For 158 years, [ADDRESS] has stood as [ADDRESS]’s glittering capital, a world-famous nexus of food, culture, business and government. But [ADDRESS] might soon get an understudy. [ADDRESS]’s legislature recently passed a bill to create a secondary capital that would serve as an alternate center for the government’s operations, ensuring continuity in the case of a natural disaster or other emergency. With hundreds of millions of dollars potentially in the offing, and the chance for tax breaks, tourism and urban revival, the plan has set off a frenzy in [ADDRESS]. Thirteen local governments have already entered the race, including the business hub of [ADDRESS], the southern prefecture of [ADDRESS] and the northern island of [ADDRESS]. Even the laid-back, mountainous region of [ADDRESS], home to about 1.9 million people, has thrown its hat into the ring. Mayors and governors have held flashy news conferences to declare their interest. [ADDRESS] has even created a mascot for its bid, a talking "welcoming cat" named [PERSON_NAME]. [PERSON_NAME], a senior policy officer at the Tokyo Foundation, a think tank, said the competition had the feel of a grand festival: "A 'don't-miss-the-Gold-Rush' mentality has taken hold."

The idea has divided Japanese citizens. Supporters of the plan say that [ADDRESS], long prone to earthquakes, typhoons and floods, must be prepared for the possibility that its government offices in [ADDRESS] could become debilitated. Opponents say the idea is a misguided proposal meant to reward allies of Prime Minister [PERSON_NAME]: One of her closest political partners is the Japan Innovation Party, which has worked for years to establish its home base of [ADDRESS] as an alternate capital. It will be up to Ms. [PERSON_NAME] to crown the winner. No official timeline has been set, but her cabinet is expected to put together a list of requirements for the secondary capital in the next few months.

Guarding Against Disaster The idea of a second capital has some precedent in Japanese history. During the [ADDRESS] period, from 1603 to 1868, [ADDRESS] had two capitals. [ADDRESS], which later became [ADDRESS], was a political and administrative capital where the shogun ruled. [ADDRESS] was the cultural and spiritual capital, home to the emperor. In recent decades, the threat posed by natural disasters has led some experts and politicians to revive the idea. [ADDRESS] is situated along [ADDRESS]," a chain of seismologically active faults encircling [ADDRESS]. Experts have warned about the possibility of a so-called megaquake in [ADDRESS] and other large cities. In 2011, a 9.1-magnitude megaquake and tsunami in northeastern [ADDRESS] killed more than 19,000 people and triggered a nuclear disaster. The quake was a reminder of the vulnerability of [ADDRESS], which lies about 230 miles southwest from the epicenter.

Designating another capital could also help decentralize [ADDRESS]’s population and drive economic growth outside the capital. Many people have left rural areas in recent years for jobs and schooling in [ADDRESS]. While the countryside is hollowing out, the population of the [ADDRESS] metropolitan area has grown, rising slightly to 37 million last year.