中央政府周六发布了一份草案条例，规定了指定“副首都”的要求，这些副首都将在发生重大灾害时作为东京的替代机能。
The central government released a draft ordinance Saturday laying out requirements for designating “secondary capitals” that would serve as substitutes for Tokyo in the event of a major disaster.
据日本放送协会（NHK）报道，札幌市、名古屋市、大阪市和福冈市——分别为北海道、爱知县、大阪府和福冈县的县厅（府厅/道厅）所在地——均符合拟议标准。这四个都道府县已向中央政府表达了申请副首都指定的意向。
Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka — the capital cities of Hokkaido, Aichi Prefecture, Osaka Prefecture, and Fukuoka Prefecture, respectively — all met the proposed criteria, according to NHK. The four prefectures have expressed their intention to apply for secondary capital designation to the central government.
政府当天开始就该草案条例征求公众意见，计划于本月晚些时候将其敲定。
The government began soliciting public comments on the draft ordinance the same day, planning to finalize it later this month.
根据草案条例，被认为不太可能与东京都市圈同时遭受损害的都道府县将具备资格，但排除可能因东京直下型地震或富士山喷发而受影响的地区。
Under the draft ordinance, prefectures that are considered unlikely to suffer damage at the same time as the Tokyo metropolitan area would be eligible, excluding areas that would be affected by a possible major earthquake directly beneath Tokyo or an eruption of Mount Fuji.
符合资格的都道府县还必须满足以下要求：拥有至少设有14个中央政府机关地方支分部局的城市；拥有人口占全国总人口至少1.2%的政令指定都市；经济规模占日本国内生产总值（GDP）至少2.1%；以及拥有改组为特区或与都道府县政府缔结伙伴协定的政令指定都市。
Eligible prefectures must also meet the following requirements: contain a city with at least 14 regional offices of central government agencies; have an ordinance-designated major city whose population accounts for at least 1.2% of the country’s total population; have an economic scale that accounts for at least 2.1% of Japan’s gross domestic product; and have an ordinance-designated city that is reorganized into a special ward or concludes a partnership agreement with the prefectural government.
这四个都道府县已满足前三项要求，在满足第四项要求后即可申请副首都指定。
The four prefectures already meet the first three requirements and can apply for secondary capital designation after meeting the fourth.
设立副首都旨在通过在地方开发首都替代机能，以应对大规模灾害，从而形成多极分散型经济圈。获指定地区预计将实施开发替代机能、提供税收优惠吸引民间投资以及推行放宽管制等措施。
A secondary capital is aimed at creating a multipolar and decentralized economic zone by developing alternative functions for the country’s capital in local areas in preparation for large-scale disasters. The designated areas are expected to implement measures such as developing alternative functions, providing tax incentives to attract private investment and introducing deregulation.
政府计划于11月公布其关于“二级资本”（secondary capital）认定的基本立场，并制定提交申请的时间表。
The government plans to announce its basic stance on secondary capital designation in November and outline a schedule for submitting applications.