Japan debates creation of ‘special cities’ independent of prefectures
Some major cities say the proposed system would help them respond more effectively to population declines, among other regional challenges.
Local government leaders in Japan are escalating their demand for legislation to establish "special cities," a new designation that would grant major cities operating autonomy from prefectural governments. These cities argue this system would enable them to better address population decline and other regional challenges. However, prefectural governments have expressed concerns over the financial implications and the potential disruption to regional administration.
As negotiations between the two parties have hit a standstill, a central government advisory panel has begun deliberating the future governance of large cities, including the possibility of implementing a special city system. With the terms of your current subscription, you are unable to comment on this story. To comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page. Note that your subscription does not permit commenting. For further information, refer to our FAQ.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
