Ageo residents say no to merger with Saitama City

Japan Policy & Politics, August 6, 2001

SAITAMA, Japan, July 30 Kyodo

The majority of residents of the city of Ageo in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on Sunday rejected a plan to merge with the prefectural capital Saitama City in Japan's first local referendum on amalgamating municipalities.

Votes against merging with Saitama City, which became Japan's latest metropolis in May with the amalgamation of the cities of Urawa, Omiya and Yono, outnumbered votes in favor, with the voter turnout at 64.48%, according to early returns.

Saitama City, with 1.04 million population, has asked Ageo and the town of Ina to respond by Aug. 10 to a proposal to start negotiations on the merger.

It is the first referendum on mergers of municipalities based on a municipal ordinance in Japan. Opinion surveys of local residents have been conducted by some municipalities, including the city of Izumi in Miyagi Prefecture, which was later merged with the prefectural capital of Sendai.

Ageo's ordinance, which was enacted following direct demands by citizens' groups in favor of the merger, asks that the mayor respect the results of the referendum although it is not legally binding.

The residents' rejection of the merger plan relived Ageo Mayor Koji Arai, who has opposed it.

Arai had local staff distribute to all households in the city pamphlets that read, ''It is feared that the merger could lead to a deterioration of administrative services.''

But the central government warned Arai over the move, saying he should have had a neutral position on the issue.