Japan's secondary capital bill passed as parliament nears session end

Japan's lower house approved the "secondary capital" law on 24‑25 December, just before the parliamentary session concluded. The legislation, promoted by the Japan Innovation Party (維新), would designate a city—widely understood to be Osaka—as a secondary capital to complement Tokyo and to ease regional concentration.

The party also seeks to hold the Osaka gubernatorial election and a referendum on the Osaka Metropolis plan on the same day, arguing that a single vote would reduce costs. Opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party and the Democratic Party for the People, warned that the timing could advantage the Innovation Party and demanded a provision to prevent overlapping election periods. A final amendment added language to "adjust as much as possible to avoid overlapping election periods," after which the bill was voted through.

Innovation Party leader Yoshimura (吉村) said, "If voters can vote in one election, they can do it," emphasizing the perceived efficiency of a combined vote. Critics labeled the law a political manoeuvre rather than a genuine crisis‑management measure, noting that parliamentary debate had become entangled with the party's regional election strategy.