On January 23, a disaster readiness drill led by a committee consisting of businesses in the Ikebukuro Station vicinity was conducted to deal with stranded people in the terminal in the event of an earthquake. The drill was performed under the assumption that buildings around the station were greatly damaged and a large number of people were injured. Exercises including the opening up of roads, carrying out and transporting injured people, triage, and evacuation guidance were conducted in drizzling rain with 4,500 participants.

Photo: People evacuating from the subway concourse to the West Exit traffic circle at Ikebukuro Station.

From January 30 to February 1, Japan’s largest flower event organized by Tokyo and eleven prefectures in the Kanto and Tokai regions, and flower related organizations was held at the Sunshine City Culture Center (2nd Floor Exhibition Hall D). This year’s exhibition, hosted by Tokyo, had approximately 2,150 items including bulb cut flowers, regular cut flowers, branch flowers, flower seedlings and foliage plants. Other events such as flower shows, flower design contests, and flower arrangement classes were held, making you feel the early arrival of spring.

Tokyo is conducting a project on traditional performing arts for kids, which gives elementary school children to high school students the opportunity to experience the pleasure and attractiveness of traditional Japanese performing arts and to demonstrate what they have learned by giving a performance at a major theater. The project covers three genres; Noh play, Japanese classical dance, and koto music. Approximately 300 participating children have been divided into lesson venue groups since last summer and are receiving rigorous lessons from leading performers, working towards their performance scheduled for this March.

Photo: Elementary school children receiving one-on-one kyogen lessons on stage on January 13 (Suginami Nohgakudo).

On January 26, the TOKYO MOVE UP Talk Special was held in Tokyo Midtown, Roppongi to publicize Tokyo’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Those appearing at the event included Governor Ishihara, women’s marathon silver medalist, Yuko Arimori, and members of the music group AAA (Triple A) which boasts huge popularity among young people. In front of approximately 550 visitors, mainly young women, Governor Ishihara expressed his passion for the Olympics, saying “I’m going to do my best to bring the Olympics so I ask you all to say that you want to have the Olympics in Tokyo.”

Photo: Governor Ishihara shaking hands with elementary school judoists who are looking to compete at the 2016 Olympics.

A fourth runway, Runway D, is under construction at Haneda Airport, which is on the verge of reaching maximum capacity due to the increasing number of incoming and outgoing flights. A bird’s-eye view clearly shows the land reclamation at the mouth of the Tamagawa River and the emerging structure of the 2,500 meter runway. Completion of the runway will increase airport capacity from an annual 296,000 flights to 407,000 flights.

Photo: Haneda Airport and Runway D under construction at the far end of the airport

Construction on the body of the Tokyo Sky Tree, which will be the tallest structure in Japan, has begun next to Narihirabashi Station (1-chome Oshiage, Sumida Ward) on the Tobu Isesaki Line. The tower will stand 610 meters tall to avoid obstructions to the signals it will be broadcasting. The second observatory, which will be open to visitors, is scheduled to boast a height of 450 meters?180 meters higher than Japan’s highest observatory today located in the Yokohama Landmark Tower.

Photo center: Tokyo Sky Tree under construction and beyond it the Sumidagawa River

The Shinonome Junction (Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway No.10 Harumi Route, Toyosu ramp) opened to traffic on February 11. Running from the left to right under the grade-separated interchange in the foreground is the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway Bayshore Route. The Ginza area can be seen in the background, and to the far left is Tokyo Tower. With the opening of this junction, cars from the Yokohama and Chiba areas can avoid passing through the often-congested Hamazaki-bashi, Hakozaki, and Edobashi junctions and go straight to the center of Tokyo.

This is a landfill located in the inner central breakwater (center of photo), created from urban waste and surplus soil from construction sites. The section of green on the landfill is where elementary school pupils and volunteers have planted saplings. Based on the Umi-no-Mori project currently underway by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, this site will be transformed into a vast 88-hectare forest in 10 years time to become the source of cool, refreshing breezes blowing from the sea into the city.

"Tokyo Snow Style," an event to provide an opportunity for children to experience snow sports, was held at the TMG Citizens’ Plaza on March 7 (Sat) and 8 (Sun). Demonstrations by skiers included freestyle pipe techniques on the 15-meter-high quarter pipe with a 45 degree inclination. The audience cheered enthusiastically as the athletes skied down the slope and soared dynamically into the air.

