Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, has always been a center of national economic growth, and hence a focal point of political struggle between local and national government. There exist two kinds of political forces; the former desires strong concentration of economic activities in Tokyo based on market rationality and economic efficiency, and the latter counters the former claiming more decentralization based on the balanced national economic structure. This paper reviews the development of urban and regional policy in Japan over the last 20 years and examines how such political forces have played out. After the decade-long sluggish economic performance and the challenge of inter-urban competition by Asian mega-cities, Tokyo Metropolitan Government formulated an aggressive promotional policy under the leadership of the then Governor Ishihara. He tactically created a political consensus to give locational favor to the central part of Tokyo at the expense of other regions. It was partially challenged by the election of the then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who insisted the need to revitalize the regions that were economically lagging. Despite his words, however, the centralization of Tokyo continued. This paper argues that the regional revitalization policy under the Abe administration was political rhetoric rather than reality, and Japan's economic fortune may still depend on the performance of Tokyo in the global economy under the neoliberal policy orientation.

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东京的再集权化：日本地区政策的矛盾与政治斗争

东京作为日本的首都，一直以来都是国家经济增长的中心，因此也是地方和国家政府之间政治斗争的焦点。存在两种政治力量；前者基于市场合理性和经济效率，希望东京的经济活动高度集中，后者则反对前者，后者声称基于平衡的国家经济结构更加分散化。本文回顾了过去 20 年来日本城市和区域政策的发展，并考察了这些政治力量是如何发挥作用的。在经历了长达十年的低迷经济表现和亚洲特大城市的城市间竞争挑战之后，东京都政府在当时的石原知事的领导下制定了积极的促进政策。他在策略上创造了一种政治共识，以牺牲其他地区为代价，给予东京中部地区优势。当时的首相安倍晋三（Shinzo Abe）的选举部分挑战了它，他坚持需要振兴经济落后的地区。然而，尽管他这么说，东京的中央集权仍在继续。本文认为，安倍政府的地区振兴政策是政治言论而非现实，日本的经济命运可能仍取决于新自由主义政策导向下东京在全球经济中的表现。当时的首相安倍晋三（Shinzo Abe）的选举部分挑战了它，他坚持需要振兴经济落后的地区。然而，尽管他这么说，东京的中央集权仍在继续。本文认为，安倍政府的地区振兴政策是政治言论而非现实，日本的经济命运可能仍取决于新自由主义政策导向下东京在全球经济中的表现。当时的首相安倍晋三（Shinzo Abe）的选举部分挑战了它，他坚持需要振兴经济落后的地区。然而，尽管他这么说，东京的中央集权仍在继续。本文认为，安倍政府的地区振兴政策是政治言论而非现实，日本的经济命运可能仍取决于新自由主义政策导向下东京在全球经济中的表现。