On Wednesday, February 1, Governor Koike met with representatives of cities attending the 2nd Tokyo Global Partners Seminar at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) is promoting international cooperation and exchange with the aim to contribute to the success of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and help resolve issues shared by major cities. This marks the second time the seminar has been held as part of these efforts.

At the meeting, the governor said, “To make Tokyo a city that attracts companies and tourists from around the world, I want to learn about policies implemented by other cities. In this age of globalization, city-to-city relationships are of the utmost importance, Ideally, these relationships should allow cities to invigorate and learn from each other in positive ways….In the lead-up to the Games, we hope to transform Tokyo in a range of areas, including the environment, urban development, industry, tourism, and culture, as well as show the world Tokyo’s superb infrastructure technologies.” The governor then went on to express her hope that through the seminar, deeper cooperation between cities would develop, and a friendly rivalry between cities would spur even better urban policies.

Fourteen cities and states, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Beijing, Brussels, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Jakarta, Manila, New South Wales, Riyadh, Seoul, Taipei, Tomsk, and Toronto, participated in the three-day seminar, which started on February 1. The seminar gathers the heads of international affairs for major cities and states around the world to exchange opinions on how to collaborate, and to share their experiences and priorities.