On March 1, the upper deck expressway of the Rainbow Bridge was closed to traffic for the "Tokyo Rainbow Walk." The event was organized by the TMG and the Japan Walking Association to gain support for the bid to host the 2016 Olympics. The approximately 7-kilometer course started from the Odaiba Marine Park in Minato Ward, crossing the Rainbow Bridge and then doubling back. Despite rainy weather, the enthusiasm for Tokyo’s Olympic bid was high among the approximately 5,000 participants, some even in wheelchairs and on crutches.

The 3rd annual Tokyo Marathon, a run straight through the heart of Tokyo, was held on March 22. The total number of participants this year for the full marathon and the 10-kilometer race was a record 35,000, including wheelchair racers and guest runners from abroad. Runners were hindered by strong winds and rain during the race when the weather took a turn for the worse, but most were able to finish the race supported by the rooting of spectators and the help of race volunteers. Ninety-seven percent of all participants were able to make it to the finish line.

Photo: The marathon starts from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building.

A campaign to promote Tokyo’s bid to host the Olympics started on March 16 with the cooperation of taxi companies in Tokyo. Stickers promoting the bid will be placed on 57,000 taxis for 200 days until October 2, when the host city of the 2016 Olympics will be chosen. To launch this campaign, a ceremony marking the occasion was held in Daiba, Minato Ward, attended by wrestler Kyoko Hamaguchi, her father ‘Animal’ Hamaguchi, and Paralympic swimmer Mayumi Narita.

Photo: Mayumi Narita applying a sticker as ‘Animal’ Hamaguchi sends off the taxis by shouting words of encouragement: "Get pumped up! It’s Tokyo in 2016!"

On April 1 a signing ceremony took place to formalize the agreement reached between the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the World Children’s Baseball Foundation to hold the 20th World Children’s Baseball Fair in Tokyo. Governor Shintaro Ishihara and World Children’s Baseball Foundation Chairman Sadaharu Oh took part in the ceremony, which was held at the 7th floor hall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1. A preliminary tournament will be held in late July with teams from six countries and regions, including Canada and Taiwan, and then from July to August of next year the main tournament will be held with teams from 24 countries and regions.

Photo: Sadaharu Oh shows off his one-legged batting swing

With the World Health Organization (WHO) raising the influenza A(H1N1) pandemic alert from phase 3 to phase 4, on April 28 a Headquarters for New Influenza Control led by the Director General of the Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health was established within the Bureau based on the TMG Action Plan for Measures Against New Influenza Viruses and the Response Manual. The newly established headquarters requested a convening of the Crisis Management Council where Deputy Director General for Crisis Management Kotaro Shimada instructed all relevant bureaus and departments to have a fully prepared response system in place.

The roughly 2.5-kilometer Tamagawa river embankment between the Mutsumibashi and Nagatabashi bridges in Fussa city is a famous spot among cherry blossom lovers. On a beautiful April 7, cyclists enjoying the balmy weather, families with picnic lunches, and young people reclining in the shade of trees reading books were among the many people lured to the embankment to enjoy the cherry blossoms.

Members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission visited Tokyo in their tour of candidate cities for the 2016 Summer Olympics. On April 17 Commission Chair Nawal El Moutawakel and the other 12 members of the Commission visited the scheduled site for the main stadium in Harumi, Chuo Ward, and other proposed competition venues. At Koto Ward’s Tokyo Big Sight, the proposed site for the Main Press Centre, Governor Shintaro Ishihara used a huge scale-model of Tokyo to explain how the proposed compact venue layout would situate nearly all Olympic facilities within an eight-kilometer radius.

Photo center: Commission Chair Moutawakel (pointing with her left hand) with Tokyo Governor Ishihara (third person to her right)

It was decided that from April 1, 2010, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government would handle waterworks operations in Okutama-machi town. On May 13 the signing ceremony for the Basic Agreement on Integration of Okutama-machi Town Waterworks into the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Waterworks took place at the Okutama-machi Welfare Center. Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara and Okutama-machi Mayor Fumio Kawamura exchanged copies of the agreement.

On May 12, a meeting between the Russian and Japanese governors to exchange views, organized by the National Governors’ Association, was held to restart the Russia-Japan Governors’ Assembly, which had been on hiatus for 10 years. Nine governors from Japan and eight from Russia participated. At the meeting Governor Ishihara requested cooperation toward the TOKYO 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid activities and promoted the fact that Tokyo possesses the most advanced technology in the world in areas such as tap-water and the technological prowess of small and medium-sized businesses. The next session will be held in Moscow next year.

