Governor Koike's press conference

Governor's opening remarks

It's hot. This week, Isesaki City in Gunma Prefecture recorded the highest temperature in Japan. Temperatures in Ome and other areas of Tokyo exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.

To reiterate, we ask that you take thorough measures to protect yourself from the heat, such as drinking plenty of water, using air conditioning without hesitation, and, as the term "parasol boys" suggests, using parasols and hats when going out, as well as making use of cooling shelters.

During summer vacation, children have more opportunities to go outside, and last summer, when children under the age of 18 were rushed to the emergency room (or more accurately, ambulance) due to heatstroke, over 80% of these cases occurred while outdoors, such as on a playground or in a park. Children are also shorter than adults, which makes them more susceptible to the effects of heat from the ground. Children also have a very active metabolism, so they lose fluids easily through sweating and breathing. As a result, their body temperature tends to rise more easily.

For this reason, I would like to ask parents and other adults around children to take sufficient care, such as drinking water frequently before they get thirsty, and taking planned breaks in air-conditioned or shady places. Also, children often get so engrossed in playing that they don't notice any abnormalities in their body. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to their complexion, sweating patterns, and changes in their physical condition, and take measures early. I hope you will make an effort to prevent heatstroke and have a fun summer vacation.

Furthermore, for information about events during the summer vacation period, please see the special page shown here (slide), "Tokyo Children's Smile Adventure." This special page also introduces events to be held at the cooling shelter, so we hope you will make use of it.

Solar power generation initiatives

I would like to talk about three points regarding our efforts regarding solar power generation. First, regarding the spread of solar panels, starting in April of this year, the installation of solar panels has become mandatory for newly built homes (and other properties) by major home builders.

This has led to the spread of "fuel-efficient homes" equipped with solar panels and high-performance insulation. To help more people learn about these "fuel-efficient homes," we have created a video featuring Sora Jiro and Hello Kitty, which we hope you will take a look at.

Installing solar panels has many benefits, including reducing utility bills and providing a power source in the event of a power outage, making them a great option for disaster preparedness. We encourage you to consider them when choosing a home.

Also, when installing solar panels, we sometimes hear various concerns, such as "Will it be safe in typhoons or earthquakes?", "Can it be recycled?", and "Can I take out insurance?" However, the answer to all of these questions is no, so please feel free to choose our products.

Next, I would like to inform you about a renewable energy project we are carrying out on Hahajima Island in Ogasawara Village. Hahajima is an isolated island that relies on diesel power generation for its electricity. Currently, the population is around 420 people, and this island's reliance on diesel poses challenges for us, including reducing the environmental impact and improving resilience.

Therefore, we will begin this demonstration experiment on Friday, the 29th of this month, in which we will cover approximately six months of the year with electricity generated solely through solar power. As you know, Ogasawara Village is an island designated as a World Heritage Site, and we are carrying out development with consideration for the natural environment and landscape.

In order to realize a zero-emission island, we will continue to work as a pioneer in supplying 100% renewable energy to island regions.

The third point is about the naming of next-generation solar cells. As I have said before, these solar cells are thin, light, and flexible, and are a technology developed in Japan.

The key point is that Japan is the second largest producer of iodine in the world, which means that we can build a stable supply system, which is also a strength.

To promote the widespread use of solar cells, we held a naming election to decide on an easy-to-understand name. I would like to announce the results. Yes. As you can see (slide), the total number of votes in the election exceeded 15,000, and of the four candidates, "Air Solar" received the most votes with 4,388. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who helped with the voting.

So this is Air Solar. I think there will be many different types released in the future, but this is Air Solar, and the name you chose represents the fact that it can be installed anywhere, just like air. The A stands for "Anywhere," the I for "Innovative," and the A, I, and R for "Renewable energy," so the name is an acronym of these.

Going forward, we will utilize social media and videos, as well as collaborate with events such as the World Athletics Championships, to popularize this name. Given its light, flexible, and thin properties, we expect it to be used in a variety of applications, including building walls, windows, and cars, and believe it could be a game-changer in renewable energy generation. We will continue to promote the introduction of Air Solar, with the aim of realizing a "power-generating city of the future."

Childcare and women's empowerment

I would like to talk about efforts to promote childcare, women's empowerment, and a change in social awareness and mindset.

