Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World

Japan Office
Introducing our members

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban WorldICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global
network of more than 2,500 local and regional
governments

committed

tosustainableurban

development.
Active in 100+ countries, we influence sustainability
policy and drive local action along five sustainable
development pathways – low-emission, nature-based,
equitable, resilient, and circular development.
Our Members and team of experts work together
through peer exchange, partnerships, and capacity
building to create systemic change for urban
sustainability.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World

How we work
We bring sustainability to a rapidly developing urban world
ICLEI

makes

sustainability

anintegralpartofurban development and creates systemic change in urban
areas through practical, integrated solutions. Across theworld, ICLEI brings the latest global knowledge and solutions
to the local context.
We help cities, towns, and regions anticipate and respond tocomplex challenges, from rapid urbanization and climatechange to ecosystem degradation and inequity.

ICLEI Japan
Since 1993, ICLEI Japan has been connecting member
municipalities in Japan with ICLEI's international network.
Together with 22 regional secretariats and offices around theworld, we support the activities of member local governments
and promote international intercity cooperation led by ICLEI.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban WorldICLEI Japan Members

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Aichi Prefecture
Hamamatsu City
Hiroshima City
Iida City
Itabashi City
Katsushika City
Kawasaki City
Kitakyushu City
Kobe City
Kyoto City

11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Matsuyama City
Musashino City
Nagano Prefecture
Nagoya City
Okayama City
Sado City
Saitama City
Sapporo City
Shimokawa Town
Sumida City

21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.

Tokyo Metropolitan
Government
Tokorozawa City
Tottori Prefecture
Toyama City
Toyota City
Yokohama City

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Aichi Prefecture
Message from the Governor of Aichi Prefecture
Hideaki Ohmura
Aichi Prefecture is the largest manufacturing prefecture in
Japan. We have been promoting a variety of environmental
measures to also become a top runner in the environmental
sector. Aichi Prefecture has the highest installed capacity ofresidential solar power generation systems, electricvehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles in use
in Japan.
In 2020, the United Nations launched the Decade of Action
to achieve the SDGs. Aichi Prefecture hopes to become the‘Environmental Capital of Japan’ by making a significant
contribution to achieving the SDGs. The Fifth Aichi
Prefecture Environmental Basic Plan, which will guide theprefecture's environmental policies until 2030, sets out thisgoal. It aims to achieve the SDGs by using the environment
as the driving force for the integrated improvement of theeconomy and society. It also promotes cooperation andcollaboration with local actors through partnerships anddeveloping an understanding and awareness of the SDGs.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Aichi Prefecture
Basic Information
Population: 7,468,844(As of 1 June 2024)
Area: 5,170㎢

Aichi Prefecture Website(English)

Overview of Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture is located in the centre of Japan. It stretches
106km from east to west and 94km from north to south. With a
total area of 5,170 km², it covers about 1.4% of the country. Fora prefecture with a large urban area, it has a relatively green
and spacious land use and a high percentage of forests andagricultural land. Aichi Prefecture is leading the way in Japan’s
industrial development. It is the nation's leading industrial
prefecture in terms of production, especially in the automobile
industry. It is also one of the leading agricultural prefectures.
In addition, Aichi Prefecture has hosted three international
events: the Aichi Expo, the 10th Conference of the Parties to
the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10), and the
UNESCO World Conference on Sustainable Development (ESD).
A high level of environmental awareness has subsequently
taken root throughout the region.
Environmental Initiatives
To solve multiple issues in an integrated manner, Aichi
Prefecture is prioritizing promoting measures that contribute toachieving the SDGs. The aim of the ‘Environmental
Capital Aichi’ is for social and economic improvements
to be integrated with environmental improvements. The plan
will be the driving force to achieving the SDGs in Aichi
Prefecture.
To actively contribute to the achievement of the ‘Aichi Targets’
adopted at COP10, Aichi Prefecture established the ‘Group of
Leading Subnational Governments toward Aichi Biodiversity
Targets (GoLS)’ in 2016 with state and prefecture-level regional
governments around the world that are making advanced
efforts in biodiversity conservation, and has encouraged theactivation of initiatives by local governments around the world.
On the occasion of the adoption of the new Kunming-Montreal
Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15 in December 2022,
the GoLS has changed its name to ‘Group of Leading
Subnational Governments toward Global Biodiversity Targets’,and it continues to work with ICLEI and other local
governments groups worldwide to active biodiversity
conservation activities to achieve the new framework.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Hamamatsu City
Message from the Mayor of Hamamatsu City
Yusuke Nakano
Hamamatsu City is working towards a sustainable society inorder to address the various challenges facing the city, suchas climate change and the transformation of its industrial
structure.
In particular, decarbonization is an urgent issue and the city
is actively involved in energy policy ahead of the rest of thecities, by promoting the introduction of renewable energy,
including solar power generation, which has the highest
installed capacity in Japan.
As an ‘SDGs Future City’ selected by the government, thecity is promoting measures that make the most of its
characteristics, such as ‘Energy’, ‘Forestry’, and ‘Diversity’.
In 2022, a new Carbon Neutral Promotion Project
Headquarters has been established to strengthen
decarbonization and energy policies and building asustainable society. In addition to the initiatives in the city,
we will further work towards the realization of a sustainable
society in the world through information exchange andnetworking with all the cities participating in ICLEI.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Hamamatsu City
Basic Information
Population: 786,160(As of 1 August 2024)
Area: 1,558.06㎢

Hamamatsu City Website(English)
SDG Future City Hamamatsu(Japanese)

Overview of Hamamatsu City
Hamamatsu City is a government ordinance-designated city,
located between Tokyo and Osaka along the Pacific coast,with an area of 1,558 km² (the second-largest city in thenation) and a population of approximately 790,000 (16th in
the nation). It’s a ‘microcosm of Japan’ city, blessed with arich natural environment of sea, rivers, lakes, and mountains,
and a diversity of coastal and urban areas, as well as
mountainous regions.
Hamamatsu is the second-largest city in the central regionof Honshu, Japan’s main island after Nagoya. It is neither
the capital of a prefecture nor a metropolitan area, but it is
the only government ordinance-designated city that has
achieved independent development on its own.
Hamamatsu City is one of Japan’s leading ‘manufacturing
cities’ with a focus on transport equipment, and many
companies from Hamamatsu have grown into world-classcompanies. It is also widely known both in Japan andabroad as a ‘music city’ with a concentration of musicalinstrument industries.
Environmental Initiatives
Hamamatsu City is not only Japan's largest producer of solar
power among all local governments in Japan but also
Japan's largest producer of renewable energy, including
wind power and biomass. It also has the largest area of FSCcertified forests in all municipalities nationwide. As an 'SDGs
Future City', Hamamatsu is taking advantage of thesefeatures to promote pioneering initiatives utilise local
resources, such as multicultural conviviality, sustainable
forest management and forestry promotion using the FSC
forest certification system, and the promotion of
Hamamatsu's version of a smart city by introducing
renewable energy.
In order to promote a wide range of activities by companies
and organisations to achieve the SDGs, Hamamatsu willcontinue to raise awareness and promote initiatives related
to the SGDs by utilising the Hamamatsu SDGs Promotion
Platform and other means.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Hiroshima City
Message from the Mayor of Hiroshima City
Kazumi Matsui
On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb in the history of
mankind was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, killing many
precious lives and leaving the city in ruins. Since then, thecity has undergone a remarkable recovery and is now a core
city in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions.
We, the people of today, should be grateful for the efforts ofour predecessors in rebuilding Hiroshima into the beautiful
city that it is today, and we should pass on to future
generations the rich natural environment and comfortableurban lifestyle. In other words, Hiroshima must become acity that we can be proud to show the world.
Hiroshima will continue to promote this kind of urban
development and, by taking advantage of its global fame,will work to solve various global-scale environmental
problems, including the common problem of global
warming, in cooperation with other cities around the world
through such means as ICLEI.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Hiroshima City
Basic Information
Population: About 1,175,724(As of the end of April 2024)
Area: 906.69㎢

Hiroshima City Website(English)

