No.73 National Urban Issues Conference

The National Urban Issues Conference was held in Naha City from November 9 to 10, 2017, and I attended. This conference is co-hosted by four organizations: the National Association of Mayors, the Goto-Yasuda Memorial Tokyo Urban Research Institute, the Japan Urban Center, and the host city Naha. Mayors, city council members, local government officials, and researchers from across the country gather to discuss urban issues and local governance.
This is the 79th meeting in a long-standing history. The 1st meeting was held in Osaka City in 1927, the 2nd in Tokyo City in 1930, and thereafter it has been held every other year in various locations. After a suspension during the war, it has been held annually across the country since 1948 in Osaka City.
The theme of the first session was fire prevention, building and substandard housing improvement, Land Readjustment Project, open spaces and parks, while the theme of the second session was suburban area control, street traffic control, and beneficiary burden. It is clear that the issues addressed were in line with the historical context of the time. While we respect the pioneering efforts of our predecessors, we also reflect on the fact that the issues identified 90 years ago have not yet been completely resolved today.
The Goto-Yasuda Memorial Tokyo City Research Institute was originally established as the Tokyo City Administration Research Association, a foundation corporation founded in Taisho 11 by Shinpei Goto, who was then the Mayor of Tokyo. It was renamed when it transitioned to a public interest incorporated foundation in Heisei 24.
Mayor Goto advocated for the establishment of a large research institution to bring scientific methods to political administration. Upon assuming office as Tokyo Mayor in 1920, he proposed the creation of an independent research organization modeled after the New York City Bureau of Municipal Research. Banker Zenjiro Yasuda, who sympathized with this idea, generously donated 3.5 million yen—a remarkable amount at the time—to make it a reality. Based on this donation, the City Administration Hall and Hibiya Public Hall were constructed. In 1999, these buildings were designated as historic structures selected by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

On the first day of this meeting, there were lectures from five people. Among them, Ms. Mikiko Kakuma, Mayor of Naha City, reported on the Community Development of Naha City, which is progressing toward becoming an international city; Associate Professor Yusuke Yamashita from the Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, gave a lecture on "The Reality of a Declining Population Society and the Role of Urban Municipalities"; and Professor Yoshio Shimoji, Dean of the Faculty of Tourism Industry Science at the University of the Ryukyus, gave a lecture on "Okinawa Tourism Entering a New Stage."
Recent discussions on regional revitalization have focused mainly on tourism businesses expecting inbound visitors, and the international city of Okinawa is also promoting itself as a tourism-oriented prefecture. However, according to Mr. Yamashita, tourism is meaningful for exchange rather than solely for earning money. While transportation and accommodation industries benefit financially, there is also the fact that the tourist destinations directly providing the content do not receive much money.
On the second day of the meeting, Professor Haruhiko Goto from Waseda University's School of Science and Engineering served as the coordinator, and a panel discussion with five participants was held. The theme was "The Charm of Cities Connected by People and Regional Revitalization Strategies," where the panelists discussed the practice of Community Development from both public and private perspectives, focusing on human connections.
After the closing, we took a brief tour of Naha City before boarding the plane and visited the former Navy Command Bunker located on a small hill in Tomigusuku City. While being amazed at the massive underground facility built by manual labor despite the shortage of materials near the end of the war, we were once again reminded of the horrors of war and the importance of peace.
This time, for the first time in its 90-year history, the event was held in Okinawa Prefecture. Given the current political instability and military situation in Northeast Asia, it was very meaningful that it was held in Okinawa, which is at the center of base and territorial issues. We believe it is necessary to visit Okinawa more and to get to know Okinawa better.