Law to establish "second capital" to back up Tokyo goes into effect

Legislation to establish a "second capital" to serve as a backup for Tokyo's core functions and decentralize economic activity went into effect Friday, paving the way for eligible prefectures to apply for designation.The law is a pillar of the coalition agreement signed a year ago by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior ally, the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party, which aims to reorganize the western Japan city into a metropolis like Tokyo by introducing special wards.The government is expected to announce in November its basic approach to second capital …READ FULL ARTICLE