Tokyo Photo News January 2024

On January 16, in order to support the reconstruction of fisheries in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, Governor Koike visited the “Sanriku Joban Yumeichi & Rakuza,” which opened in July 2023 in the Uogashi-Yokocho shopping area of the Toyosu Market. With the slogan: “Let's buy, eat and support!” seafood and specialty products from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures are sold at "Sanriku Joban Yumeichi” stores, and the food cultures and other information about the three prefectures are introduced at "Sanriku Joban Rakuza" booths. This special event will be open until the end of February 2024, and all are welcome to come visit and purchase products.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been holding symposiums for Tokyo residents since FY 2000, on how best to facilitate urban reconstruction in the event of a large-scale disaster such as an earthquake. At the FY 2023 symposium held on January 17, lectures by university professors and other figures and a video screening of the Great Kanto Earthquake were held under the theme of "Pre-disaster Recovery Planning of Cities Looking 100 Years Ahead."

Governor Koike said in her opening remarks, “I would like to express my condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year’s Day, and my sympathies to those affected by the disaster. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will be steadfast in their support for the recovery and reconstruction of the disaster-hit areas.” She also said, “Disasters can strike at any time. Coincidentally, twenty-nine years ago today, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake occurred. This is a powerful reminder that the most effective measures in the face of such events are the daily preparedness and power of the community to face difficulties.”

On January 18, 1924, the Toei Bus (Tokyo Metropolitan Bus) began operating bus service as an emergency measure to secure the transportation means for citizens due to the devastating damage to the streetcars of the Tokyo Municipal Electricity Bureau, the predecessor of the Bureau of Transportation of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, caused by the Great Kanto Earthquake. January 18, 2024 marked the 100th anniversary of the Toei Bus, and to commemorate this, an event was held at a special outdoor venue at the Tokyo Tower. A photo session was held with Governor Koike and others in front of the different types of buses used in the past.

On January 23, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government held the "Tokyo Women's Future Forum – A Place for Companies to Think about Women's Empowerment" to foster a social movement that promotes changes in management awareness and workplace culture. With the main theme of the forum: “the appointment of women,” a joint declaration was made with the top management of companies to promote women’s empowerment and diversity management. The forum also featured panel discussions, mini-seminars, and interaction events. These programs presented the need for the appointment of women and specific examples of companies, aiming to spread the initiative throughout society.