Why earthquake-prone Japan wants to set up a second capital
Japan's Parliament passed a bill on July 24 allowing the Prime Minister to designate a secondary capital to ensure government operations during major disasters, following a recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Kumamoto. This legislation aims to bolster resilience against frequent earthquakes, with Osaka emerging as a potential candidate for the new capital. Previous attempts to establish an alternative capital were rejected in 2015 and 2020, highlighting the urgency of this measure.