On May 1, prior to the second Tokyo International Youth (U-14) Football Tournament (May 2 ? 5), the Tokyo Governor’s pep rally took place under a clear blue sky at the Metropolitan Komazawa Olympic Park General Sports Ground. The ceremony started with Governor Ishihara kicking-off the ball, which was then passed around by the junior athletes (one player from each of the 12 teams participating in the tournament) and the Egyptian Ambassador, before being brought to a close with a shot by Mr. Tsuyoshi Kitazawa, a former professional football player.

Photo: Mr. Kitazawa shoots with the young players

On May 15 the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) Personnel Commission recommended to the Governor and Assembly that TMG staff summer bonuses be cut by 0.2 months worth of pay (approximately 10%).　As a measure taken in line with forecasts for drastic reductions in private-sector summer bonuses due to the slumping economy, this was the first time ever for the commission to make special recommendations for bonus cuts. This will lead to an approximately 16.5 billion yen reduction in expenditures.

Photo: Governor Ishihara receives the recommendation from the Personnel Commission Chair

On June 24, exactly 100 days before the host city is decided for the 2016 Olympic Summer Games, the Tokyo 2016 Bid Committee set up a countdown clock on the first floor of the Tokyo International Forum’s Glass Building to display the number of days remaining until the October 2 decision. Women’s Wrestling gold medalist at the Beijing Olympics, Saori Yoshida, Women’s Weightlifting sixth place finisher Hiromi Miyake, and officials from the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) were among the attendees at the unveiling ceremony held to raise enthusiasm for the Bid.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government, in order to contribute to the prevention of global warming through the realization of a recycling-based society, aims to bring to zero the amount of waste plastics disposed of at its landfill sites by the end of FY 2010 by promoting the recycling of waste plastics, half of which are currently destined to be added to landfills. On June 26, the TMG concluded the "Zero Waste Plastics to Landfills Agreement" with industrial waste disposal operators who will cooperate in this endeavor.

This year marks the 100th since the birth of writer Osamu Dazai who is well known for his literary works such as Ningen Shikkaku (No Longer Human) and Shayo (The Setting Sun). On June 19 at Mitaka City’s Zenrin-ji temple a customary celebration honoring Dazai’s birthday took place and throngs of passionate fans turned up to cherish the memory of the author. Offerings such as portraits of the writer and bouquets of lilies were placed in front of his grave.

On June 5　Kenji Tanigawa and Kazuhisa Yamaguchi resigned as vice governors of Tokyo, and Director General of the Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs, Hiroshi Sato, took up this post. Speaking with enthusiasm Vice Governor Sato stated, “I would like to overcome difficult situations by acting swiftly and offering fresh new ideas.” This marked the start of the system with the three vice governors of Hideo Sugawara, Hiroshi Sato, and Naoki Inose, and the first meeting of top-level metropolitan officials was held on June 9.

Standing 18 meters tall, a full-scale replica of Gundam (a giant robot from the popular anime series Mobile Suit Gundam) appeared, towering over Odaiba’s Shiokaze-koen Park. The replica was created for the “Green Tokyo Gundam Project,” which aims to support the restoration of Tokyo’s abundant greenery. An unveiling ceremony was held on August 1 with the Tokyo 2016 Olympic and Paralympic bid logo affixed to the robot’s left shoulder in support of the bid.

On July 31, the two teams of Teikyo Senior High School and The Third Senior High School of Nihon University, representing East Tokyo and West Tokyo, respectively, in the summer national high school baseball championship to be held at Koshien stadium, visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and vowed to put up a good fight. They were received by Tokyo Vice-Governor Hiroshi Sato who offered encouragement saying, "I hope your teams play against each other in the finals to bring the championship pennant to Tokyo."

Photo: Both teams enthusiastically vow to give their best

The opening ceremony of the WCBF Friendship Games ’09 Tokyo, welcoming children’s baseball teams from Tokyo and five countries and regions including Canada and Germany, was held at Ota Stadium on July 29. Receiving batting instructions from Sadaharu Oh, Chairman of the World Children’s Baseball Foundation, the host organization, Governor Ishihara faced off the battery of Choji Murata (former professional pitcher and executive director of WCBF) and Atsuya Furuta (former professional catcher and a Tokyo 2016 Bid Ambassador).

