[Online Press Conference by the Governor of Shiga Prefecture] A vision for a local government’s future during and after the COVID-19 era
2020.10.30
An online press conference by the governor of Shiga Prefecture
A vision for a local government’s future during and after the COVID-19 era
Challenges of Shiga Prefecture, Home to Lake Biwa
November 12, 2020 (4:00 – 5:10 PM)
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■From its experiences so far with COVID-19, the Shiga Prefectural Government has determined its policy direction for the COVID-19 era and beyond, focusing on three pillars: “protecting life and livelihood,” “green recovery,” and “prioritizing the next generation.” What are the concrete measures?
■In Shiga Prefecture’s Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, vertical circulation through all layers which brings oxygen to the lake bottom has not been observed for the past two consecutive years. How should we deal with this climate change SOS from Lake Biwa?
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Located near the center of the Japanese Archipelago, Shiga is a tiny prefecture surrounded by mountains, accounting for one-hundredth of the whole country in terms of population and land area. However, Shiga Prefecture also features Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, which provides water to 14.5 million residents, including those in neighboring prefectures. Mr. MIKAZUKI Taizo, governor of Shiga Prefecture, will talk about his vision for the prefecture’s future in the COVID-19 era and beyond at an online press conference.
— Lessons learned from the pandemic —
The previously unknown infectious disease COVID-19 has forced Shiga Prefecture to confront numerous challenges. Amid the pandemic, the Shiga Prefectural Government (SPG) has concentrated its efforts on infectious disease control measures while recording its experiences, problems, and lessons learned, to share them with citizens across the prefecture and apply them to planning in the future.
Governor Mikazuki, having experienced the impact of COVID-19, has spoken with many intellectuals such as Dr. Emmanuel Todd, searching for how Shiga Prefecture should transform itself going forward. Through these discussions, Mr. Mikazuki has rediscovered the value of the “altruistic mind (rita no kokoro)” passed down through the generations in Shiga.
— A climate change SOS from Lake Biwa —
The SPG has also recognized the importance of an SOS from Lake Biwa warning of climate change. Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, is blessed with a rich ecosystem, and has supported people’s lives since ancient times. In the 1970s, corresponding to the country’s rapid economic growth, the lake’s water environment was seriously deteriorated by wastewater. A sense of danger was shared among citizens, who initiated a civil movement to urge the SPG to take appropriate measures, leading to the enactment in 1980 of Japan’s first local ordinance to ban the sale or use of household synthetic detergents containing phosphorus and regulating industrial wastewater containing nitrogen or phosphorus. With this history, Shiga Prefecture has worked to improve Lake Biwa's water quality and advance environmental policies.
Normally in Lake Biwa, the oxygen-rich water at the surface of the lake descends to the bottom of the lake when cooled in the winter and mixes with the water at the bottom of the lake which lacks oxygen, in a process known as vertical circulation. However, an anomaly is now happening in Lake Biwa. Vertical circulation through all layers has not been observed for two consecutive years in a row, the first time this has happened since observation began. The cause is thought to be global warming, with dead fish and shrimp found in an oxygen-deprived state at the lake bottom.
— A vision for the prefecture’s future —
Based on the above, the SPG has determined its policy direction for the COVID-19 era and beyond, focusing on three pillars: “protecting life and livelihood,” “green recovery,” and “prioritizing the next generation.” The SPG plans to implement concrete measures as soon as possible, pursuing greater local autonomy and aiming for Shiga Prefecture to become a world attraction.
Governor Mikazuki will talk about the prefecture’s basic stance and concrete measures at an online press conference open for foreign correspondents and embassy officials.
To participate, please apply by following the directions below.
We are looking forward to your participation!
*Please note this will be an online press briefing held as a Zoom webinar (sponsored by Shiga Prefecture).
■Date: November 12 (Thu), 2020, 16:00-17:10 (Deadline for application: Noon, November 11)
■Speaker: Taizo Mikazuki, Governor of Shiga Prefecture
■Language: Japanese, with consecutive English interpretation
◎There will be a Q&A session at the end. Please send any questions for the Governor or topics you are interested in to sc@fpcjpn.or.jp in advance.
◎Embassy representatives may also participate and ask questions in the conference (admission free).
[How to Apply]
Please refer to either the email or fax we sent.
*We will not be accepting applications by email.
[Contact]
Foreign Press Center Japan (Ms. Yoshida and Ms. Hamada)
e-mail: sc@fpcjpn.or.jp
