Japan plans bill to name secondary capitals while Tokyo endures record rain
The Japanese government is preparing a bill that would allow a prefecture outside the Tokyo metropolitan area to be designated as a secondary capital if it hosts a city with 1‑2% of the national population, a GDP share of at least 2.1%, and half of the 28 government agencies, with four prefectures – Hokkaido, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka – likely to meet the criteria; the draft will be released for public comment later this month. At the same time, Tokyo has recorded a historic 35 consecutive days of rain, bringing total precipitation to 629 mm since early September and sharply reducing sunshine t1,2,3
The prolonged rainfall is disrupting daily life and has driven up vegetable prices due to crop damage in surrounding agricultural zones, while also depressing tourism in the capital; the secondary‑capital proposal aims to spread governmental functions away from Tokyo to reduce disaster‑risk concentration. Both developments could affect aviation operations, as the rain may disrupt flights at Tokyo’s major airports and the relocation of agencies could shift travel demand toward the identified prefectures.1,2,3