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7. The fundamentals of democracy

Up to this point, I have been speaking about policies incorporated in my political policy, the Long-Term Vision for Tokyo, and the fiscal 2015 proposed budget. I believe that the road to making Tokyo the best city in the world is certainly not going to be an easy one. While engaging in reality-based, high-quality discussions with you, the members of the Assembly, I hope we will overcome the difficulties ahead together. With one year having passed since I assumed office, I have now renewed my determination. Once again, I would like to request your continued support.

Including the matters to which I have already referred, a total of 130 proposals have been presented to this regular session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, including 30 budget proposals and 85 proposed ordinances to be deliberated among the Assembly members.

Finally, in order to proceed with policies developed through repeated discussion with the members of the Assembly, I believe that the cooperation of the residents of Tokyo is essential.

As Tokyo completed its recovery from the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, on October 1, 1930, the "day of autonomy," a pamphlet titled "A Message for the Citizens of the Imperial Capital (Tokyo)" was issued by Mayor Hidejiro Nagata to the 2.3 million residents of Tokyo at the time. Hidejiro Nagata twice served as the Mayor of Tokyo, once at the time of the Great Kanto Earthquake and again during the early Showa era. The following passage can be found at the end of the pamphlet.
"The citizens of Tokyo are who will save the City of Tokyo. It is also the approximately 2,300,000 citizens who will truly gain or lose from the policies of the Tokyo city government."

I think that aphorism precisely expresses the "fundamentals of democracy." I want the future of Tokyo to be a major area of interest for the 13 million residents of this city. Furthermore, the future of Tokyo is directly linked to the future of Japan. With my sincere wish to receive the cooperation of the citizens of Tokyo for metropolitan administration, I wish to conclude my policy address to this Assembly. Thank you.