Governor Yuriko Koike of Tokyo issued an urgent statement at a press conference against the curtailment of university capacity in the 23rd ward of Tokyo.The government will soon pass a cabinet decision on a bill calling for 10 years of restraint and will now submit it to the ordinary session of the Diet, but the city has held a symposium against this and has indicated its willingness to resist.
Governor Koike said that the government is trying to curb the number of universities in the 23rd ward because of the correction of the overconcentration in Tokyo. He strongly criticized the government's stance, saying, "There is not enough explanation to the local government and we are not paying attention to the essence of what the university should be."
Regarding regional revitalization, he said, "It is important not to fuel the composition of Tokyo vs. the region, but to lead to the development of the whole of Japan through coexistence and co-prosperity." I would like to request that we continue to have sincere discussions toward this. "
A symposium against capacity restraint was held on the 9th at the Tomin Hall in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. In addition to Governor Koike, education critic and specially appointed professor at Showa Women's University Naoki Ogi, and talent Patrick Harlan , Showa Women's University Faculty of Global Business Faculty, Specially Appointed Professor Naohiro Yashiro will be a panelist and exchange opinions on government policy.