Overview of Hiroshima City
Hiroshima City, located in the western part of Hiroshima
Prefecture is surrounded by lush green mountains and hills
with the Chugoku Mountains in the background, and thescenic Seto Inland Sea to the south. The city is blessed withrich nature and a mild climate, with six rivers flowing
through the city centre, the Ota River as their source,
forming a unique landscape known as the ‘City of Water.’Hiroshima City has the largest population in the Chugoku
and Shikoku regions, and is home to a large concentration ofnational government agencies and corporate branches,making it a regional hub that leads the region inadministrative, industrial, and economic development.
Environmental Initiatives
The City of Hiroshima has been working to reduce andrecycle waste with the aim of creating a ‘Zero Emission City
Hiroshima’, where waste is reduced to as close to zero as
possible and the impact on the environment is extremely
small. As a result, the city has made great progress in waste
reduction and recycling, including maintaining a low-levelamount of waste generated per person per day among
ordinance-designated cities.
In terms of global warming countermeasures, in December
2020, the city announced its aim to achieve virtually zero
GHG emissions by 2050 and is working to promote energysaving measures and the implementation of renewableenergy.
Furthermore, the City of Hiroshima declared a ‘Hiroshima
Climate Emergency‘ in July 2022 and the ‘Hiroshima City
Global Warming Prevention Action Plan’ was revised andupdated in March 2023. The city shares a sense of crisis
with its citizens, businesses, and all other actors, and incooperation with the surrounding local governments in
Hiroshima Major Metropolitan Area and ICLEI, the city will
make every effort to pass on the rich nature of this region to
the next generation.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Iida City
Message from the Mayor of Iida City
Takeshi Sato
In 2007, Iida City declared itself an ‘Environmental andCultural City’. With the aim of creating a city where bothpeople and nature thrive, it has been developing its
environmental policies by focusing on the participation of
citizens, businesses, and government.
In 2021, the city council, representing citizens, and the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, representing
businesses, jointly issued the ‘Iida 2050 Zero Carbon City
Declaration’ to regenerate lifestyles and the economy
through using the environment.
In anticipation of the opening of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen
Line, we will continue to collaborate with citizens to achieve
harmony between development and the environment andpromote the creation of a vibrant and sustainable region.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Iida City
Basic Information
Population: 95,400(As of the end of March 2024)

Area: 658.66㎢

Iida City Website (Japanese)
Iida Environmental Model City
Website (Japanese)

Overview of Iida City
Surrounded by the Southern and Central Alps, Iida City is
located in the southern part of the Ina Valley. Stretchingnorth to south along the Tenryu River, it is the deepest
valley in Japan with a depth of 2,700m. The city is blessedwith a lot of nature, beautiful scenery, and a climate thathas strong seasonal changes but is easy to live in.
In the past, the city prospered as a major transportation hub
between the east, west, north and south, but has developed
economically and culturally in its own way. In preparation
for the opening of the Nagano Station of the Linear Central
Shinkansen, citizens, businesses, and the government are
working together to create the most desirable place to livein Japan.

The Toyama-go (Toyama Valley) of the City was registered asa Minami-Alps Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO Eco Park) in2014 in recognition of its rich nature and valuable
traditional culture and history, including the ‘Shimotsuki
Festival’.
Environmental Initiatives
The city has been working on the utilization of renewableenergy in the region since 1914, with the establishment of asmall hydroelectric power generation by local residents andthe establishment of Japan's first electricity use union.
In 1996, the city set its sights on becoming an‘Environmental and Cultural City.’ In 2007, the city pledged
to build a city where both people and nature flourish
through the active participation and actions of citizens,businesses, and the government. Iida City was the first cityin Japan to be declared an environmental city.
Since 2013, Iida City has been working to return profits tolocal communities that use renewable energy for publicbenefit with the introduction of the ‘Sustainable Community
Development through the Introduction of Renewable
Energy’ ordinance.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Itabashi City
Message from the Mayor of Itabashi City
Takeshi Sakamoto
In 1993, Itabashi City declared itself as ‘Ecopolis - Itabashi
Environmental City’ with the aim of creating a city where
people and the environment coexist in harmony. We, thecity and our citizens expressed the commitment to theglobal environment, both nationally and internationally, andto strive to protect the environment from the footsteps ofeveryday life.
In 1995 we opened
the ‘Ecopolis Center’ as acomprehensive educational center on recycling and theenvironment. In 2003, the ‘Green Curtain’ was implemented
in primary schools in the city and is still being promoted as afamiliar global warming measure that everyone can do.
In addition to these efforts, we recently announced the‘Zero Carbon Itabashi 2050’ in 2022, which aims to reducegreenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 and create a
Zero Carbon City. To promote smart cities that connect
people and greenery to the future and build a sustainable
society, we have declared a climate emergency and areworking in partnership and collaboration with all actors toencourage voluntary behavioral change in society as awhole and to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050
through initiatives that harmonize ecology, energy and theeconomy.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Itabashi City
Basic Information
Population: 577,065(As of 1 June 2024)

Area: 32.22㎢

Itabashi City Website(Japanese)

Overview of Itabashi City
Itabashi is located in the northwestern part of Tokyo's 23 wards,
with lowlands in the north and plateaus in the south. The
lowlands are the alluvial lowlands of the Arakawa River, and theplateau is the northeastern edge of the Musashino Plateau. The
plateau is formed by the Shakujii River, Shirako River, and otherrivers that flow into the Arakawa River. These rivers carve theplateau into an undulating terrain with many hills.

Itabashi is a residential city with a population of about 577,000.
The city is home to numerous businesses, including local
shopping malls, urban agriculture in the Akatsuka area near theborder with Saitama Prefecture, and industries along the coastof Shingashi River (a tributary of the Arakawa River), making it
one of Tokyo’s leading industrial cities.
Environmental Initiatives
Itabashi has formulated the ‘Itabashi Environmental Action
Point Project’ which awards points to its residents andbusinesses based on the percentage of reduction in energy
consumption through energy-saving behavior, intending torealize a Zero Carbon City by 2050.
In addition, the Itabashi City Office main building and 41 otherfacilities are introducing 100% renewable energy and otherefforts are being made to realize a Zero Carbon City through theconcerted efforts of its residents, businesses, and the city.
In January 2024, the ‘Itabashi City Basic Concept for River Town
Development’ was announced, and the Arakawa riverbed,
which has been familiar to the local community as a place to
get in touch with nature, is being created and communicated as
the symbols of Itabashi City. It also promotes the creation ofwaterside spaces that lead to interaction and liveliness among
many people and works to further enhance the watersideenvironment in the city.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Katsushika City
Message from the Mayor of Katsushika City
Katsunori Aoki
In February 2020, Katsushika City became the first basic
local government in the Tokyo Metropolis to declare ‘Zero
Emission Katsushika’ to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
To achieve this goal, we are promoting environmental
initiatives with the target of ‘Carbon Half’, a 50% reduction
compared to the 2013 level by 2030.
To spread this movement to the entire Tokyo’s 23 wards(special wards), where more than 9.5 million people live, I
called for cooperation toward zero carbon across the entire
special wards at the Special Ward Mayors’ Association
Meeting, where the mayors of the 23 wards gather.
After two years of research and study, the ‘Zero Carbon City
Special Wards Joint Declaration’ and an ‘Agreement withThree Megabanks to Support Decarbonization of SMEs’
were realized in October 2023.
To achieve a decarbonized society, it is important to work in
partnership with various actors, including citizens,businesses, etc. In particular, strengthening cooperation
between local governments and maximizing synergies will
effectively promote climate action.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Katsushika City
Basic Information
Population: 469,220(As of 1 June 2024)

Area: 34.80㎢

Katsushika City Website(Japanese)

Overview of Katsushika City
Katsushika is located at the northeastern end of Tokyo
Metropolis and is the seventh largest ward in terms of total
area. The Arakawa, Edogawa, and Obagawa rivers border
the ward and the Nakagawa, Shin-Nakagawa, andAyasegawa rivers flow through the ward, enriching thecity’s surrounding environment with water.
Katsushika is home to Katsushika Shibamata, Tokyo's firstarea to be selected as a National Important CulturalLandscape, and is also a major attraction for the unique
downtown Tokyo atmosphere and scenery depicted in theJapanese film ‘Otoko wa Tsuraiyo’ and the manga "KochiraKatsushika-ku Kameari Koen Mae Hashutsujo," which are
based on the area.

