Message from the President Union Profile Creating a new era from Kansai. Under this aspiration, the prefectures and the government- Name of our Union : The Union of Kansai Governments(hereinafter reffered to as a“UKG”) ordinance-designated cities in the Kansai area cooperated and organized the Union of Kansai Date of Establishment : December 1st, 2010 Governments (UKG), a special regional public organization. Member : Shiga Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Osaka Prefecture, Hyogo Prefecture， Since then, the UKG has been actively engaged in the planning and coordination of policies Nara Prefecture,Wakayama Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, Tokushima Prefecture, Kyoto City, Osaka City, Sakai City, Kobe City (Fukui and Mie across the Kansai area, including region-wide infrastructural development and measures for Lake Prefectures participated as UKG partners.) Biwa and the Yodo River area. Additionally, the UKG has promptly provided support to the areas ※Osaka City and Sakai City joined the Union on April 23rd, 2012.Kyoto City and Kobe City joined stricken by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Kumamoto Earthquake disasters under a coun- the Union on August 14th, 2012. Nara Prefecture joined the Union on December 4th,2015 terpart method and promoted tourism under the cooperation of the public and private sectors The President : Toshizo Ido (Governor of Hyogo Prefecture) through the Kansai Tourism Bureau. The UKG also collaborated in the joint operation of the heli- The Vice President : Yoshinobu Nisaka (Governor of Wakayama Prefecture) copter ambulance services, which individual local governments have difficulty handling alone. The Commission of : When the president of the UKG makes decisions about its policies the "Commission of the Union of Kansai The excess concentration of population and industry in the Tokyo metropolitan area and popula- the Union of Kansai Governments" coordinates and communicates those decisions with the UKG member prefectures. The gover- nors and mayors of the UKG members who have been appointed to the commissioners of the UKG divisions tion decline are progressing in Japan, and the probability of a near-field earthquake in the Tokyo Governments President then take responsibility for each project. The Commission shares responsibilities in making decisions and metropolitan area as well as the Nankai Trough earthquake is increasing. We must achieve a providing their services. Toshizo Ido bilateral structure of the nation with a decentralized society where local matters can be decided (Governor of Hyogo Prefecture) locally. （Commissioner） ■Region-wide Industrial Promotion Office Commissioner Governor of Osaka Prefecture While working on the realization of the relocation of government agencies to the Kansai area, ■Region-wide Disaster Preparedness Office Commissioner Governor of Hyogo Prefecture Vice Commissioner Mayor of Osaka City following the relocation the Agency for Cultural Affairs to Kyoto, the UKG will continue requesting the transfer of the juris- Vice Commissioner Governor of Nara Prefecture Vice Commissioner Mayor of Sakai City Vice Commissioner Mayor of Kobe City Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Promotion Governor of Wakayama Prefecture diction of the national government’s branch offices to local governments and a wide range of administrative authority of ■Region-wide Tourism ,Culture and Sports Promotion Office Commissioner Governor of Kyoto Prefecture the national government to local governments. Vice Commissioner Governor of Nara Prefecture ■Region-wide Medical Services Office Commissioner Governor of Tokushima Prefecture Vice Commissioner Mayor of Kyoto City In addition to Kansai’s“Golden Sports Years,” continuing from the Rugby World Cup 2019 to World Masters Games 2021 Sports Promotion Governor of Hyogo Prefecture ■Region-wide Environmental Conservation Office Commissioner Governor of Shiga Prefecture Vice Commissioner Governor of Tottori Prefecture ■Region-wide Staff Training Office Commissioner Governor of Wakayama Prefecture Kansai, plus the decision to hold the EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, the world will have a keen eye on Kansai. Geopark Promotion Governor of Tottori Prefecture Taking advantage of this opportunity, the UKG will unite the power of the public and private sectors and promote initia- tives for the development of the entire Kansai area by making use of the potential of Kansai. Also, based on the past The Assembly of : As a legislative body, the Assembly has the authority that is equivalent to assemblies of local governments, the Union of Kansai efforts, while keeping an eye on the future directionality and role of the UKG, we will enhance its presence toward the including revision and repeal of ordinances and budget resolution. It is composed of thirty-nine members Governments selected from prefectural assemblies and city assemblies of the UKG. realization of a full-scale decentralized society. The Council of the Union : In this council we will hear a wide range of opinions from residents and Based on the UKG’s philosophy of one Kansai, and each region of Kansai, the region-wide governments will work together of Kansai Governments discuss issues that face the region of Kansai. We will also discuss our for“the creation of a vibrant Kansai” while taking advantage of the diversity of respective regions, for which we appreciate Union’s vision for the future. your support and cooperation. Bureau : We will set up a bureau headquarters to conduct official work such as general coordination and planning, Decentralization policy and things related to certification examinations and licenses. Also, we will have branch offices located in some other prefectures to conduct other field office work Purpose of Establishment which will be in charge of those respective fields. The office workers to do all this are officers from prefectural or city government offices. Additionally, we have our Union assembly bureau in order and ready to go to support our Creating the dawning of a new era in Kansai and workers’actions. moving towards a new age in Kansai! Perspective of our Union Realizing the power of our region! The Commission of the UKG Vice President Towards the realization of a decentralized system! UKG Assembly President Commissioner To break thorough national centralization and the excessive concentration of population and industry in UKG Assembly Members’ General Affairs Standing Committee Special Committee for Devolution General Meeting the Tokyo Metropolitan area; to establish a decentralized system that will let each region make its own Industry & Environment Standing Committee Energy Panel decisions and have individual responsibility, Kansai will start making a realistic system where each region Governing board Disaster Risk Reduction & Medical Services Standing Committee will take the initiative in dealing with their own issues, and break the impasse to the decentralization of Region-wide Infrastructure Panel authority as a first region to do so before the rest of Japan. Election Administration Committee Responsible political entity over the entire Kansai region Inspection commissioner Accounts manager UKG Council We will band together and make concerted efforts with the relevant prefectures and cities in order to Equity Commission realize our common vision. First, we will organize an inter-prefectural disaster prevention framework and Bureau provide an inter-prefectural system for emergency to prepare for a large-scale disaster such as a Nankai Trough Mega-thrust Earthquake. Also, in the future, we will make a standardized transportation system The headquarters for traffic and the distribution of goods in order to enhance Kansai’s competitive strength. secretariat The field secretariat UKG Assembly General Affairs, Region-wide Tourism, Region-wide Bureau Planning, Promotion of Partnership, Culture, and Industrial Organize an acceptance mechanism of official work from the federal government branch offices Projects, Decentralization, Sports Promotion Office Promotion Office Certification Exams and Licensing Region-wide Region-wide Region-wide We will utilize each association’s individual characters and resources effectively and also we will resolve Region-wide Disaster Medical Services Environmental Staff Training a double administrative management between the federal and the local region with the taking up of the Special Zone Preparedness Office Sports Office Conservation Office Agriculture, Promotion Promotion Office delegated official work from the federal level by using our inter-prefectural regional autonomy. We will Forestry and Fisheries restructure the existing framework down to the regional level of Kansai resulting in a more slim and Innovation Geopark Audit commissioners’ Promotion efficient system. office Promotion Promotion 02.