Greetings from the New Executive Director of JLGC
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ISSUE NO. 58• SUMMER 2006 [JLGC UPDATE] Greetings from the new Executive Director of JLGC.................................................... 1 [SPECIAL FEATURE] Municipal Mergers in Japan ................................................................................. 2 [PREFECTURE TODAY] The Tokyo You Have Never Seen........................................................................ 4 [JETAA ACTIVITIES] My JET Experience, Now and Then ....................................................................... 5 [JLGC UPDATES] Building Prosperity Together: The 69th Annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference ... 6 [JLGC UPDATES] Mayors Meet in Las Vegas for a Spectacular Conference .......................................... 7 [CORRESPONDENT FROM FORMER JLGC MEMBER] Accomplishments of our Local Government Officials Training Program.... 8 J APAN L OCAL G OVERNMENT C ENTER ( CLAIR, NEW Y ORK) Greetings from the new Executive Director of JLGC Shinji Hirai / Executive Director CLAIR UPDATE Now, we are welcoming the I formerly served as vice- 20th year of the JET Programme that governor of Tottori Prefecture, until began in 1987, and we have just March, 2005, striving to carry out celebrated the 50th anniversary of the drastic reforms. To be honest, I am first U.S.-Japan Sister City agreement. really looking forward to having the Over the last 19 years, approximately chance to witness what is going on in 44,000 JET participants, 20,000 of the U.S. and Canada at all levels of which were from the U.S. and 6,500 government as well as, contributing to from Canada, have lived and worked in the building of a “glorious bridge of Japan. The enormous success of the mutual understanding and close JET Programme is certainly due to the friendship” across the Pacific Ocean ceaseless contributions of its among the U.S, Canada and Japan. participants and alumni, and the In closing, I should be most generous support of all the parties grateful for your continuing support of concerned. Meanwhile, the number of JLGC toward the accomplishment of U.S.-Japan and Canada-Japan Sister our mission. I look forward to working City, Sister State and Sister Province with you. relationships has risen to as many as With my best regards, t is a great honor for me to salute 504. the devoted readers of the “JLGC These days, Japanese local Shinji Hirai INewsletter”. I took over as governments are charting an uncertain executive director of the Japan Local future, full of financial difficulties, not Government Center (JLGC) here in to mention a major structural reform New York on June 21. Taking this of government and society. I believe opportunity, I should like to extend my that there are no national borders that appreciation to you for your deep separate countries when it comes to Masthead: commitment to JLGC and your establishing effective and efficient The Asagao, invaluable co-operation in management of state, prefecture, or Morning Glory, is one of the most strengthening Japan’s grass-roots ties provincial and local governments popular summer flowers in Japan. with the United States and Canada. At contributing to the maximum It opens in the morning and closes the same time, I want to thank Mr. happiness of their citizens. Even in late afternoon. In the language of Naofumi Hida, my predecessor, for his though each of our countries has a flowers, it signifies short-lived love. unlimited efforts during his tenure different government system, each these past four years. I hope to be able pursues essentially the same goals: to build upon his accomplishments. providing welfare, education, Indeed, thanks to the unstinting efforts community development, economic of all of you, and of my predecessors growth, public safety, health and so on. and our staff, JLGC has gained an Indeed, we can share our wisdom and outstanding reputation throughout the our experience for a prosperous future United States and Canada. across borders. JLGC NewsLetter No. 58 • © 2006 Japan Local Government Center PAGE 1 Newsletter article on Municipal Mergers in Japan Japan Consolidates SPECIAL FEATURE Changes in the number of cities, towns and villages (Fig. 1) suburban sprawl by having jurisdiction over larger areas. Finally, with the severe financial constraints facing the national, prefecture and local governments, there is a need to streamline government operations to be as cost-effective as possible. In April 2005, therefore, Japan’s national government passed a law to here has been a history in Japan human resources if they are going to be encourage municipalities to merge (see, of the consolidation of effective in delivering the services their Figure 2 for a description of the number Tgovernmental units. Since the residents need. In addition to that of municipal mergers since 1999). This Meiji Restoration that occurred in 1868 clarity, all governments are facing a was known as The Law for Exceptional there have been two such moments of declining birth-rate and aging Measures in Municipal Mergers.Itwas municipal consolidation (see, Figure 1). population