Japan approves plan to create second capital outside Tokyo

PoliticsOsaka emerges as front-runner despite decades of corporate outflowTourists crowd around Ebisubashi bridge in Osaka as they pose for photos on June 1. (Photo by Toshiki Sasazu) MAYUKO KURIHARAJuly 24, 2026 21:56 JSTTOKYO -- Japan's parliament on Friday approved a plan to create a "second capital" capable of keeping the country running if disaster strikes Tokyo, launching an ambitious attempt to loosen the political and economic grip of the nation's dominant metropolis.