Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui and Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura took the first step Monday toward realizing their dream of making Osaka the nation's second — or vice — capital.
The two leaders opened an office consisting of prefectural and municipal bureaucrats tasked with looking into how the city can best serve as a back-up administrative capital, such as by hosting various government bodies now located in Tokyo.
Headed by Matsui and Yoshimura, the office also has the support of Cabinet adviser Taichi Sakaiya, a powerful behind-the-scenes figure and friend of Matsui who reportedly was responsible for bringing former Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto into politics.