Environmental Initiatives
In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,Katsushika is also focused on solving other local issues. For
example, subsidy schemes and preferential interest rates
encourage the insulation of homes, thereby contributing to
the development of a healthy and comfortable living
environment.
Public facilities, including schools, are also promoting ZEB
and insulation retrofits, contributing to the improvement of
the educational environment. Furthermore, the subsidy
scheme for photovoltaic power generation systems andstorage batteries contributes to strengthening local
resilience.
Katsushika will continue to promote climate action toachieve sustainable communities.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Kawasaki City
Message from the Mayor of Kawasaki City
Norihiko Fukuda
Through the concerted effort of both the public and private
sectors, Kawasaki City has taken on the challenge ofaddressing the pollution problems that arose in the wake of
its rapid economic growth. We have created anenvironmental city that is now a model for the rest of theworld. Kawasaki is home to a large number ofenvironmental technologies and industries, and its citizens
and businesses have a high level of environmental
awareness, as demonstrated by the fact that the city has
had the lowest daily waste per capita of any governmentdesignated city for three consecutive years. Taking
advantage of this potential, we will promote initiatives as an
SDGs Future City aimed at making Kawasaki the "Happiest
City" where growth and maturity are balanced.
In order to pass on an environment in which future
generations can live with peace of mind, the city announced
in February 2020 that it would aim to achieve virtually zeroCO2 emissions by 2050. We are promoting initiatives incollaboration with numerous actors based on ourdecarbonization strategy; ‘Kawasaki Carbon Zero Challenge
2050.’In the future, we will continue to exchange information withthe participating cities of ICLEI, and promote cooperationthat is not limited to within the city boundaries. As a frontrunner in Japan, we will lead the efforts to realize adecarbonized society.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Kawasaki City
Basic Information
Population: 1,551,462(As of 1 June 2024)
Area: 144.35㎢

Kawasaki City Website(English)

Overview of Kawasaki City
Kawasaki is conveniently located in the centre of the Tokyo
metropolitan area on the opposite side of the Tama River fromHaneda Airport. It is bordered to the north across the Tama River byTokyo and to the south by Yokohama, with the Tama Hills to thewest and Tokyo Bay to the east.
Kawasaki is a vibrant city. It has the highest population growth rate
and youngest average age among Japan’s major cities. The city isalso home to the King Sky Front, an international strategic hub forthe city of Tonomachi, located on the other side of Haneda Airport,
where research and development in the life science andenvironmental fields are underway. Furthermore, the city is home
to world-class companies, three science parks, and more than 400
research and development institutions. It ranks first among
ordinance-designated cities in the ratio of workers in academic anddevelopment research institutions to total workers.
Environmental Initiatives
In November 2020, Kawasaki City formulated a decarbonization
strategy. The ‘Kawasaki Carbon Zero Challenge 2050,’ will accelerate
the efforts of citizens, businesses, and government to transition to a
decarbonized society in 2050. The basic idea of this strategy is to
move from a society of consumption to a decarbonized society.
The initiatives are based on the following three pillars:
Pillar 1: Promote behavioral change in citizens and businesses
through the ‘Decarbonization Action Mizonokuchi’ plan. Implement
initiatives that contribute to decarbonization to tackle climatechange mitigation and adaptation through the participation andcooperation of all actors.
Pillar 2: For Kawasaki to take the lead in taking action, such as
switching all electricity used in major public facilities to renewableenergy.
Pillar 3: Promote green innovation originating in Kawasaki bymaking the most of the city’s strengths - the many research anddevelopment institutions and the concentration of environmental
technologies and industries. To include the use of hydrogen powerin the waterfront area.
Kawasaki is promoting these efforts in collaboration with a varietyof actors, including citizens and businesses that agree with thedecarbonization strategy.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Kitakyushu City
Message from the Mayor of Kitakyushu City
Kazuhisa Takeuchi
Kitakyushu was created in 1963 through the equal merger offive cities and celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2023.
With gratitude for the achievements made by ourpredecessors, we will continue to create a sustainable andattractive future for the city and aim for further development.
The enthusiasm of the citizens, the strength of the industry,
the advanced environmental industry, and international
environmental cooperation efforts, as well as the superiorityof the land, are some of the great potentials of Kitakyushu.
We will maximise these potentials and take on the challenge
to make the city the first choice for people and businesses,
and to drive forward initiatives that contribute to a ‘reboot to
growth’. The energy and liveliness generated by 'growth’ willthen promote a virtuous circle that become a source of'happiness' in the form of peace, enjoyment, and mental wellbeing.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Kitakyushu City
Basic Information
Population: 911,000(As of 1 June 2024)
Area: 492.50㎢

Kitakyushu Asia Center for Carbon
Neutrality (English)

Overview of Kitakyushu City
Kitakyushu is located at the gateway to Kyushu, thenexus between Honshu and Kyushu, and is at a key
intersection for both land and sea transportation. Due tothese geographical characteristics, the city has developed asa manufacturing city supporting the industrialisation ofmodern Japan and a wide range of industries areconcentrated in the city, including materials-oriented
industries such as steel and chemicals, and electricalmachinery, semiconductors, and automobile factories.
Environmental Initiatives
Kitakyushu has overcome serious pollution problems
through cooperation between industry, academia,
government, and the private sector, and has boldly taken on
various domestic and international challenges, including
global warming, by utilising the experience andenvironment-related technologies developed in the process.
In recognition of these efforts, the city was selected by thenational government as an 'SDGs Future City' in 2018 andas 'Decarbonisation Leading Areas’ in 2022.
In the future, Kitakyushu will promote various initiatives,
such as the use of hydrogen and the introduction ofrenewable energy, in accordance with the Kitakyushu City
Basic Environment Plan, and the Kitakyushu City Action Planfor Global Warming Countermeasures, and contribute to therealisation of a decarbonised society by 2050 by developingthe ‘Kitakyushu Model’, which realises a virtuous circle
between the environment and the economy, both indomestically and internationally.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Kobe City
Message from the Mayor of Kobe City
Kizo Hisamoto
Since the opening of Kobe Port in 1868, the city has
created new values and lifestyles while nurturing
internationality and diversity in a rich naturalenvironment surrounded by the sea and mountains.
After the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, thecity received support from domestic and international andwas able to achieve reconstruction with the efforts of its
citizens.
Given Kobe’s history of overcoming many difficulties,
Kobe City aims to be a ‘World contributing city nurturedby the sea and mountains’, existing not only for Kobe but
also for the whole of Japan, and contributing to eachregion from a global perspective.
In collaboration with ICLEI, Kobe City will further promote
the SDGs and environment-related policies of Kobe City.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Kobe City
Basic Information
Population: 1,494,050(As of July 2024)
Area: 557㎢

Kobe City website (Japanese)
Global contributing city nurturedby the sea and mountains(Japanese)
Zero Carbon City KOBE
(Japanese)
Hydrogen Smart City Kobe
Concept (Japanese)

Overview of Kobe City
Kobe, an exotic and cosmopolitan city that led Japan's
modernization as a gateway to the world, is a diverse citythat compactly combines highly convenient urban functions
with a rich natural environment, including Mount Rokko andthe countryside.
The Urban Sannomiya Redevelopment Project is underway
to boldly revitalize Sannnomiya, the gateway to Kobe, withthe aim of creating a ‘New City Center’ that is comfortable,
convenient, and beautifully landscaped, where various civic
activities and exchanges can take place.
In addition, the Kobe Medical Industry Project, whichstarted as an earthquake reconstruction project, has growninto one of the largest biomedical clusters in Japan morethan 20 years after the concept was launched.
Furthermore, efforts are being made to develop thebusiness environment on Mt. Rokko to create an attractive
business space that is comfortable and stimulates creativity,
under the Mt Rokko Smart City Concept.
Environmental Initiatives
In 2020, Kobe announced the ‘2050 Carbon Neutrality
Declaration’ and is promoting initiatives such as the
diffusion of renewable energy and the promotion of the useof hydrogen energy in order to achieve carbon neutrality in
2050.
The main initiative is the ‘Hydrogen Smart City Kobe
Concept’, and two world-first demonstration projects arebeing promoted through industry-academia-government
collaboration: the 'Hydrogen Supply Chain Construction
Demonstration Project', in which hydrogen is transported
from overseas by ship, and the 'Hydrogen Energy Use
System Development Demonstration Project', in whichelectricity and heat produced from hydrogen is supplied tothe city.
The Port of Kobe is also making progress in decarbonizing tobecome a Carbon Neutral Port.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Kyoto City
Message from the Mayor of Kyoto City
Koji Matsui
With some pointed out that “the era of global warming has
ended and the era of global boiling has arrived”, it is our
responsibility as people living in the present to stop theclimate crisis from getting worse.
Kyoto city is the birthplace of the Kyoto Protocol. With asense of pride and mission as the place where the IPCC
Kyoto Guidelines were adopted to support theimplementation of the Paris Agreement, we have worked
with citizens and businesses on waste reduction and havebeen promoting environmental policies ahead of other local
governments in Japan, including the creation of Kyoto City
Decarbonization Leading Areas.
Achieving the high goal of 'net zero CO2 emissions in 2050'
will require national and international cities to take more
concrete action toward decarbonization in a coordinatedmanner.
Kyoto City will also accelerate its efforts to realize adecarbonized society by deepening cooperation withenthusiastic local governments and ICLEI while valuing theculture of living in harmony with nature that has been
handed down in Kyoto.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Kyoto City
Basic Information
Population: 1,438,650(As of July 2024)
Area: 827.9㎢

Kyoto City Website(Japanese)

