education and local communities by granting the “Award for Promoting Women’s Activities” and publicize this information throughout Tokyo.

In addition to the sensibilities unique to women, the abundant creativity of young people and the experience and networks cultivated by senior citizens are also large latent powers of Tokyo. So that women, young people and senior citizens can start up new businesses that capitalize on their respective strengths, we will provide seamless support from discovery and cultivation of future business founders to the growth of their business.

The other day I was given the opportunity to speak with students who were able to study abroad through the metropolitan high school program. They spoke about how they were not only able to improve their language skills, but by living in a different culture were able to directly experience how diverse the world is by learning about a sense of values that differs from their own. They also spoke about their dreams for the future, such as their hopes to work in an international agency or to help achieve a hydrogen society. Their efforts to achieve their great hopes and aims gave me a glimpse of Tokyo’s bright future.

Education is a great asset in people’s lives that will never be lost once it is gained. Tokyo will work to raise young people who have the power to take on an active role in the world. We will advance efforts to cultivate global talent such as by providing support to high school students and students at the Tokyo Metropolitan University for studying abroad, and introducing the international baccalaureate program to the Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School.

Tokyo’s growth strategy

Tokyo prospered as a financial market in the past, but it has sunk after two decades of deflation and has lost its former luster. I believe that Japan will not be able to resurface unless this luster is regained. The “Tokyo Global Financial Center Promotion Council” was held the other day, gathering relevant personnel from the Ministry of Finance, Financial Services Agency, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bank of Japan, and the financial sector. Here it was agreed that specific efforts will be taken. We will especially focus on vitalization of business exchange centers, hosting and attracting international financial conferences, usage of metropolitan government assets to boost the economy, and the cultivation of global talent, and establish subcommittees to promote these efforts. In addition, using the method of funds, we hope to look into various possibilities such as whether we can use the credibility of the TMG to encourage investments by the private sector, whether we can effectively utilize private financial assets that are as high as 1,600 trillion yen, and whether such funds can be used to construct welfare facilities.

We will maximize on the advantages of Tokyo’s concentration of talent and functions, and will also advance policies to attract money, manpower, and information from around the world.

New technological innovations are also indispensable for the growth of Tokyo and Japan. Regarding the utilization of hydrogen, a promising resource in the field of energy, all-out efforts are beginning with, for instance, an auto maker announcing that it will market its fuel cell vehicle. I believe hydrogen is packed full with aspects that we can truly call innovative, such as having the potential to contribute to solving difficult issues such as the lack of resources in Japan, global environmental issues, and securing back up power in the event of emergencies. We are presently holding discussions on this by gathering members from manufacturers and energy related companies. Based on such talks, in the final report on Tokyo’s long-term vision, we will show how determined Tokyo is by setting concrete numerical targets and strategically engaging in achieving these goals.

We will support small- and medium-sized companies, which are the bastions of Tokyo’s monozukuri, the art, science and craft of making things. The high technological skills of these SMEs must come to fruition in the form of products. I visited the Tama Techno

<National Strategic Special Zone>
Last week I met with Shigeru Ishiba, the Minister of State for the National Strategic Special Zones, and requested that he move ahead with the National Strategic Zone project, which will be the way to transform Tokyo into a global business city. The TMG is now fully prepared to hold a special zone meeting made up of central and local government leaders and the private sector.

Regarding urban renewal, we plan for the speedy implementation of projects that have bold floor area ratios and other daring measures. In addition, we hope to ease regulations on roads in order to generate vitality in the city. Next month we will be using the Marunouchi Naka-dori street and Gyoko-dori avenue as the venue for the Tokyo Ajiwai Festa (The Taste of Tokyo), an event showcasing food ingredients and flowers made in Tokyo. In cooperation with the local ward, we will make Naka-dori a pedestrian-only road during the festival. And by making this event a model for verification, we hope to expand these kinds of initiatives by utilizing deregulation measures in the special zones.

Regarding health care, we will strive to implement deregulation in order to advance research and development in areas such as innovative pharmaceuticals. For employment, we hope to open the Employment and Labor Consultation Center within this fiscal year to boost the activities of startups and global companies. Furthermore, with regard to company establishment, we will work to introduce one-stop services and make it possible to prepare documents in English. We also hope to realize a Tokyo version of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), which will be authorized to review generic drugs. In addition to the nine wards designated as special zones and the nine wards under preparation, we also aim to enlarge the special zone district with inclusion of the Tama Area as well.

Evolution of Tokyo’s urban functions

Turning to strengthening the functions of Haneda Airport, in July a committee established by the national government proposed having planes fly over the city center, and based on this, last month, discussions were launched among the parties concerned.

As our country is completely surrounded by water, strengthening the international airport functions of the National Capital Region is indispensable to ensure that we host a successful 2020 Games and continue to grow after this event. To this end, I definitely hope to expand Haneda Airport’s capacity after gaining the understanding of those in the relevant local municipalities. In response to fears over noise and safety, we will urge the central government to give a detailed explanation and provide accurate information.

Improving the road network around Haneda and the waterfront area is also an important challenge we face. Upon discussions with the national government, Ota Ward, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Kawasaki City, we were able to arrive at an agreement to build the Tamagawa Tunnel of Route 357, which we had been requesting the nation, simultaneously with the construction of a road linking the area around Haneda Airport and the Keihin waterfront area on the Kawasaki side.

The Tokyo waterfront city will be the site of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Village and many competition venues. As this area is also expected to continue to develop significantly after the Games, it would be necessary to bolster its transportation system. Other than working to develop a new medium-scale public transit system that could be based on BRT and the opening of new bus routes, we will advance efforts that are linked to urban renewal such as the establishment of a new Hibiya Line station in the Toranomon area where Ring Road No. 2 passes.

We will drive Japan’s economic growth by further refining the urban functions of Tokyo, improving convenience, and raising our international competitiveness.