夕張市の財政破綻から20年　全国最低の行政サービスと全国最高の負担を強いた日々　約353億円完済後のまちづくりへスタートライン

June 20th marks 20 years since Yubari City in Hokkaido declared its financial collapse. Currently under national government control, the city is moving forward with an eye towards debt repayment in the spring of 2026. June 19th, lunchtime at Yubari Elementary School. First-grade students: "Let's eat!" Yubari melons, currently in season, were served for lunch. The melons were donated to the children by a fruit and vegetable wholesaler from Sapporo. These past 20 years have also been a time when Yubari has been supported by various forms of assistance from across the country. June 20, 2006, Yubari City Council meeting. The usually empty spectator gallery was overflowing with citizens. Yubari City Mayor Kenji Goto (2006): "We have determined that it is difficult for Yubari City to rebuild its finances on its own." On this day, Yubari City declared its financial collapse. It was the moment it fell into the category of the only financially distressed municipality in the country. Residents' briefing session (2006) "You should prostrate yourselves! That's how serious the situation is!" Yubari, once a thriving coal mining town, offered free rent, water, and utilities. At its peak, the population was 116,000, and the standard of living was high. However, with the shift from coal to oil… Due to a change in national energy policy and a series of accidents, the Yubari coal mines closed in 1990. Reporter Tadashi Fujita: "This is the former Hokutan Yubari Coal Mine, the only authentic mine shaft open to the public in Japan. It's no exaggeration to say that the town's development began and ended with the coal mine. Yubari will mark 20 years since its financial collapse on the 20th." Yubari Coal Museum Director Shigeaki Ishikawa: "The principle is that a closed mine company should properly handle its affairs before leaving, but since Hokutan went bankrupt, the city ultimately had to shoulder over 50 billion yen." Yubari City's next move was "from coal mining to tourism." They pushed forward with massive investments, such as a coal history village, to create new industries, but their finances rapidly deteriorated. At the time, Yubari City's tax revenue was 970 million yen, and they had to repay a debt of 35.3 billion yen over 20 years. The days of imposing "the lowest administrative services in the country and the highest burden in the country" on citizens in order to prioritize repaying debt to the national government will end in March 2027. Yubari Resident "(Paying off the debt) is half good, half bad." Yubari Resident "The population is decreasing, and there are many elderly people, so taxes won't come in." Yubari Resident "Even if we pay off the debt now, the same thing will happen in the future." Mayor Tsukasa Atsuya, who worked for the city's board of education at the time of the bankruptcy, is advocating for a "compact city" concept that concentrates the city's functions and aims to reduce infrastructure maintenance costs. Mayor Tsukasa Atsuya of Yubari City "I think there is plenty of potential to accommodate new ways of working, such as relocation experiences, short-term stays, and so-called remote work, so I want to challenge myself in those areas." The mayor is now trying to cultivate a sense of attachment to the city by passing on its history to local high school students who will shape the future. Yubari High School Student "I'm really looking forward to seeing a side of Yubari that we've never known before, now that we'll be out of financial collapse in 2027." The latest population is 5,700. Paying off debt is also the starting line for new urban development. ■ Hokkaido's declining population and decreasing tax revenue The financial collapse of Yubari City is by no means a "thing of the past." Last year's national census showed Hokkaido's population at "4.98 million," falling below 5 million for the first time in 70 years. Sapporo also experienced a population decline for the first time since the census began in 1920. As the population declines, so does the city's tax revenue. Recently, Kitami City has fallen into a financial crisis and is trying to increase its revenue as much as possible through naming rights for parks and city roads, and the development of return gifts for hometown tax donations. Yubari City has been pursuing policies to make the city more compact in order to pay off its debt, but after paying off the debt, it will aim to become a well-equipped compact city while alleviating the burden of high taxes and public utility charges.