trend in Japan. This trend designed to sunset after a period of five The first, known as The Great Merger of will require local governments to have years. That, together with the available Meiji, took place in 1889. At that time, the ability to maximise the efficiency financial subsidies, of course, was to a more modern local government was with which they will provide services to give municipalities an incentive to established and so, individually, the elderly in the future. It is important, merge. municipalities need to be able to cope also, to have municipalities respond to Under the law, the Ministry of with many new responsibilities. The second, known as The Great Merger of The Progress of Municipal Mergers in Japan (Fig. 2) Showa, took place from 1953-6. Again, these mergers were in response to a further increase in the responsibilities of local governments. Now, we are entering a third consolidation, which is tentatively known as The Great Merger of Heisei. The reasons for the current wave of merger activity are more complicated than in the previous two. Nevertheless, the overriding impetus today for merging municipalities is the promotion of ‘decentralisation’. In recent years, the national government has wished to place more and more authority for government administration at the local level. So, local governments need a much greater level of certainty to operate, in terms of legal authority, in terms of financial means and in terms of PAGE 2 JLGC NewsLetter No. 58 • © 2006 Japan Local Government Center Internal Affairs and Communications consultations with each other about the and Communications involves the was asked to develop a policy for desire to combine their municipalities. municipalities, the relevant prefecture, encouraging the merger of municipal Then, the merger is decided by a vote of the citizens affected and the staff of the governments. The relevant the prefecture assembly. Ministry. There is ample time for municipalities apply for a merger to the The procedure that has been set discussion both for and against the idea prefecture after they have engaged in out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of merging (see, Figure 3). Measures for Promotion of the Municipal Mergers (Fig. 3) JLGC NewsLetter No. 58 • © 2006 Japan Local Government Center PAGE 3 The Tokyo You Have Never Seen Erena Niwa / Deputy Director PREFECTURE TODAY s everyone knows, Tokyo is E“Harajuku & Omotesando” and the Tokyo Convention & the center of Japanese —— Tokyo’s Fashion District Visitors Bureau organized “Tokyo A government, commerce, and Harajuku and Omotesando are the Festa” in February, 2006, in the culture, as well as being the place to refined shopping areas just off and Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central go to for the latest and most advanced behind Shibuya. You should explore Terminal in New York City. It was a technological gadgets. Tokyo is a Omotesando Hills, the latest hip festive exhibition bridging the sophisticated and cosmopolitan urban complex which opened in February. Tokyos of yesterday and today. The city that is evolving continuously. You Omotesando Hills is home to more many New Yorkers visiting “Tokyo can enjoy traditional Japanese sumo than 90 chic stores and trendy Festa” enjoyed viewing old Tokyo’s wrestling and kabuki theater, as well restaurants, and is always crowded huge Japanese style bridge, a as the pop arts of anime and cutting- with fashionable people. The 80-year calligraphy performance, thunderous edge fashion. But there is another old Dojunkai Aoyama Apartments Taiko drums, and the traditional fun “wild” Tokyo: You can experience the stood at this site, and was the oldest and games from days of old, when healing effects of nature in the apartment building in Japan and a Tokyo was known as Edo. They also mountains of the Tama Region, the symbol of the Omotesando area. A enjoyed new Tokyo by watching beautiful scenery of the Izu Islands, part of this apartment building has anime hits presented on a big screen. and the breathtaking Ogasawara been restored, preserving a Tokyo will hold another public event Island. Discover all of Tokyo’s connection to the history of the area. again on October 27and 28 of 2006 attractions and experience its 7For more information please visit in New York City. wonderful hospitality. http://www.omotesandohills.com/eng /index.html E“Asakusa” —— Conveying Old Edo Flavor to the Present Day ETokyo Marathon 2007 Asakusa has developed as a Monzen- On February 18, cho, or temple town, for about 400 Tokyo will host years. Senso-ji Temple originated in “Tokyo Marathon 628 A.D. and is the oldest and most 2007”. Similar to the 7For more information: impressive temple in Tokyo. Nearby, New York City and http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/in Kappabashi Street has been famous London marathons, dex.htm for more than 90 years for its the Tokyo Marathon Tokyo Metropolitan Government wholesale stores selling wax will attract enthusiastic amateur http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/en imitation food, restaurant equipment local runners and world-class glish/index.html and kitchenware.