Japan's ruling parties trim Vice‑Capital bill, restrict Osaka vote to city limits

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) approved a revised version of the “Vice‑Capital” bill on 23 June 2026. The amendment deletes the previously proposed clause that would have allowed a prefecture‑wide resident referendum on creating special wards and renaming the area a “city.” Instead, the vote on the Osaka‑area plan is now limited to Osaka city alone.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed strong support for the broader “sub‑capital” concept, saying it represents a first‑ever governance reform in Japan. Ishin leader Yoshimura, however, showed visible disappointment, noting that the loss of the wider referendum “makes passage more difficult” and that the party had hoped the vote would be expanded beyond the city. The coalition plans to submit the bill to the Diet in the current session, aiming for enactment before the session ends.

The change reflects a compromise between the two parties: while LDP backs the overall idea, it removed the contentious resident‑vote provision after concerns that it might conflict with constitutional guarantees of local autonomy. Ishin says it will discuss its response to the revision in the coming days.