Ten years ago, in 2015, statistics showed that only 4.5% of men in Tokyo were raising children, but at the time, when men said they were raising children, they were met with comments like, "Have they given up on career advancement?" or "They're a bit strange." Even if they tried to participate in child-rearing and not do it alone, they felt guilty, as the word "take a break" comes with it. I think it's undeniable that there was such a negative atmosphere.

However, childcare leave is by no means a break, and we must create an environment in which people can proudly raise their children and be blessed by their colleagues, and can proudly say, "I'm currently raising a child." That is the kind of society we must build. I have been working on this with conviction and have been moving forward with it.

Now, the number has increased by more than ten times to 54.8%, which means that rather than having a negative, how should I put it, attitude towards childcare, people are moving forward with it as a normal thing. As time goes by, things that were once considered "unconventional" are becoming normal, and I think this is a sign of social change.

This means that the percentage of men raising children is now more than ten times what it was ten years ago, at 54.8%, more than 10% higher than the national average. This means that one in two men is raising children. I believe these figures speak volumes about the ideals of raising children and how they have led to a change in society's mindset.

If we can create a society in which it is natural for both women and men to demonstrate their abilities in all areas and for each other to be empowered, then the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, as a leader in this endeavor, is currently promoting a variety of initiatives to promote the active participation of working women through the Women in Action (WA) network.

As part of this effort, we are holding an event themed on "A society in which each individual can pursue the career of their choice, regardless of gender." The event will be organized by Women in Action (WA), and will focus on "Choosing Your Career," which means being able to choose your career. The event will be held on Monday, August 25th at TIB in Yurakucho.

The keynote speech at this event will be given by Sheena Iyengar, a professor at Columbia Business School who is famous for being the author of the bestselling book "The Science of Choice." There will also be a panel discussion with the corporate leaders shown in the slide. I plan to attend myself, and I look forward to exchanging opinions with the high school students who will lead the future. Participation is free, and I hope that many of you will register.

NICU Hospitalization Support Handbook

For babies admitted to the intensive care unit (NICU, or ICU for short) for newborns who are born prematurely or prematurely, we distribute a "Nobinobi" notebook, which allows you to record their growth and development. We have recently redesigned the notebook. It is now a little smaller, but the content is more comprehensive, and we have received feedback from families that the support of doctors, nurses, and public health nurses is a great help, so we have made it possible for these people to record their growth and development as well.

The planner also allows you to record your child's growth from the time they are hospitalized. The cover design is also adorable, featuring Moomin. The Moomin design symbolizes family love and respect for individuality, and the planner will be distributed at perinatal maternal and child health centers and local health centers. We hope that this planner will become an important record of your child's growth and that of your family.

Referendum held on proposals by Tokyo residents and universities

We are inviting Tokyo residents to submit project proposals to be reflected in next year's budget proposal, and we would like to inform you about the referendum. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been soliciting proposals from residents and universities as a way to reflect the voices of Tokyo residents and the knowledge of researchers in Tokyo's policies.

Many proposals have been commercialized to date, such as the one shown here (slide), a citizen collaboration system that utilizes ICT and AI to make infrastructure management more transparent. It's a bit long, but the gist is that if the roads are damaged or have some other problem, the Road Bureau or our patrol cars cannot check everything, so Tokyo residents can actually use the roads and take photos of things like "this part is a bit bumpy" using an app and post them. The app was developed and operated based on a proposal from Tokyo residents, who then voted for the areas with the highest scores, which led to the commercialization of the system.

As for the app I just mentioned, we have now expanded its scope to include not only roads but also parks and rivers, and we have received over 4,000 submissions so far. By receiving reports or information from you all about prompt repairs to roads and other infrastructure, we are able to protect the citizens of Tokyo, and we have a proven track record of this.

This year, we have received many original and innovative proposals. We received 1,094 proposals from Tokyo residents, marking the first time we have received such a program since fiscal year 2017. From these, we selected 12 proposals from Tokyo residents and eight from universities. We are currently conducting an online vote by Tokyo residents aged 15 or older until Sunday, the 31st of this month. Voting is easy via smartphone, so we hope you will cast your votes on the ideas you like and the ideas you would like to see realized. We hope that many people will cast their votes and decide on the content of the project proposals.