Overview of Kyoto City
Kyoto City is an inland city located in the centre of the Kyoto
Basin. It is one of the largest cities in Japan and has forests
covering three-quarters of its area.
Kyoto is a historical city where traditional culture andhistorical townscapes that have been cultivated over 1200
years of history are still alive. It is a manufacturing city withan enterprising spirit and creative power where cuttingedge industries flourish based on traditional industries. It is
an international cultural and tourist city that attracts many
people from home and abroad and a university city where
about 150,000 students study.
Environmental Initiatives
With the birth of the Kyoto Protocol, Kyoto City's global
warming countermeasures began to take a major turn. In
2004, the city enacted the nation's first global warming
countermeasure ordinance to promote citizen and businesswide efforts.
As a result of these efforts, the city has achieved a 20%
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 50% reduction in
waste, and a 30% reduction in energy consumption. This is
despite the fact that the city's population has remained flatand the number of tourists has increased significantly overthe past 20 years.
In addition, the percentage of people who visit Kyoto by car
has decreased by 80%, and the means of transportation in
the city has also decreased by 20% for cars and increased by
30% for public transportation, indicating a steady change in
the awareness of citizens and tourists.
We will continue to refine our efforts to work in unison withcitizens and businesses, and we will do so withdetermination.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Matsuyama City
Message from the Mayor of Matsuyama City
Katsuhito Noshi
With an emphasis on ‘local and on-site’ and ‘from a citizens’
perspective’, we are committed to building a city where
people can have love and pride for their city, where as many
people as possible can smile and feel happy.
In March 2013, the city was selected as an Environmental
Model City by the Japanese government and is working topromote the use of solar energy and reduce waste by taking
advantage of the region's long average hours of sunlight per
year. In addition, we have established a sister city
relationship with Freiburg, which is known as theenvironmental capital of the world, and are deepening
exchanges through environmental conferences andenvironmental education.
In July 2020, the city was selected as an SDGs Future City
and a Municipal SDGs Model Project. In the future, we willcontinue to create a sustainable society in cooperation withvarious stakeholders such as universities, companies, andgovernments, as well as ICLEI members in Japan andoverseas.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World

Matsuyama City
Basic Information
Population: About 499,881(As of 1 June 2024)
Area: Approx. 429.4㎢

Matsuyama City Website(Japanese)‘finding Matsuyama’, the video
showing the attractions of
Matsuyama City

Overview of Matsuyama City
Located in the Matsuyama Plain in the center of Ehime
Prefecture, Matsuyama overlooks the Shikoku Mountains with
Mt. Ishizuchi, the highest mountain in western Japan, to the eastand the quiet waves of the Seto Inland Sea to the west. It has amild climate with beautiful mountains, seas and islands.
With Matsuyama Castle and Dogo Hot Springs, the oldest hot
springs in Japan, the city has a thriving tourism and service
industry that makes use of its resources. There is also a
concentration of manufacturing industries such as machinery,textiles, and chemicals. It is continuing to develop as the capitaland center of Shikoku.
In the center of the city, Matsuyama Castle, one of the 12 existing
castle towers, is located within walking distance and is one of few
compact cities in the country where people can live on foot,connected by streetcar.
The city has also produced many literary giants, including Shiki
Masaoka, and was the setting for Soseki Natsume's novel‘Botchan’.

Environmental Initiatives
The aim is to achieve a decarbonized society through thesimultaneous implementation of "mitigation measures" to reducegreenhouse gas emissions and "adaptation measures" to reduceand prevent damage caused by climate change.
With the Matsuyama Sunshine Project, which takes advantage ofthe region’s warm weather, low rainfall, and long hours ofsunshine, the city has promoted the introduction of renewableenergy, mainly solar power. It has the highest cumulative numberof subsidies for solar power generation equipment among Japan’score cities (as of the end of 2022).
In addition, citizens are highly conscious of recycling and waste
separation on a daily basis, and the city maintains one of thelowest levels of waste per capita per day among prefecturesnationwide and the second lowest among core cities (as of theend of 2022).

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Musashino City
Message from the Mayor of Musashino City
Yasuhiro Omino
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent andnatural disasters more serious in many parts of the world.
These phenomena are believed to be caused by global
warming and are urgent issues that must be seriously
considered and addressed by all mankind.
To achieve the goal of ‘Zero Carbon City 2050’ declared in
February 2021, we are promoting joint efforts by the city,
citizens, businesses, etc. to combat global warming, and weneed to take more leadership than ever before to support
the initiatives of citizens and others.
We have been affiliated with and worked with ICLEI Japan
since its inception in 1993. We will continue to work withICLEI to exchange information and create networks toexpand the circle of environmental consideration andpromote sustainable urban development.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Musashino City
Basic information
Population: About 148,423(As of 1 June 2024)

Area: 10.98㎢

Musashino City Website(Japanese)

Overview of Musashino City
Musashino City is located in the centre of Tokyo, and the
topography is almost flat. The city has convenient transportation;
three stations on the JR Chuo Line (Kichijoji, Mitaka, andMusashisakai) and public transportation such as bus services fromthe stations are well maintained. The city is highly regarded as aplace where people want to live due to its green residential areas
and one of the best commercial areas in Tokyo.

The city has been a pioneer in citizen participation in various
plans and measures, including long-term plans. While sharing thebasic principles of urban development with citizens, we aim tobecome a well-balanced and sustainable city in all areas; welfare,education, childcare, culture, disaster prevention, environment,
and urban infrastructure.
Environmental Initiatives
Musashino is promoting resource and energy conservation andrenewable energy to create a community that coexists with theenvironment. We are also promoting urban development thatconsiders the natural environment to further enhance the city’s
characteristic greenery, and the global impact of the city bycreating a recycling-oriented social system that includes water
circulation and waste reduction.
In addition to the conventional installation and operation of solar
power generation systems, a community energy fusion system
based on the Musashino City Energy for Local Consumption
Project has been operating since 2020. This is a system that uses
the Musashino Clean Center's waste power generation, whichbegan full-scale operation in 2017, as the core. It links thesurrounding public facilities and the city's 18 elementary andjunior high schools in an integrated energy grid throughout thecommunity.
In November 2020, the Musashino Eco Resort, an environmental
awareness facility for all citizens, opened by reusing the officebuilding and platform of the former Musashino Clean Center. The
Musashino Eco Resort is expected to play a role as a centre forenvironmental awareness that deals with a variety ofenvironmental fields.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Nagano Prefecture
Message from the Governor of Nagano Prefecture
Shuichi Abe
The progression of global climate change is having asignificant impact on our daily lives by increasing thenumber and scale of natural disasters and changing the
distribution areas of plants and animals. In addition, therapid decrease in population that is expected in the future
will lead to a shortage of people to support local
communities, including environmental conservation, andthere are concerns about the decline in local vitality.
Against this backdrop, I am convinced that Nagano
Prefecture, with its beautiful and rich natural environment,
its unique traditions and culture, and its strong regional ties,
can be a front-runner in building a new sustainable society.
In 2017, Japan's Ministry of the Environment, ICLEI, andNagano Prefecture collaborated to hold Japan's first
International Conference on Local Renewable Energy in
Nagano Prefecture. As a result of the conference, theNagano Declaration by Local Government Leaders Aiming
for a 100% Renewable Energy Region was issued. In 2019,
the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transformation for
Sustainable Growth and the Global Environment was heldin Karuizawa, a town with a rich track record of hosting
international conferences. On the occasion of this meeting,
we have compiled the ‘Nagano Declaration on Collaboration
for the Development of a Sustainable Society’ together withICLEI, and are calling for the support of local governments
around the world.
We will continue to strive for the realization of a sustainable
society through partnerships with ICLEI and all other actors.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Nagano Prefecture
Basic Information
Population 1,992,906 million(As of 1 May 2024)
Area: 13,561.56㎢

Nagano Prefecture Website(Japanese)
Nagano Prefecture Zero Carbon
Strategy (Japanese)

Overview of Nagano Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture, located in the centre of the Japanesearchipelago has an area of 13,561.56 km2 and is the fourthlargest of the 47 prefectures after Hokkaido, Iwate, andFukushima. It is one of the most mountainous prefectures inJapan, blessed with a rich natural environment, with a seriesof 3,000-meter-high mountains bordering eight prefecturesand large rivers such as the Chikuma, Kiso, and Tenryu
Rivers flowing out of the mountains.
Nagano Prefecture hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics andParalympics, and became known for the international
Nagano Snow Resort. Even today, many skiers from overseas
visit Nagano to enjoy the magnificent mountain scenery andthe world's best powder snow.
Environmental Initiatives
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim tosolve economic, social, and environmental issues in an
integrated manner, have begun to be implemented in Japanand overseas. In March 2018, Nagano Prefecture formulated
the Fourth Nagano Prefecture Environmental Basic Plan
with the basic policy of promoting measures based on theSDGs, and in June of the same year, Nagano was also
selected as ‘SDGs Future City’. In June 2021, the ‘Nagano
Prefecture Zero Carbon Strategy – Actions until 2030 toachieve 2050 Zero Carbon’ was formulated, setting a hightarget of ‘reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by2030’ to achieve zero carbon by 2050.
In November 2023, the Nagano Prefecture Zero Carbon
Strategy Roadmap was formulated as a scenario forachieving the 2030 target set out in the strategy. In the
future, Nagano Prefecture will continue to promote not only
environmental conservation but also efforts to solve
economic and social issues by utilizing the environment.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Nagoya City
Message from the Mayor of Nagoya City
Takashi Kawamura
In 2021, Nagoya City formulated the Fourth Nagoya City
Environmental Basic Plan, which is the general framework
for its environmental policy, and is promoting various
initiatives as the ‘SDGs Future City Nagoya’. The city’s vision
for 2030 is ‘A city in harmony with a comfortable urban
environment and nature created through partnership’.
In addition, major international conferences such as theTenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity (COP10) in 2010, and the UNESCO World
Conference on ESD in 2014 were held in Nagoya City, and inparticular, the International Conference of Local Authorities
on Biodiversity held in conjunction with COP10 was a
success, appreciated to close collaboration with ICLEI.
We will continue to exchange information with local
governments in Japan and overseas through ICLEI andpromote local environmental conservation efforts.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World

