（PDF）Tokyo Post-corona Toward a vibrant City
（Video）Tokyo Post-corona Toward a vibrant City

International Events: Bringing Vitality Back to the City 

• In early May 2023, the WHO ended the global emergency status for COVID-19. At the same time, Japan lowered its disease classification; A sense of “normalcy” had returned to the city and the daily lives of the people of Tokyo.
• This February, under the banner of SusHi Tech Tokyo （Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo）, Tokyo hosted one of Japan's largest international Startup events （with approximately 26,000 participants from 67 countries） and an international conference where city leaders, from 34 cities across five continents, came together to discuss solutions to urban issues.
• Tokyo is also continuously developing facilities to become new symbols of the city, such as Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, a large-scale 45-story complex connected to JR Tokyo Station, and Tokyo Kabukicho Tower in Shinjuku. Tourism from around the world is also rapidly recovering.

Lessons Learned From The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's* COVID-19 Countermeasures 

*Hereafter “TMG”

In early May, in response to the lowering of COVID-19’s disease category, Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko sent out a video message , declaring that “The 1,200-day long fight against COVID-19 has reached a turning point.” In Tokyo, like other cities around the world, government and the general public united to combat the virus. Despite being the most aged population among developed nations, with a higher percentage of the medically vulnerable elderly, Japan and Tokyo maintained one of the lowest death rates （per million） of all major countries. How was this achieved?

We would like to introduce the three main points of the TMG’s COVID-19 countermeasures and the lessons learned through this experience regarding: strengthening Tokyo’s core values, foundations and applicable knowledge in the event of future infectious diseases and the necessary steps to take.

Establish A Tokyo Model: Infection Control through Public-Private Partnerships 

• Establishing the "Tokyo Model": we swiftly secured hospital beds, set up specialized treatment facilities for the high-risk elderly, and improved follow-up treatment for those recuperating at home to provide a streamlined, comprehensive medical care system that protects the life and health of each individual.
• Using the “Three Cs” slogan （closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings）, the TMG encouraged the public to take thorough basic infection prevention measures such as hand washing, social distancing, and regular ventilation. Whilst mask wearing was not legally mandated in Japan, the high level of public health awareness among the population meant that most complied.
• Made up of leading Japanese experts in fields such as epidemiology, public health, treatment and risk communication, we set up the Tokyo iCDC （Center for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention） in 2020 to serve as a central base for coordinating effective countermeasures against infectious diseases, including crisis management, research, analysis, and information dissemination.
• Generalized staggered commuting and remote working to reduce crowding.

“No One Left Behind”
Multilingual Communications for our International City 

• The COVID-19 Information Website is available in 13 languages. The Governor of Tokyo has also personally sent out COVID-19 video messages in 12 languages .
• Following the weekly COVID-19 Expert meetings, reports were made in both English and Japanese on any status changes and countermeasures, etc.

Reliable Monitoring and Communications: COVID-19 Information Website 

In March 2020, promptly following the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Tokyo, the COVID-19 Information Website was launched. The website releases the latest accurate and speedy information on a daily basis, including: statistics on new positive cases, hospital bed occupancy rates and the number of hospitalized and overnight care patients. To date, the website traffic has reached an estimated 50 million visitors. Releasing the site as OSS （Open Source Software） had allowed suggestions for improvement from engineers around the world, and similar websites are now in use in other municipalities in Japan.

Countermeasures against Future Infectious Diseases

Building upon the knowledge and experience gained thus far, we will not only return Tokyo to “normal,” but ensure a “sustainable recovery” in which we protect the health and safety of Tokyo residents from the threat of various infectious diseases, and create a vibrant and sustainable city for the future.

(Video) Tokyo Post-corona Toward a vibrant City

This video shows the experience and knowledge gained through a long fight against COVID-19. To see this, click here to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Official Video Channel.

Related Information 

• Initiatives Taken by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for COVID-19 Response 
• Further information on Tokyo's COVID-19 control measures and recent activity is also available at Tokyo Updates , the TMG’s online magazine.