1 •Region-wide Union is stipulated in Article 284 of the Local Autonomy Act.

•The Union is a special local public entity with an assembly and administrative commissions.

2 •The Union can meet multiple cross-prefectural, region-wide, administrative needs flexibly.

•The central government can delegate authority as well as administrative and clerical tasks under the law to the Union.

3 •The Union of Kansai Governments is a local public entity, which consists of seven prefectures in Kansai.

•It was established on December 1, 2010. It is ’s first cross-prefectural union of local governments.

4 1. Realization of a decentralized nation

•The Union will strive to break down the centralized governance system, reduce the over- concentration of political and business activities in .

•We will turn Japan into a decentralized nation that will allow each region to make its own decisions and act on its own responsibly.

5 2. Organization responsible for the Kansai-wide administration

•The Union will develop a region-wide disaster contingency scheme to prepare for earthquakes and establish a cross-prefectural emergency medical service system using helicopters.

•The Union is planning to bring all transportation and logistics infrastructure in the Kansai region under the single management in the future.

6 3. Preparation for transferring administrative and clerical tasks from local agencies of the central government

•The Union will prepare for transferring authority as well as administrative and clerical tasks that should be delegated from the local agencies of the central government. •Such transfer will streamline overlapping administrative services between the national and local governments.

7 1. Profile

•Name: The Union of Kansai Governments •Establishment: December 1, 2010 •Member prefectures: Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, , Tottori and Tokushima •President: Toshizo Ido ( of Hyogo Prefecture) •Vice President: Yoshinobu Nisaka (Governor of ) •The Committee of the Union of Kansai Governments: The Committee, which comprises the governors of all member prefectures, was established to properly reflect the diverse range of views of all members. •The Assembly of the Union of Kansai Governments: The Assembly comprises 20 members elected from each member’s prefectural assembly. The Assembly establishes and abolishes ordinances, and approves budgets.

8 •The Assembly of the Union of Kansai Governments: The Assembly comprises 20 members elected from each member’s prefectural assembly. The Assembly establishes and abolishes ordinances, and approves budgets. •The Council of the Union of Kansai Governments: Seeking a wide range of opinions from stakeholders including local residents, the Council will discuss not only the Union’s projects, but also the future direction of the Union. •Secretariat: The primary responsibility of the Secretariat is to perform administrative and clerical tasks in member prefectures. The Main Office takes charge of general affairs and planning, as well as administrative and clerical tasks related to certification exams, licensing, etc. Field Offices are located in the prefectures of the committee members in charge, and perform administrative and clerical tasks in each specialized subject matter.

9 ⅣⅣ OOrrggaanniizzaattiioonn pprrooffiillee 2. Structure

The Assembly of the The Committee of the Union Union of Kansai of Kansai Governments Governments Chairperson (President of the Union of Kansai Governments)

Election Administration Commission The Council of the Audit Commissioner Union of Kansai Equity Commission Governments

Accounting Administrator Secretariat

Main Office Region-wide Region-wide Region-wide Region-wide Region-wide Region-wide General affairs and Promotion of Medical Disaster Industrial Environmental Staff Training planning, certification Tourism and Services Preparedness Promotion Conservation Office Culture Office exams, licensing, etc. Office Office Office (Wakayama Office (Tokushima (Osaka City) (Hyogo Pref.) (Osaka Pref.) (Shiga Pref. ) Pref.) (Kyoto Pref.) Pref.) 10 1. Region-wide disaster preparedness

Ensure safety and security for local residents by improving disaster preparedness through region-wide collaboration

Major tasks •Formulate the Kansai-wide Disaster Preparedness Plan • Implement joint disaster drills for Kansai area prefectures •Plan and stockpile relief supplies •Promote cooperation and coordination among member prefectures in the event of emergency situations such as the spread of infectious diseases

11 2. Region-wide promotion of tourism and culture

Enhance the attractiveness of the Kansai region through strategic tourism promotion

Major tasks •Promote the Kansai region to the world to attract tourists •Establish a Kansai Region Guide-interpreter qualification (provisional name) •Conduct statistical surveys on tourism across the Kansai region •Standardize tourism signs across the Kansai region

12 3. Region-wide industrial promotion

Increase Kansai’s competitiveness in Asia through strategic region- wide industrial promotion

Major tasks

•Promote coordination among industrial clusters in the Kansai region •Promote coordination among public testing laboratories •Hold joint promotion and business matchup events •Support venture businesses under New Product Purchase Certification Scheme

13 4. Region-wide medical service

Provide safer and more reliable medical services by promoting region-wide coordination of emergency medical services

Major tasks •Formulate the Kansai-wide Emergency Medical Service Coordination Plan •Deploy and dispatch air ambulance helicopters across the Kansai region •Establish an excellent region-wide emergency medical service system

14 5. Region-wide environmental conservation

Make region-wide environmental conservation efforts to develop Kansai into an environmentally advanced region

Major tasks •Formulate the Kansai-wide Environmental Conservation Plan •Make region-wide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions •Make cross-prefectural efforts to protect wildlife

15 6. Certification exams, licensing, etc.

Consolidate prefecture-by- prefecture exams into one to improve the efficiency of administrative and clerical work

Major tasks

•Exams, licensing, etc. for Licensed Cook and Confectionery Hygiene Master •Exams, licensing, etc. for Licensed Practical Nurse

16 7. Region-wide staff training

Improve the Union’s capability to perform its duties by developing its staff into human resources that can have a region-wide perspective

Major tasks

•Conduct region-wide staff training

17 Transferring administrative and clerical tasks from local agencies of the central government

•In line with the Local Sovereignty Strategy Policy, the Union will strongly request the central government to abolish its local agencies in principle.

•Accordingly, The Union has established the Task Force on the Central Government’s Local Agencies, whose leader is Toru Hashimoto (Governor of ), and discuss the details with the central government.

18 Budget と逆？ Revenue??? Expenditure Unit: thousand yen FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 Administration costs 87,179 165,922 175,670 Task costs 4,913 116,855 128,743 Specified Task costs ※1 0 209,831 209,831 Total 83,092 492,608 514,244 ※1: Task for specified benefits（dispatching air ambulance helicopters）

Expenditure Unit: thousand yen FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 Share of costs 83,092 387,693 409,329 National subsidy ※2 0 104,915 104,915 Task revenue 0 0 0 Total 83,092 492,608 514,244 ※ 2: Subsidy for tasks to dispatch air ambulance helicopters 19 TThhaannkk yyoouu vveerryy mmuucchh ffoorr yyoouurr kkiinndd aatttteennttiioonn..

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