Nagoya City
Basic Information
Population 2,328,397(As of 1 May 2024)
Area: 326.50㎢

Nagoya City Website(Japanese)

Overview of Nagoya City
Nagoya City is located in the Nobi Plain in central Honshu,
facing the Pacific coast. Although 93% of the city area isurbanized, there are many places where nature can be seen
despite being a large city, with a diverse ecosystem formed by
the distribution of endemic plants in the hills in the east andthe Fujimae Tideland, a Ramsar Wetland, in the south-west of
the city.
A political, economic, and cultural hub of the Chubu region
with a population of over 2.3 million. Nagoya’s history andculture is represented by the Atsuta Shrine, Three Unifiers,
and the Owari Tokugawa family, as well as Nagoya Meshi (local
food), characteristics of the food culture, that form thefoundation of Nagoya’s charm. The city is an easy place to live,with high levels of citizen satisfaction in terms of convenienceand comfort, including safe and clean tap water, excellent
medical services, a highway network, and public transport.
Environmental Initiatives
In July 2019, Nagoya was selected by the Japanese government
as SDG Future City. The city is working to expand the SDGs
through ‘Community Development’, which aims to spread the
SGDs to the local community and solve local problems throughthe SDGs, and ‘People Development’ through various learning
programs in collaboration with ICT and urban facilities tospread the SDGs to children, who will lead the next generation.
Nagoya City has been selected as a Decarbonization Leading
Areas for the ‘Decarbonized Compact City Model Realized in a
Redevelopment Area’, which was jointly proposed with Toho
Gas Co. and Mitsui Fudosan Residential Co. The proposal is tointroduce solar power, small wind power, carbon-neutral gas
power generation, and storage batteries in minato AQULS, alarge-scale redevelopment area on a former factory site, and a
low-carbon model area in the city. By supplying surplus
electricity from existing city-owned photovoltaic and waste
power generation, the project aims to achieve virtually zeroCO2 emissions from electricity consumption by 2030.
Nagoya will continue this Decarbonization Leading Areas
initiative and other initiatives to achieve a decarbonizedsociety.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Okayama City
Message from the Mayor of Okayama City
Masao Omori
Okayama City has been a global frontrunner in promoting
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to encouragesustainable leaders since 2005. In 2014, because it is aleading city in ESD, Okayama City hosted the UNESCO World
Conference on ESD. The city has received high praise for its
ESD activities in schools and community centres.
In 2018, the city was selected as an SDGs Future City; a citythat proactively promotes initiatives to achieve theuniversal goals of the Sustainable Development Goals. We
are promoting various initiatives in collaboration withindustry, government, academia, and the private sector.
As a municipality responsible for the present and future of
our region, we have a mountain of issues to tackle, but I
believe it is important to incorporate a Sustainable
Development perspective into every measure we take topromote urban development in the future. Recognizing that
ESD is the key to achieving the SDGs, I would like tocontinue to share information with ICLEI members andpromote sustainable urban development together aroundthe world.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Okayama City
Basic Information
Population: 713,765(As of 1 May 2024)

Area: 789.95㎢

Okayama City Website(Japanese)

Overview of Okayama City
Okayama City is located in the southwestern part of themain island of Japan on the Okayama Plain, where the Asahi
River and the Yoshii River flow into the Seto Inland Sea. The
northern part of the city is covered with mountains leading
to the Kibi Plateau. Blessed with a mild climate unique tothe Seto Inland Sea coast, the city is relatively unaffected bytyphoons and has few disasters because there are no active
fault lines below the city.
In addition to the many historic and cultural assets thathave been left behind since the ancient Kibi period, a wide
variety of wildlife, including nationally important freshwater
fish, live and grow throughout the city. As the central city ofthe surrounding region, the city has a concentration of highlevel urban functions such as commerce, medical care,welfare, and education, and is located at the transport
crossroads between the Chugoku and Shikoku regions,making it an attractive place to live.
Environmental Initiatives
Through the Regional Center for Education for Sustainable
Development (RCE) project, which we have been working
on in cooperation with a variety of actors since 2005, we
will enhance the functions of the centre for environmental
education and learning, and promote ESD activities on thetheme of not only the environment but also global issues
related to society, economy, and culture.
Furthermore, with the aim of creating a sustainable city inharmony with nature as set out in the Second Okayama City
Environmental Basic Plan, the city will promote
environmentally friendly activities such as citizen
participation in environment protection, making lifestylechoices that help reach a decarbonized society, and waste
reduction and recycling promotion.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Sado City
Message from the Mayor of Sado City
Ryugo Watanabe
As part of its efforts to create a sustainable island, Sado City
was selected by the Government as a 'Decarbonization
Leading Areas' in April 2022 and an 'SDGs Future City' in
May.
The initiatives of the Decarbonization Leading Areas
selected as models for remote islands not only reducegreenhouse gas emissions and strengthen disasterprevention and mitigation capabilities by promoting the
introduction of renewable energy, but also prevent theoutflow of funds to outside the islands through local energy
production for local consumption, leading to an internal
circulation of the economy.
In addition, Sado City’s SDGs Future City Vision consider asociety that realizes the inheritance of Sado's unique history
and culture, such as the Toki (Japanese crested ibis) and the
Sado Gold and Silver Mine, as the 18th goal of the
Sustainable Development Goals and promotes it throughcooperation with diverse actors so that history, and culture
can circulate with the environment, economy and society
and people can continue to live prosperously.
In partnership with ICLEI, we will work towards even moresustainable cities and regions.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Sado City
Basic Information
Population: 48,655(As of 31 May 2024)

Overview of Sado City
Sado City is located almost in the center of Niigata
Prefecture in the Sea of Japan and is the largest remoteisland in Japan in the region where measures to promote
remote islands are implemented.

Area: 855 ㎢

Making Sado a World Heritage
Site (Japanese)
Globally Important Agricultural
Heritage Systems (GIAHS)(Japanese)
Sado Geopark (English)
Nature Positive Sado Island
Declaration (Japanese/English)

From Tokyo Station, the Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train takes
1.5 to 2 hours to Niigata Station, then a 15-minute bus ridefrom Niigata Station to the Niigata Port Sado Kisen Terminal,
where you can take a high-speed boat from Niigata Port to
Ryotsu Port in about 1 hour to Sado, the shortest journey
time is 3.5 hours.
Sado City, which started the certificate system for the coinhabitant with the crested ibis, when the crested ibis was
returned to the wild, was recognized as Japan's first Globally
Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) in 2011 forits efforts in farming methods that nurture living creaturesin consideration of the rice paddy ecosystem, beautiful
scenery such as terraced rice fields and traditional farming
culture handed down from the past, with the aim ofcoexistence with the crested ibis. In addition, The Sado
Island Gold Mines was inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage
List in July 2024, recognizing its gold production system
based on Japan’s unique traditional handicrafts during theEdo period.
Environmental Initiatives
In October 2022, Sado City made a Nature Positive
Declaration, which includes expanding the number of places
that contribute to biodiversity conservation and reducing
the transfer and use of resources that reduce biodiversity inother regions. The city subsequently participated in the
Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to theConvention on Biological Diversity (COP15 Part 2) held in
Canada, where its activities on Sado were strongly
communicated to the world. Along with the promotion of azero carbon island, Sado City will work to promote
environmental investment and a circular economy.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Saitama City
Message from the Mayor of Saitama City
Hayato Shimizu
Saitama City has been promoting initiatives in theenvironmental and energy sectors, such as the E-KIZUNA
Project to promote the use of next-generation vehicles,
ensure energy security through various resources andreduce CO2 emissions.
In July 2020, the city announced itself as a Zero Carbon City,and in May 2021, issued a declaration of the Saitama City
Climate Emergency to share the sense of crisis that theclimate is in a state of emergency with citizens, businesses,
and others and to act as one.
In addition, in April 2022, the city was selected by theJapanese Government as a ‘Decarbonization Leading Areas’,and in April 2023, it was selected for the Ministry of theEnvironment’s ‘Regional Decarbonization Transition /Renewable Energy Promotion Grants (Priority Measures
Execution Acceleration Project)’. With the support of thenational government, we will continue to further promotedecarbonization initiatives and aim to realize a Zero Carbon
City by 2025.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Saitama City
Basic Information
Population: 1,349,020(As of 1 June 2024)
Area: 217.43㎢

