Japan's Parliament Approves Backup Capital Bill for Emergency Relocation

Japan's Diet passed legislation to establish a "second capital" that would serve as a backup seat of government if Tokyo were rendered unusable by a major disaster such as an earthquake. The bill cleared the House of Councillors by a narrow margin of 123 votes in favour and 121 against, prompting an eight‑day extension of the main parliamentary session before it concluded on 25 July 2026.

The measure is part of a coalition agreement between Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party and the junior Japan Innovation Party (JIP). It allows the prime minister to designate a prefecture that meets population and economic criteria as the backup capital. Opposition parties argued the law favours Osaka – where JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura also serves as governor – and demanded safeguards against holding local elections and referenda on the same day. The bill’s passage paves the way for potential decentralisation of power from Tokyo and could revive JIP’s plan to transform Osaka into a metropolis similar to the capital.