4 prefs. likely eligible for Japan 2nd capital status in draft conditions

TOKYO - Four Japanese prefectures are likely to be eligible to apply for designation as a "second capital" backup region for Tokyo in a draft ordinance that follows enactment of legislation to create the status earlier this year, government sources said Friday.

The conditions, including population size of their cities and exposure to disasters affecting Tokyo, would likely limit candidates to Hokkaido in the north, Aichi Prefecture in central Japan, the western economic hub of Osaka Prefecture and Fukuoka in the southwest.