Overview
- The statutory deliberation council met on June 12 and, with only Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) delegates in attendance, set a target to finish its agreement by early December to aim for a resident referendum next spring.
- Under the large-city special-ward law the council drafts an agreement (協定書) that must be approved by both the prefectural and city assemblies and, once notified, triggers a referendum within 60 days.
- Ishin’s deputy-capital bill includes附則 that would amend the special-ward law to allow a prefecture-wide vote and effectively tie the副首都 plan to the Osaka Metropolis redesign, a linkage now slated for council discussion.
- Legal scholars and even some pro-reform lawmakers say the deputy-capital bill lacks clear definitions of ‘capital’ and ‘deputy capital’ and warn that the rushed timetable risks procedural flaws and court challenges.
- Opposition LDP-aligned and Komeito factions refused to join the council over its rules, leaving cross-party deliberation absent and raising questions about the political legitimacy and practical effects on city services, tax shares, and residents’ daily lives if the plan proceeds.