Saitama City Website(Japanese)
Comprehensive Partnership(Japanese)

Overview of Saitama City
Saitama City is located 30km north of central Tokyo, and it isa hub for exchanges of ‘People, Goods and Information’ as acore city in eastern Japan. It is connected to six Shinkansen
lines, JR lines, and a private railway. The area around Omiya
Station is included in the Metropolitan Area Regional Plan ofJapan.
In addition to historical and cultural resources, such as
Bonsai and railroads in Omiya, Iwatsuki Ningyo (Japanese
Dolls), and eels in Urawa, Saitama City has a large green
space (about 1,260 hectares) called ‘Minuma Tambo’. It isalso a city with a thriving sports scene, with facilities such as
Saitama Stadium 2○○2, the largest soccer stadium in Japan,
and the Saitama Super Arena.

Environmental Initiatives
In November 2022, Saitama City co-hosted the E-KIZUNA
Global Summit with ICLEI Japan, to exchange views andshare information on effective policies and knowledge torealize a sustainable city with a virtuous cycle of ‘economy,society, and environment’ in cooperation with other cities inJapan and abroad.
Saitama City will continue to promote initiatives to realize a
Zero Carbon City and actively disseminate its initiatives
while deepening cooperation with ICLEI and ICLEI member
local governments.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World

Sapporo City
Message from the Mayor of Sapporo City
Katsuhiro Akimoto
In recent years, climate change has caused significant
damage to the world due to extreme weather events suchas large typhoons and floods, and there is a need tostrengthen measures to combat climate change on a global
scale. Against this backdrop, in February 2020, Sapporo
declared its goal to become a ‘Zero Carbon City’ by 2050,
with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions from the city,and has been taking the initiative in taking measures toachieve this goal.
In March 2021, we formulated the ‘Sapporo Climate Change
Action Plan’ and the ‘Sapporo Climate Emergency
Declaration’ was issued to ensure that each and every
citizen shares a sense of crisis and the need for action on
climate change issues.
In November 20 22, Sapporo was sele cted as a
‘Decarbonization Leading Areas’, and in April 2023, the G7
Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy, and Environment
was held in Sapporo, where Hokkaido and Sapporo City
announced the 'Hokkaido/Sapporo Declaration’ tocontribute to local energy production for local consumption
and GX in Japan and the world through decarbonization,
which was disseminated domestically and internationally.
To pass on a rich environment to the next generation, theCity of Sapporo will actively exchange information with theparticipating cities of ICLEI and work together to realize
sustainable cities.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Sapporo City
Basic Information

Population: 1,969,215(As of 1 June 2024)
Area: 1,121.26㎢

Sapporo City Website(English)

Overview of Sapporo City
Sapporo, a metropolis of more than 1.9 million people, isblessed with abundant nature. It is the political, economic,
and cultural center of Hokkaido. Summers are crisp andsunny, and winters are cold and snowy, with annual snowfall
being up to 5 meters, making it one of the snowiest andcoldest cities in the world.
Sapporo is a metropolis that is convenient to live in, yet isclose to the rich nature of Hokkaido. It is a city where cityand nature are in harmony. More than 90% of the citizens
respond that they like Sapporo and are highly attached tothe city.
Environmental Initiatives
In March 2018, the ‘Second Sapporo City Environmental
Basic Plan’ wa s formulated to further promote
environmental measures in response to increasingly
complex and diverse environmental issues and in light ofinternational trends.
In this plan, various actors, including citizens, companies,
and governments will work together to promote crosssectoral initiatives with the aim of realizing an‘Environmental Capital, SAPP‿ RO’, a sustainable city where
the next generation of children can live happily.
In June 2018, Sapporo was selected as one of the "SDGs
Future Cities" by the government and is actively promoting
initiatives to achieve the SDGs (Sustainable Development
Goals). In order to view Sapporo by a global standard and todevelop city promotion through objective evaluations, inJanuary 2020, Sapporo became the first Japanese city to becertified as Platinum, the highest rank of LEED for Cities andCommunities, one of the categories of LEED, aninternationally recognized environmental performance
evaluation system.
Through these initiatives, the City of Sapporo aims to realize
a decarbonized society where the environment and theeconomy are compatible, and is promoting urban
development that supports attractive lifestyles unique to
Sapporo.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Shimokawa Town
Message from the Mayor of Shimokawa Town
Yasushi Tamura
Shimokawa aims to become a town where ‘life, people,
forests, and the land shines brightly’, based on its abundantforest resources, with the aim to building a town where
people can earn a rich income from the forest, learn andplay in the forest, nurture their mental and physical health,and lead a spiritual life surrounded by trees.
For more than 20 years since the Shimokawa Vision wasformulated in 2001, the town has been promoting
integrated economic, social, and environmental problemsolving
initiatives,withrecycling-oriented
forestmanagement as the cornerstone of town planning. In 2018,
the town was selected as an 'SDGs Future City' by theGovernment, while promoting town planning with diverse
actors inside and outside the town.
In Shimokawa Town, which faces a number of local issues
caused by a declining population, we will work to realise asustainable society through collaboration and cooperation
with ICLEI-participating cities.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Shimokawa Town
Basic Information
Population: 2,866(As of 1 July 2024)
Area: 644.2㎢

Shimokawa Town Website(Japanese)

Overview of Shimokawa Town
Shimokawa Town is located in the northern part of
Hokkaido, about 100 km north of Asahikawa City. It has avast area of 64,420 hectares (20km east to west, 30km
north to south), which is almost the same size as the 23
wards of Tokyo. Ninety percent of the town, is covered with
forests, leaving behind abundant forest resources and a richand beautiful nature.
It has an inland climate and the temperature varies greatly.
The maximum temperature is about 30oC and the minimum
temperature is about -30oC. Snowfall is from late November
to late March, and the region has long winters and shortsummers.
Shimokawa has developed on the basis of forestry. In 1953,
the town was granted 1,221 hectares of national forest land
under the "Act on Temporary Measures for theDevelopment of National Forests". In order to create aforest for the future, the town continued to plant about
50ha of trees every year and established a cyclical forest
management system of 60 years for harvesting. At present,
we have secured approximately 4,583 hectares of townowned forest, and are building a sustainable forest
management system that recycles resources while
continuously maintaining the forest and at the same time
securing employment opportunities and continuing to
supply forest products.
Environmental Initiatives
Shimokawa Town was the first town in Hokkaido to obtain
FSC® Forest Certification, an international certification thatcertifies responsible forest management. All town-owned
forests have been certified. Wood waste from the town's
lumber mills is used as fuel to install wood biomass boilers
in the Gomi Hot Spring and other public facilities to reducecarbon dioxide emissions and cut costs.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Sumida City
Message from the Mayor of Sumida City
Tooru Yamamoto
Surrounded by rivers, Sumida has had a deep connection
with rain and water since ancient times. The city has
nurtured this connection through a variety of relationships
and is dotted with historical sites such as shrines andmonuments related to rain and water.
Rainwater causes urban flooding due to typhoons andtorrential rains, but it can also be reclaimed as a water
resource through effective use. In our city, we arepromoting the storage and use of rainwater. In addition to
the city office and other city facilities, rainwater harvestingtanks have been installed in the Tokyo Sky Tree®, and arealso widely used in ordinary houses for flushing toilets,sprinkling water on plants, and water for fire prevention.
As an advanced location for rainwater harvesting, Sumida
will continue to promote urban development using
rainwater and will make efforts to publicize the benefits ofrainwater harvesting to as many people as possible. If you
are interested in rainwater harvesting, please come to
Sumida City!

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Sumida City
Basic Information
Population: 286,852(As of 1 July 2024)
Area: 13.77㎢

Sumida City website(Japanese)
Sumida Environmental Policy
Division website(Japanese)

Overview of Sumida City
Sumida City is located in the eastern part of Tokyo and issurrounded by the Sumida River, the Arakawa River, andmany other bodies of water. It is characterized by aharmonious mix of residential, industrial, and commercial
land use.

