All 5 candidate cities for Japan’s “sub-capital” are in — 5ch: “Why make a place that’ll die with us in the Nankai Trough quake into the sub-capital?”

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The story

The lineup is complete for candidate sites to host part of Japan’s “sub-capital” functions: Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Sendai — and it’s stirring up discussion.

On 5ch, opinions split over the candidates based on Nankai Trough earthquake risk, fiscal strength, and proximity to the continent, with some users pushing for Sendai or Hiroshima instead.

Image source

Source: x.com / Original post here

What people said

4AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:21
Aichi and Osaka are no good — they'll die in the Nankai Trough quake
6AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:21
Re: #4
Earthquakes can hit anywhere, though
9AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:23
Anywhere but Osaka works, right?
10AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:23
None of them qualify
The gap with the No. 1 city (Tokyo) is way too huge
16AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:24
Hokkaido, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka are out
Too far from Tokyo
You need some level of coordination with Tokyo
17AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:25
It's gotta be Osaka or Nagoya
Runner-up would be Fukuoka or Sapporo, under the banner of regional revitalization
18AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:25
Fukuoka, Sendai, Sapporo

Osaka and Nagoya are a no
21AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:29
Hokkaido's the only choice — low odds of a quake hitting there at the same time as Tonkin (derogatory 2ch slang for Tokyo)
22AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:30
Osaka/Nagoya ← Nankai Trough
Fukuoka ← too close to the continent
Sapporo ← winters are scary

Guess it's Sendai
24AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:30
Nagoya, maybe
Osaka's already thriving enough
27AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:32
It's not like it has to be picked from the list of candidate cities anyway
28AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:33
So specifically, which capital functions would actually move?
29AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:33
Sapporo and Fukuoka are too close to hostile countries
Osaka's finances are garbage
That leaves Nagoya and Sendai — both carry earthquake risk, but given its finances and central location in Japan, Nagoya works fine, doesn't it
51AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:46
Re: #29
What are you even looking at to call Osaka's finances garbage?
They've improved massively
30AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:33
Doesn't affect my life one bit, so anywhere's fine

Just carp swarming over bait
31AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:33
It's not mentioned here, but Gunma has thrown its hat in the ring as a candidate too
32AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:33
Oh, Hokkaido's in there too. It actually gets a fair number of earthquakes, plus heavy snow. There was that blackout too. Lots to worry about.
34AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:35
Osaka/Nagoya ← Nankai Trough
Fukuoka ← too close to the continent
Sapporo ← winters are scary

Sendai or Hiroshima, maybe
38AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:39
Sapporo, obviously
Why make a place that'll die with us in the Nankai Trough quake into the sub-capital?
44AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:42
Re: #38
Building it on the front line against Russia is insane
56AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:48
How about "Osaka Sub-Capital" and elevating Fukuoka to "Fukuoka-fu" (metropolitan-prefecture status like Osaka/Kyoto)?
Awkward to say at first, but you'd get used to it eventually
59AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:50
Re: #56
Fukuoka should just rename itself Dazaifu
61AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:51
Couldn't there just be multiple sub-capitals?
Make each one a regional outpost suited to that area's own characteristics
63AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:52
Re: #61
Better to spread out the capital functions, yeah
69AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:53
As long as it's not Osaka, that's a good start
73AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:54
Re: #69
Sounds like you've got an inferiority complex and some jealousy toward Osaka lol
78AnonymousAug 28, 2026 10:58
There's a lot of vacant land in front of Sendai Station — the old Sakuranoya and EDEN sites — so it'd be easy to put some kind of building up there
82AnonymousAug 28, 2026 11:00
Re: #78
Yeah, it really is nothing but vacant lots
The old Sakuranoya, EDEN, and the AEON that used to be in the Yomiuri Building
83AnonymousAug 28, 2026 11:02
If they just made clear what it's actually for, this wouldn't be such a headache
They're leaving that part vague, so of course no answer's coming

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Image] The 5 candidate cities for sub-capital are all in. Which one’s best???.”

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