Photo: Governor Ishihara swinging the bat at the opening ceremony

On July 31, the TMG launched a comprehensive telephone consultation service, Wakanavi (youth navigation), mainly targeting young people ages 18 years and over with worries such as problems in personal relationships, feelings of anxiety, or loneliness. On the day before the launch, Wakanavi campaign personality Ai Kago and others appeared at the opening event held at Shinjuku Station Square under a scorching summer sun.

The 45th election of the House of Representatives members took place on August 30. This was the first time in 107 years for the lower house election to be held in August; the last time being in 1902. Tokyo had approximately 10.6 million registered voters at the time of the election and voter turnout for single-seat constituencies was 66.37%, surpassing that of the previous general election of September 2005.

Photo: Young voters were noticeable at a polling station in Shinagawa Ward

The Tokyo Memorial Service for the War Dead was held at the Bunkyo Civic Hall on August 15, the anniversary of the end of the war. Some 1,000 participants, including surviving families from the Tokyo area, assembled for the memorial service, and as the clock struck noon offered a silent prayer to the Tokyo residents who lost their lives.

Photo: Governor Ishihara delivering his address (August 15)

The extraordinary session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, the first to be held since the July elections of the 127 assembly members, was held on August 31. At this session, elections for the Assembly’s President and Vice President were held: Ryo Tanaka assumed the post of Assembly President, and Kantaro Suzuki, Vice President. Additionally, members of the standing committees and steering committee were selected, and approval was given for the appointment of audit and inspection commissioners.

Photo: Assembly President Tanaka making his acceptance speech while Governor Shintaro Ishihara (right front row) listens..

On September 2, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released the Evaluation Commission’s report on the bids of the four cities vying for the right to host the 2016 Olympic Summer Games. At a press conference held in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building on September 3, Tsunekazu Takeda, President of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and Vice President of the Tokyo 2016 Bid Committee commented, “the report reflects what we have been emphasizing and has given our Bid a big boost.

Photo: Tokyo 2016 Bid Committee Vice President Tsunekazu Takeda (second from left) and other members holding copies of the Evaluation Commission report.

Under deep autumn skies, rice and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, Welsh onions, carrots, and peanuts lie in wait of the harvest season in Adachi Ward’s Toshi Nogyo Koen (Urban Agriculture Park), located at the confluence of the Arakawa and Shinshibakawa rivers. Amid the atmosphere of rural farm life, visitors can experience farming by digging up some potatoes, and get back in touch with nature through the buzz of the insects and the sweet aroma of the flowering plants.

A ceremony for the fiscal 2009 Tokyo Honorary Citizen and Distinguished Service Awards was held on September 24 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Sadaharu Oh (69), Chairman of the Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS Corporation, and master armor craftsman Icchu Kato (76) were bestowed the title of Honorary Citizen. Mr. Oh, who had to undergo emergency surgery just before the ceremony, was represented by family members.

Photo: Seated in front of one of his creations, Mr. Kato answers questions at a press conference.

Prior to the “Respect for the Aged Day,” on September 9 Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara visited Ms. Yae Sakurai, who celebrated her one hundredth birthday this year, at her home in Suginami Ward. Ms. Sakurai was born in 1909 to a family with a long lineage of medical practice in Kanda. With a steadiness that belied her 100 years, she enjoyed talking and reminiscing about the past with the Governor in the "Edo dialect," the dialect of old Tokyo. When asked the secret to her health she responded with a smile, "Getting up at 5:30 every morning to sweep the sidewalk and not being picky about food."

Photo: The Governor wishes Ms. Sakurai her continued good health.

Returning from Copenhagen where the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session was held, Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara held a press conference on October 4 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Six other people joined the Governor, including Tokyo 2016 Bid Committee Chair and CEO Ichiro Kono, to reflect on their activities in Copenhagen and other efforts taken in the bid.

Photo: Governor Ishihara answers questions from the media.

Seiji Maehara, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, attended a meeting of the Kanto region governors held in Maebashi City on October 27 to discuss the Yamba Dam construction with Governor Shintaro Ishihara and the five governors of prefectures bearing the dam’s construction costs. Minister Maehara stated that "While upholding the electoral manifesto of the Democratic Party, we will review methods for water control and utilization, and propose alternative solutions." The governors each expressed their views and requests in response to the minister’s explanation.

Photo: Governor Ishihara offers Minister Maehara his views concerning the Yamba Dam project

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee designated the Ogasawara Islands for inscription on the World Heritage List this June. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government held the commemoration ceremony on Chichijima, an island in the chain. The inscription certificate was displayed at the ceremony, with the occasion celebrated by all the participants.