It is a manufacturing town but has a downtown atmospherenurtured by the history and culture of the Edo period. There
are many famous places, traditional arts, and historic sites
as well as technology. Furthermore, Tokyo Sky Tree®, theworld's tallest freestanding radio tower, was built with thebest of modern technology, and the city is on its way to
becoming an international tourist city that fuses
manufacturing and tourism.
Environmental Initiatives
In October 2009, Sumida declared itself as Sumida
Environmental District, and has been implementing
environmental measures against global warming to realisean environmentally friendly city. The city has a particularly
long history of rainwater utilization, starting with a request
for rainwater utilization during the construction of
the Ryogoku Kokugikan in 1982 to prevent urban flooding
caused by the backflow of sewage during heavy rains. These
rainwater utilization promotion projects were highly
evaluated by ICLEI, and Sumida received the International
Municipal Environment Award in 2000.
In the future, Sumida will continue to work together with its
residents and businesses to realize an environmentallyfriendly city, including rainwater harvesting.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban WorldTokyo Metropolitan Government
Message from the Governor of Tokyo
Yuriko Koike
We are now facing two crises- the climate crisis and theenergy crisis - the world is undergoing a structural shift
towards decarbonization and energy self-sufficiency. Tokyo
Metropolitan Government has also refined its policies fromthe perspective of ‘HTT’, Ⓗreducing, Ⓣgenerating, Ⓣsaving energy, an initiative to achieve decarbonization andenergy security in an integrated manner. It is the mission
imposed on us to take efficiency in energy use and the useof renewable energy for future generations for granted.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is accelerating its
efforts to achieve the Carbon Half, a 50% reduction ingreenhouse gas emissions by 2030, with the aim ofrealizing a Zero Emission Tokyo that will contribute tovirtually zero global CO2 emissions by 2050.
‘TIME TO ACT’ - now is the time to accelerate action. Tokyo
Metropolitan Government would like to enhance its
knowledge and join forces with ICLEI members and other
cities around the world.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban WorldTokyo Metropolitan Government
Basic Information
Population: 14, 177, 173(As of 1 June 2024)
Area: 2,199 ㎢

Tokyo Metropolitan
Government Website (English)
Tokyo Metropolitan
Government Bureau ofEnvironment website (English)
TIME TO ACT website (English)

Overview of Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Tokyo is located in the Kanto Plain, almost in the center of
the Japanese archipelago, and consists of the central ward
areas, the Tama area, and the island areas (Izu Islands andOgasawara Islands). Mountainous and hilly areas such as
Okutama and Mt Takao, as well as the island areas with richnature, are designated as natural parks. The Ogasawara
Islands are also registered as a World Heritage Site.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan and the country’s political,
economic, and cultural center, with a large number ofgovernmental agencies and major corporations. It is one of
the largest cities in the world with a population of about 14
million. It has a variety of attractions, including a highly
developed transportation system, pop culture, and foodculture that attracts attention from around the world, and ahistory and traditional culture that dates back to the Edo
period.
Environmental Initiatives
Approximately 70% of Tokyo’s energy-derived CO2
emissions come from buildings. For this reason, the Tokyo
Metropolitan Government has been working on building
measures since 2000. In 2010, the Tokyo Metropolitan
Government was the first in the world to implement theurban cap-and-trade system requiring large office buildings
to reduce their total CO2 emissions, and since the start ofthe system, it has consistently achieved a high reduction
rate that exceeds the mandatory reduction rate. As a new
initiative, an ordinance was enacted in 2022 requiring
business operators supplying new houses, etc. to install
photovoltaic installations. The system will start in April
2025.
In addition, from 2022, as a response to the climate andenergy crises, a campaign is being launched to call on
businesses and citizens of Tokyo to change their behavior
under the slogan 'HTT', the Japanese acronym for ‘Herasu(Reduce)’, ‘Tsukuru (Generate)’, and ‘Tameru (Save)’
electricity.
Studies have been initiated to expand the implementationof renewable energy from 2023.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Tokorozawa City
Message from the Mayor of Tokorozawa City
Masatoshi Onozuka
In November 2020, Tokorozawa City declared itself a 'Zero
Carbon City’, aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The city has been actively working on environmental measuresand, following the declaration, the city further accelerated its
decarbonization efforts, holding the ‘Machigoto Zero Carbon
Citizens’ Assembly’ in 2022.
In March 2023, we enacted the 'Tokorozawa Decarbonization
Ordinance’, which aims to ensure an environment where
citizens can live gracefully and prosperously now and in the
future, through proactive and cooperative efforts between thecity, companies, and citizens.
The issue of climate change is one of the major challenges on a
global scale, and in addition to the efforts of each local
government, we believe that cooperation between local
governments is also very important. In the future, we hope tocreate a ‘smiles abound in Tokorozawa’ in cooperation with
the ICLEI member local governments.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World

Tokorozawa City
Basic information
Population: 343,091(As of 31 May 2024)
Area:72.11㎢

Tokorozawa City Website(Japanese)

Overview of Tokorozawa City
Tokorozawa City is located about 30km from Tokyo, in thesouthwest part of Saitama Prefecture, almost in the central partof the Musashino Terrace, and bordering the northern part ofTama, Tokyo. The climate is generally mild, with a north-westerly
monsoon in winter.
In 1911, the first airfield in Japan was established, and the city is
known as ‘Tokorozawa, the Cradle of Aviation’. Today, despite
being the central city in southwest Saitama with a population ofover 340,000, it has developed as a cultural city in harmony withnature, with many original Japanese landscapes remaining, suchas the ancient battlefields of the late Kamakura period andSantome Shinden, a representative area of 'farming' traditions
from the Edo period, and rich greenery, including the Sayama
Hills.
Environmental Initiatives
Tokorozawa City is promoting environmental and urban
development measures under two themes: ‘Decarbonisation’ and‘People-centred Urban Planning’.
To promote renewable energy, large-scale photovoltaic
installations were installed on top of the final landfill site and on
the surface of the regulating ponds. The revenue from the sale ofelectricity generated in the region is accumulated as the MachiEco Fund, which is used to subsidise citizens and companies that
install renewable energy equipment, thereby contributing to theeconomic cycle in the region.
In addition, ‘Tokorozawa Future Electric Power’, a new regional
electric power company has been established with the aim ofincreasing the use of renewable energy by spreading
environmentally friendly electricity throughout the city,
supporting citizens' nature-friendly lifestyles and working withcitizens and companies to realise a sustainable local society.
In recent years, the ‘Machigoto Zero Carbon Citizens’ Assembly’, aTokorozawa’s version of the Climate Citizens’ Assembly, wasorganised to promote initiatives for decarbonisation that involve
citizens and companies. The city also aims to build a network for
decarbonisation management among companies.
Tokorozawa will continue to learn from good practices, bothnationally and internationally, and work together with various
stakeholders, including citizens and companies, to promote
initiatives for decarbonisation.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Tottori Prefecture
Message from the Governor of Tottori Prefecture
Shinji Hirai
The global environment, which underpins our lives and has
provided abundant blessings for generations, is now facing amajor crisis. Climate change action is an urgent issue that theinternational community needs to tackle in solidarity, and weneed to work for social change towards a sustainable future.
Tottori has set an ambitious target of reducing CO2 emissions
by 60% in 2030 (compared to 2013), well above the nationaltarget.
The amount of renewable energy generated in the prefecture
has exceeded the amount of electricity generated to meet
civilian electricity demand, reaching 41.3% of total electricity
consumption, and the prefecture has set its insulation
performance standard, ‘Tottori Healthy Energy Conservation
Housing (NE-ST)’, which exceeds the national energy efficiency
standard, and more than 30% of new housing construction
starts now meet this standard. In addition, Tottori is also
accelerating its efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions in
the future.
Through exchanges and partnerships with ICLEI and national
and international local governments, we will continue to strive
to create a vibrant and sustainable society and pass on the richnatural environment, including the development of young
people who will be responsible for the future.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Tottori Prefecture
Basic information
Population: 537,318(As of 1 October 2023)
Area:3,507㎢

Tottori Prefecture Website(Japanese)

Decarbonising Social Promotion
Division (Japanese)

