LDP and JIP Strike Deal to Scrap Osaka-Only Rule for Japan's 'Secondary Capital'

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Nippon Ishin no Kai (JIP), have reached a pivotal agreement to remove the contentious requirement that a 'secondary capital' function must be located within a special ward. This move fundamentally reshapes the political and administrative landscape of the proposal, opening the competition to prefectures nationwide and breaking Osaka's perceived monopoly on the role.

The agreement, which centers on legislation for decentralizing national administrative functions, specifically eliminates the clause that would have restricted the secondary capital to a city with wards, such as Osaka. This concession by JIP, which has strong ties to Osaka, signals a strategic compromise within the ruling coalition and reflects broader political negotiations over regional power and national infrastructure. The shift redirects the policy's focus from a single metropolitan area to a wider, prefecture-based framework.

The decision immediately escalates competition among regional governments, with prefectures outside the Kansai region now positioned to bid for the significant economic and symbolic status of hosting decentralized government functions. It reduces Osaka's leverage while testing the cohesion of the LDP-JIP alliance on regional policy. The revision marks a critical step in the legislation's path, transforming it from a locally focused initiative into a national project with wider implications for Japan's administrative geography and inter-regional rivalry.