Welcome to our Home Page, created to serve as a public forum for constructive exchange of view and relevant information on the proposed plan to build a new Japanese Capital, where the core functions of the central government, legislative, executive and judiciary, will be relocated away from Tokyo.
Tokyo, now one of the largeset cities in the world with a population of more than 12 million, has served as the nation's capital for many, many years.
Relocation of the capital, the proponents argue, will be marked as an epochal event for the country, which would help reinforce a public sense of urgency and trigger nationwide efforts for fundamental change and reform in the nation's political, economic and social structure and systems, as we head towards the next century.
There is a growing public perception in Japan that the country is now entering a third era of fundamental change and reform in its modern history. The first was the Meiji Restoration in the late 1800s and the second was the period of fundamental change and rebuilding after the end of World War 2 half a century ago that laid the cornerstone for present Japan.
The basic goal for the third period of reform is to achieve fundamental change in government in all its political, administrative and fiscal aspects through further deregulation and enhanced local autonomy and reshape the nation's economic and social structure to help build a society marked by affluence and quality of life.
The relocation of the capital with its political and central government funcitons is expected to serve as a major stimulus to push nationwide reform efforts towards attainment of this goal.
Similar relocation plans have been proposed from time to time in the past, but they seemed to catch the public attention only for a short while before quickly fading away. Many feel it is different this time.
The present proposal appears to have a much greater chance of becoming a reality. There are now definite plans to break the ground for the new capital construction project before the end of this century, and convene the national Diet in the new capital as early as in 2010.
To facilitate private-sector efforts in promoting related research and public affairs programs in support of the New Capital (Shinto ) construction plan, in 1995 the Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development formed the so-called Shinto Forum, or the Council for Promotion of New Capital Construction.
This forum on World Wide Web is designed to provide a variety of relevant information to the public as well as serve as a public forum where interested parties may offer their opinions and engage in constructive exchange of views on the New Capital Plan.
We must inform you, however, that all future information and communication in the Home Page and about the "Shinto Forum" will be in Japanese, thus limiting the access to those who have this language facility. We welcome access and participation by all those who can communicate in Japanese.
