Japan: government sets criteria for designating a “backup capital”, four prefectures concerned
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NHK reports that on 27 October the government finalised the criteria for designating a “backup capital” that would take over from Tokyo in the event of a major disaster. Four prefectures (Hokkaidō, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka) would meet them, according to a Kyodo dispatch.
In this article
The essentials
According to NHK, the government finalised on 27 October the criteria for designating a “backup capital”, responsible for replacing Tokyo in a major disaster. One of them is the presence of a city representing at least 1.2% of the national population.
The four criteria (draft order of 2 October)
According to a Kyodo dispatch published by the Akita Sakigake Shimpo on 3 October, the government presented a draft order on 2 October: for population, a city designated by ordinance representing at least 1.2% of the national population; for the economy, a prefecture whose GDP is at least 2.1% of the country’s; for administration, at least 14 branches of national bodies; and, for risk, not being hit at the same time as the Tokyo region in the event of an earthquake under the capital or an eruption of Mount Fuji (no numerical threshold). As the NHK text consulted was truncated, we could not verify whether the final criteria differ from this draft.
Which prefectures are concerned?
According to Kyodo, four prefectures meet these criteria: Hokkaidō, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka, all of which have expressed their wish to become the backup capital. In a Kyodo survey conducted in July–August, Miyagi, Gunma and Hiroshima were also considering applying but would not meet the criteria, notably on population. The NHK text also lists these four prefectures among its keywords.
What comes next
According to Kyodo, a public consultation was held from 3 to 16 October, with adoption and promulgation of the order planned for the end of the month. Designation by the Prime Minister is not expected before October next year. The article says the government must explain carefully why these criteria are relevant.
What we do not know yet
The articles consulted do not report local governments’ reactions, the date of the decision in the Cabinet, or the final wording of the criteria.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
L’un d’eux est la présence d’une ville représentant au moins 1,2 % de la population nationale.Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
NHK rapporte que le gouvernement a arrêté, le 27 octobre, les critères pour désigner une « capitale de secours » qui prendrait le relais de Tokyo en cas de grande catastrophe.Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The present conditional
stem (infinitive) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient
Quatre préfectures (Hokkaidō, Aichi, Osaka et Fukuoka) y répondraient, selon une dépêche de Kyodo.Key pointsThe conditional expresses possibility, supposition, unconfirmed information and polite requests (“would”, “might”). It uses the same stem as the future and the same endings as the imparfait (-ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient): pouvoir → il pourrait. In the news it is used to avoid asserting, as in “is reported to…” or “there is a possibility…”.
04The passive voice in the present
être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)
Quelles préfectures sont concernées ?Key pointsThe passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).
05Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Le texte consulté de NHK étant tronqué, nous n’avons pas pu vérifier si les critères définitifs diffèrent de ce projet.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
06Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Quatre préfectures (Hokkaidō, Aichi, Osaka et Fukuoka) y répondraient, selon une dépêche de Kyodo.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
07Purpose with pour
pour + infinitive
NHK rapporte que le gouvernement a arrêté, le 27 octobre, les critères pour désigner une « capitale de secours » qui prendrait le relais de Tokyo en cas de grande catastrophe.Key pointsThis is the purpose, “in order to…”. Put the base form of a verb after pour. The purpose stated here is separate from whether the effect was actually achieved.
08The subject relative pronoun qui
noun + qui + verb
Selon Kyodo, quatre préfectures remplissent ces critères : Hokkaidō, Aichi, Osaka et Fukuoka, qui ont toutes exprimé leur volonté de devenir capitale de secours.Key pointsQui continues a description of the person or thing just mentioned (“the one that does…”). Because qui is itself the subject of the next verb, do not repeat the subject. The verb agrees with the noun qui refers to.
09Delimiting an interval
de … à … / du … au …
D’après Kyodo, une consultation publique a eu lieu du 3 au 16 octobre, avec une adoption et une promulgation du décret prévues en fin de mois.Key pointsDe…à… shows the start and end, “from … to …”, and is also used for changes in figures. With dates, de + le becomes du and à + le becomes au, giving forms like du 13 au 15. Check whether the interval concerns dates, times or amounts.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
NHKによると、政府は、27日、大きな災害のときに、首都の代わりの役目をする「副首都」を指定するための要件を、決めました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Cause or purpose with ため
〜ため / 〜ために
NHKによると、政府は、27日、大きな災害のときに、首都の代わりの役目をする「副首都」を指定するための要件を、決めました。Key pointsため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.
03Giving examples with など
noun / expression + など
7月から8月の共同通信のアンケートでは、宮城、群馬、広島の3県も、申請を考えていましたが、人口などの要件を満たさないとみられています。Key points“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.
04The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
NHKは、27日、政府が、大きな災害のときに首都の代わりになる「副首都」の指定要件を決めたと伝えました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
05Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
NHKは、27日、政府が、大きな災害のときに首都の代わりになる「副首都」の指定要件を決めたと伝えました。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.
06Possibility in Japanese: できる・られる
verb potential form / 〜ことができる
今日のNHKの記事が、この案から変わったかどうかは、本文が途中までしか読めず、確認できませんでした。Key pointsできる is the basic verb for ability. The potential form of 受ける is 受けられる. The same られる can also be passive or honorific, so decide from the meaning of the sentence.