OSAKA ¨C January and early February in Kansai, and Japan as a whole, is a busy time for local leaders. New Year¡¯s greetings are exchanged by (mostly) elderly men at stuffy buffet parties in luxury hotels. Their job is to stand around holding a white paper napkin-covered drink and toast to, well, something, after interminably long mumbled speeches.
It¡¯s also a time when proposing solutions for local and regional political and economic issues is officially encouraged. But when it comes to Osaka this year, what¡¯s noticeable is not only what politicians and business leaders have talked about, but also what they¡¯ve played down.
2019 is being called, locally, the ¡°Year of Osaka.¡± Over the next six months, Osaka faces local elections that could make or break the political careers of the governor and mayor; the hosting of the Group of 20 Leaders¡¯ Summit on June 28 and 29, one of the largest gatherings of world leaders ever seen in Japan; an Upper House election; preparations for the 2025 World Expo; and contentious debates over a possible casino resort.
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