Citizen Engagement and Entrepreneurial Programs
Citizen participation, or citizen engagement, was not a normal state of affairs in the
central government until the legislation of administrative reform in 2000 encouraged the
concept of public involvement as a guideline for policymaking and implementation.
The city of Mitaka, in suburban Tokyo, with a population of 167,000, has been
innovative in promoting itself as “A City for Tomorrow,” and is a member of Cities of
Tomorrow, the International Network for Better Local Government—comprised of ten
cities around the world—supported by the Bertelsmann Foundation, Germany. Perhaps
inspired by successful precedents overseas and the tradition of its planning process
management, Mitaka tried to introduce comprehensive citizen involvement in 1999. This
was possibly the first case of its kind in Japan. Mitaka called for some 400 volunteer
citizens to draft an original plan for the city. A partnership agreement was made between
the Citizen Council for Mitaka Plan 21 Project and the city government. Ten working
groups were formed. Based on the ideas of dedicated citizens—academics, professionals,
and citizens interested in community affairs—a proposal was presented in October 2000.
This proposal formed the basis for formulating a Basic Concept and Master Plan for the
City. The learning and collaborative process fostered through the discussions was a
meaningful experience both for city staff and citizens.
The City of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, is undertaking similar endeavors.
Yokosuka is unprecedented for including citizen engagement in policymaking and policy
implementation. It is also famous for its use of information and communication
technologies in municipal administration, and has become a role model.
Operating on a smaller scale, but important in terms of citizen engagement, is
Niseko, a small ski resort town in Hokkaido. Niseko is the first local authority in Japan t o
enact a bylaw to include citizen participation in local administration. The town is famous
for its citizen-oriented administration with an annual performance report easily
understood even by children.
Tottori, the smallest prefecture in Japan with a population of 610,000, decided t o
provide assistance to victims of the 2000 earthquake in spite of the interpretation of the
law that does not allow for direct grants for personal property rehabilitation because
natural calamity damage is beyond the responsibility of government. Without support for
rebuilding houses in depopulated areas inhabited mostly by elderly residents, the area
affected by the earthquake would have deteriorated. The central government did not have
a tool to stop the governor’s resolution.