Overview of Tottori Prefecture
Tottori Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan to the north, with acoastline of white sand and green pine trees, including the Tottori
Sand Dunes, and to the south are the mountains of the Chugoku
mountain range, including Mount Daisen, the highest peak in the
Chugoku region. Despite the mountainous terrain, plains areformed in the basin of the three rivers, and Tottori City, Kurayoshi
City, and Yonago City are the central cities in the basin,
respectively.
Surrounded by rich nature, including the clear blue waters of the
Sea of Japan and lush green mountains, the region produces
numerous agricultural products, including Tottori 20th Century
Pears, and fresh seafood. Symbiosis with nature has given rise tounique new technologies, such as ice-temperature technology,
and supports high-value-added industries. Tottori Prefecture has
also long been in contact with countries on the other side of the
Sea of Japan and has been promoting the development of a basefor the Japan Sea Rim era.
Environmental Initiatives
In March 2022, the prefecture revised its basic environmental
plan, the 'Tottori Prefecture Environmental Initiative Plan for the
New Reiwa Era', and set an ambitious target of reducing CO2
emissions by 60% in 2030 (compared to 2013).
Tottori Prefecture has also proposed the 'Tottori Ecology Life
Campaign' as its vision for the year 2030. The idea is not to saveenergy by forcing people to endure, but to “shift to a lifestyle that
protects the environment and health while living comfortably andwisely” and “to activate the local economy through ‘local
production for local consumption of renewable energy' and'technological development’”, and the prefecture has set afriendly nickname 'TottoReborn!’ to promote awareness of theplan.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Toyama City
Message from the Mayor of Toyama City
Hirohisa Fujii
Toyama City, with its declining population, low birthrate, andageing population, has been promoting initiatives such as
Environmental Model City and Environmental Future City
based on the compact city planning principles focussed on
public transportation.
In 2018, the city was selected as one of the SDGs Future Cities,
and in March 2021, with an eye on the next stage of compact
cities, the city announced its intention to become a Zero
Carbon City. This will deepen sustainable urban development
by further strengthening environmental policies, such as
promoting more efficient energy use in public facilities andencouraging the introduction of renewable energy.
Toyama City will continue to work with ICLEI members in Japanand abroad to realize a sustainable society.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Toyama City
Basic information

Population: 404,870(As of 31 March 2024)
Area:1,241.77㎢

Toyama City Website(Japanese)

Overview of Toyama City
Toyama City occupies almost the entire central tosoutheastern part of Toyama Prefecture, with Toyama Bay,
which nurtures abundant seafood, to the north, the majestic
Tateyama Mountain Range to the east, a series of hills andmountain villages to the west, and rich rural landscapes andforests to the south. Large and small rivers, such as
the Jinzu River and the Joganji River, flow through the city,
forming a cultural zone that has been linked by rivers sinceancient times. From Toyama Bay, blessed with seafood, to the
3,000-meter mountains that fascinate mountaineers, thenatural landscape of the city is one of the best in the world.
Toyama City is famous nationwide as the ‘City of Medicine,’
and is working to develop a city with a high level ofcomprehensive capabilities, including the Tateyama Mountain
Range, the Etchu Owara Kaze no Bon Festival, and othertourism resources, as well as the development ofenvironmental, biotechnology, and IT-related industries,
welfare, and education. As a prefectural capital with apopulation of 420,000, the city is striving to be an attractive
city.
Environmental Initiatives
In March 2021, Toyama City formulated the "Toyama City
Energy Vision" against the backdrop of the government's trend
toward rapid climate change and the city's past efforts in theenvironmental field. The vision calls for (1) promotion of more
efficient energy use in public facilities, and (2) formation anddevelopment of models for independent and decentralizedenergy systems.
Toyama City will realize a zero-carbon city by promoting theefforts of the entire organization and collaborating withprivate companies.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Toyota City
Message from the Mayor of Toyota City
Toshihiko Ota
Toyota City has been collaborating with leading companies andorganizations in the automobile, energy, housing, transportation,and distribution industries to conduct demonstrations for theconstruction of a next-generation low-carbon society system. It
has been reflecting the most advanced environmental
technologies in city planning with the aim of creating the world's
most successful city, where automobiles and people coexist inharmony.
We expect that the experience we have gained as a core city of
the world's leading manufacturing industry will contribute tosolving problems in other industrial cities and Asian countries
with remarkable economic development. We would like toaccelerate and expand our local efforts to realize a sustainable
society together with the members of ICLEI. We hope toaccelerate and expand local initiatives to realize a sustainable
society together with ICLEI members.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Toyota City
Basic Information

Population: 415,853(As of 1 April 2024)
Area: 918.32㎢(including 626.44 km² of forest
area)

Toyota City Website(Japanese)

Overview of Toyota City
Toyota City is a core city located in the centre of Aichi
Prefecture, about 30 km east of Nagoya, the capital of theprefecture. In 2005, the city merged with six surrounding
towns and villages in the Yahagi River basin which runs
through the city. The city now covers 20% of Aichi
Prefecture. 70% of the city area is forested, which is similar
to the percentage of forested area in the whole of Japan.
The city has both urban areas where industry andpopulation are concentrated, and mountainous areas withrich nature, history, and culture.
The predecessor of the city was Koromo-cho which once
prospered from sericultural silk production. In the earlyShowa period (1926-1989), the city was threatened by arecession, but overcame the crisis by attracting Toyota
Motor Corporation plant (now Toyota Motor Corporation).
Toyota City has developed along with the automobile
industry. In addition to automobiles, the city is also known
for its agricultural products such as peaches, rice, andjumbo pears.
Environmental Initiatives
The city has been selected as a region by various ministries
and agencies, including being selected as an SDGs Future
City in 2018, and is developing low-carbon and pioneering
urb an d eve lop ment, e spe cially in the fie ld s oftransportation and energy. In 2016, it organized the Toyota
City Connected Society Demonstration Promotion Council.
This aims to create a new smart city through AI and IoT.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Yokohama City
Message from the Mayor of Yokohama City
Takeharu Yamanaka
With the adoption of the Paris Agreement at the 21stConference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
expectations for the actions of cities are rising worldwide.
Yokohama has set a goal of ‘Zero Carbon Yokohama’ and is
working towards decarbonization by 2050, and as a SDGs
Future City selected by the Japanese Government, the city is
focusing its efforts on creating a sustainable city, including
measures to combat global warming.
Yokohama City has long been working to solve urban issues
in cooperation with other cities and internationalorganizations in Japan and abroad. We would like to share
our knowledge with the participating cities of ICLEI, andpromote cooperation and collaboration to create asustainable society together.

Shaping a Sustainable
Urban World
Yokohama City
Basic Information
Population: 3,772,190(As of 1 July 2024)
Area: 437.78㎢

Yokohama City Website(English)

Overview of Yokohama City
The city of Yokohama is a beautiful international port city located in
the metropolitan area of Japan. In addition to the modern waterfront
area symbolized by the Minato Mirai 21 district, the suburbs arefilled with lush greenery, residential areas, and farmland, making thecity a diverse and attractive place.

Yokohama's development was triggered by the opening of the port in1859. Since then, Yokohama has overcome various hardships such as
the Great Kanto Earthquake, rapid population growth, and pollution,and has grown to become the second largest city in Japan with apopulation of 3.7 million. The urban management knowledge andtechnological capabilities cultivated during this process have become
the foundation for our current international contributions. In recent
years, the city has also been strong in tourism MICE (Meeting,
Incentive, Conferences, Exhibitions), hosting many international
conferences such as the Asian Development Bank Annual Meetingand the African Development Conference, and attracting 36 million
tourists in 2023.
Environmental Initiatives
Yokohama has been a pioneer among other cities in taking measures
to combat global warming, such as saving electricity, energy
efficiency measures, and expanding the use of renewable energy.
In January 2023, the Yokohama City Action Plan for Global WarmingCountermeasures was revised, setting a 2030 greenhouse gas
emissions reduction target of 50% (compared to 2013 levels) andworking towards virtually zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2050.
In order to achieve this goal, Yokohama is working to create a seriesof measures to combat global warming in an ‘all-Yokohama’ manner
through the introduction of new technologies in cooperation withbusinesses, smart use of renewable energy in collaboration withother local governments, and activities that utilize the power ofcitizens. Furthermore, the ‘Minato Mirai 21 area’ was selected as anational ‘Decarbonization Leading Areas’.
Together with our citizens, we will build a model for decarbonizationin major cities, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions fromelectricity consumption to virtually zero by 2030.

Supporting our members

Contact us

ICLEI Japan supports the participation of member local
governments
ininternational
initiatives
anddisseminates and shares examples of pioneering cities athome and abroad.

ICLEI Japan Office

We aim to:
1. Promote the efforts of Japanese local governments
overseas
Through supporting participation in international
initiatives and UN conferences, such as the Conferenceof the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity(COP) and the United Nations Environment Program(UNEP), and creating opportunities for collaboration
with ICLEI Headquarters and other regional offices.
2. Create opportunities for knowledge exchange
between member local governments
Through the ICLEI Sustainable City Study Group (ICLEI
Cafe) and ICLEI Japan Seminars.
3. Collect and provide relevant domestic andinternational information
Through Japan ICLEI iNews and case studies.
4. Provide research and consulting
Through survey support for local governments in Japanand overseas, as well as outsourcing projects such as
international conference planning.

〒105-0003

Shinbashi SY Bldg. 4F, 1-14-2,
Nishi-shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo,
105-0003, Japan
Tel. 03-6205-8415
Fax 03-6205-8416
japanoffice.iclei.org

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