Photo: Governor Ishihara and Ogasawara Mayor Morishita holding site inscription certificate (October 27)

On October 9 the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) Personnel Commission recommended to Governor Shintaro Ishihara and Ryo Tanaka, President of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, that metropolitan government employee salaries be reduced by an average of 0.35% in order to close wage disparities with the private sector. Seasonal bonuses will also be uniformly cut by 0.35 months, for a total average annual salary reduction of 176,000 yen per employee. This is the largest reduction on record since recommendations began back in 1951.

Photo: Governor Ishihara receives the recommendation from Personnel Commission Chair Kozo Uchida

The mayors of two cities considering a joint bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue, visited Vice Governor Naoki Inose at his office on October 27. During the meeting Vice Governor Inose, speaking from Tokyo’s bid experience, advised both mayors that nationwide enthusiasm is a must.

Photo: Using materials from Tokyo’s bid for the Olympics, Vice Governor Inose (right) gives an explanation to Mayor Akiba (center) and Mayor Taue (left).

Autumnal Leaves Turn to Gold

Near the end of November, the leaves of the more than 140 101-year-old ginkgo biloba trees lining Jingu Gaien Avenue turned deep shades of yellow. Bathing in the late autumn sunlight, large numbers of people came out to enjoy this golden hued world, strolling beneath the trees as fallen leaves crunched underfoot.

Photo: Autumn gold flanks the street leading to the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery

The "Tokyo Venture Technology Awards 2009" took place on November 6 at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center. This year’s competition drew 148 entries with the grand prize being awarded to Synthera Technologies for its development of MUSTag (Multiple Simultaneous Tag) assay technology, highly appraised as a medical technology contributing to the early detection of illness.

Photo: Governor Ishihara takes a look at Special Award winner ON-ART’s large-scale "Young Allosaurus" which is able to move about realistically.

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Enthronement of His Majesty the Emperor, on November 12, the date on which the Ceremony of Enthronement took place, a variety of events were held by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) including commemorative tree-planting at parks including Jindai Shokubutsu Botanical Park and Wakasu Kaihin Koen Park, a photo exhibition at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, light-ups of the TMG Building No. 1 and Rainbow Bridge, and the operation of buses decorated with celebratory ornaments.

Photo: A decorated bus passes in front of the Imperial Palace’s Sakuradamon gate.

　On November 24, the Ni-no-Tori fair was held at Ookunitama Jinja Shrine in Miyamachi, Fuchu City. This shrine’s Tori-no-Ichi fair is one of the big three open-air fairs of the Kanto area. Approximately 60,000 people visited the shrine on this day. Shops selling kumade, decorated bamboo rakes to “rake in good luck,” lined the shrine’s approach, and amid the loud, recession-beating cries of the shop vendors, a rhythmical clapping of hands accompanied the sales of large-sized kumade rakes.

The Tokyo Sky Tree, currently under construction in Sumida Ward, has risen to a height of over 200 meters. Utilizing the latest technology, traditional Japanese construction techniques including the use of a central column with dynamic damping effects?a method taken in five-story pagodas?were revived in the tower, which will be 634 meters tall upon completion. Tokyo Sky Tree is scheduled to begin operations as a terrestrial digital broadcasting tower in the spring of 2012, and is highly anticipated to become a new sightseeing spot in the metropolis.

　The Setagaya Boroichi (flea market) was held on December 15 and 16. With great weather on the 15th, the market was crowded with people looking for bargains. The Boroichi has a long history dating back to the Rakuichi (free market) of the Sengoku period (mid 15th to mid 17th centuries). It is currently held twice a year on the 15th and 16th of December and January, and is designated as an important intangible folk cultural asset by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

　As part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and JR East project for continuous grade-separated crossings along the Chuo Line, construction work to switch the in-bound line between Mitaka and Kokubunji stations to elevated tracks took place from December 5 to 6. All 13 level crossings in this section of the line were eliminated, bringing an end to long years of traffic congestion caused by crossings that were rarely open.

Photo: Former site of the Musashikoganei Honmachi train crossing

　"Odaiba Water Illumination" was recently staged at the Odaiba Seaside Park. Sea water drawn by large pumps and sprayed through specially designed nozzles created a giant screen of water measuring 15 meters in height and 40 meters in width. For 15 minutes fantastic three-dimensional images were projected onto the screen to the accompaniment of music. Against the backdrop of an illuminated Rainbow Bridge, this was a dazzling display of night in the city.