"In the future... we will replace a lot of elected representatives like myself"
Notobu Hosaka is the mayor of Setagaya, the most populous district in the Tokyo prefecture. Previously, he was an activist and a leading national legislator known for his progressive politics. But after the 2011 earthquake, Hosaka, impressed by the courageous response of local governments, Hosaka decided to switch to the local level.
Hosaka is the author of 30 books, including one comparing Setagaya with the city of Portland, Oregon. In our conversation one recent evening in the Setagaya district hall, I asked him about whether Japan’s local districts and wards have the authority and capacity to tackle the biggest problems. His reply:
“We have no power to order something, or do something all by ourselves. But we can make platforms to do new projects and work with governments. And in this way, we do work on housings, and areas of sustainability, with wind power or water power.
It can be very interesting. Districts in Tokyo don’t have enough area or space to make energy, but we’ve worked with other districts in Tokyo and outside Tokyo. With the Nagano prefecture [well outside Tokyo, famous for hosting the Winter Olympics], we have projects for sustainability and clean energy.
In democracy, we have to learn from each other. I spent time in Portland. I’ve visited many times, and I learned a lot about transit, participation, and zoning. And parks. And Portland inspired me to take the train that ran through the middle of our district, and put the train underground and build a park over it...
When we talk about learning, we need political education, especially for younger generations. Eight years ago, I helped start a political school for the youth, to teach how to continue the reform of politics and work in these areas.
Some of those young people who went to school have been elected. But we need not just elected representatives. We need both representative and direct democracy. We have to work all over the world to have a lottery system that brings together people and the lawmakers to decide together… We have to decide together.
And in the future, I think we will replace a lot of the elected representatives like myself."
