Feeling That Special Yokohama Spring Allure At last it is that season when in the gentle rays of the sun we can feel the approaching spring. When I think of those things that most add to the special seasonal charm of spring, none springs to mind more readily than Garden Necklace Yokohama, the annual spring event which fills our city streets with flowers and greenery. Every year we welcome so many visitors to every part of our city for this event, and the streets of Yokohama blossom with the smiling faces of people who love flowers. In the area surrounding Port of Yokohama, so redolent with the atmosphere of foreign cultures, cherry blossoms, tulips and other flowers bloom proudly in a palette of colors. Being able to enjoy the many faces of multicolored flowers against a backdrop of beautiful harbor views and our sophisticated waterfront cityscape is a unique pleasure you can only experience in Yokohama. Again, in our suburban Satoyama Garden with its vast spread of bountiful nature, our city’s biggest flowerbeds will be overflowing with masses of exuberant pansies, Nemophila menziesii baby blue eyes, and many other flowers. Please go and take in for yourselves the nostalgic rolling hills and lush valleys of Japan’s old “satoyama” landscape, all draped in the gentle tints and tones of flowers. In May, the month when the roses are in full bloom, we hold Yokohama Rose Week, an event where the city flower of Yokohama takes center stage. Beginning with the rose gardens in Yamashita Park and Harbor View Park, I hope you will indulge yourself to the full in the scents and beauty of roses with our city’s rose-themed events, rose-themed sweets, and rose-themed shopping. In recent years “open garden” events that feature the personal gardens and flowerbeds that Yokohama citizens themselves have fostered with tender, loving care have also springing up in different parts of our city, together with other flower initiatives in many different parts of our city. Garden Necklace Yokohama links that Yokohama desire to foster our beautiful nature and all these alluring gardens and events into one single beautiful necklace, delivering to you all the mellifluous power of flowers and greenery. Please indulge yourself to your heart’s content in the Yokohama spring as you walk the flower-filled streets of our city. Hayashi Fumiko Mayor of Yokohama Do You Know Where to Evacuate to In an Earthquake? When a major earthquake strikes, “self-help”--where each and every one of us protects our own lives through our own efforts--is critically important. This means not just stockpiling provisions and other supplies at home, but also confirming where you should evacuate to if that become necessary. Let’s take this opportunity to review our own disaster preparations. Steps to follow in an evacuation ※You may not need to follow each and every one of these steps, depending on your own situation. Confirm the conditions around you Take measures to protect yourself appropriate to where you are right now No danger of fire Danger of fire No danger Small parks, etc. Decided by your Neighborhood Association Evacuate. Reach out to those around you Also reach out to the elderly and the disabled There is fire danger at your temporary evacuation area If you can put out the fire yourself, do so immediately Evacuate to temporary evacuation area Fire danger ends Fire danger imminent Evacuate to evacuation area Large parks, other 112 designated areas in the city Danger of major fire ends Check if your residence is damaged No damage Sheltering at home Let’s stockpile provisions and supplies at home. People who are sheltering at home or have evacuated to a location other than an evacuation center can still visit the evacuation centers for supplies and information Cannot live at home due to damage Elementary and middle schools, etc. Evacuation shelters will open if there is even a single earthquake measurement of seismic intensity of 5 or higher anywhere in Yokohama City ※In principle, proceed to evacuation shelters on foot ※When evacuating, take your emergency provisions and supplies with you Shelter at home Evacuate to evacuation center Yokohama City Disaster Information e-mail Use the QR code on the right, or send a blank email to the e-mail address below. We will send you an e-mail with instructions on how to register to receive Yokohama City Disaster Information emails. 【E-mail address】 entry-yokohama@bousai-mail.jp The Yokohama City Disaster Preparedness Plan has been revised (new plan effective April 1) The following points in particular have been revised: ●Effective delivery of information to foreign residents and foreign visitors if a disaster occurs ●Consideration for special needs of sexual minorities during a disaster ●Revisions accompanying designation of Yokohama as a city conducting relief operations under the Disaster Relief Act ●Storm and flood countermeasures for underground facilities 【Inquiries】 Regarding evacuation steps General Affairs Bureau Regional Disaster Prevention Division Tel: 045-671-3456 Fax: 045-641-1677 Regarding Yokohama City Disaster Information E-mails General Affairs Bureau Emergency Measures Division Tel: 045-671-3458 Fax: 045-641-1677 Regarding revision of Yokohama City Disaster Preparedness Plan General Affairs Bureau Disaster Prevention Planning Division Tel: 045-671-4096 Fax: 045-641-1677 Have You Checked Yours? Household Smoke Detectors Protect Your Life, Your Assets, and Your Memories Let’s check them regularly! Test button Lanyard It’s Easy to Check Press the “test button” Or pull the “lanyard” ※When testing, let’s also familiarize ourselves with the alarm sound (the alarm will stop again shortly after the test) Please replace your smoke detector every 10 years When a smoke detector gets old, the electronics components can age or the battery die. Let’s plan to replace them every 10 years. 【Inquiries】Fire Bureau Fire Prevention Division Tel: 045-334-6406 Fax: 045-334-6610 Fiscal 2020 City of Yokohama Budget Proposal Completed The City of Yokohama budget proposal for fiscal 2020 has been compiled. Together with securing the safety and security of the lives of our citizens and invigorating the city’s economy, the proposed budget accelerates our undertakings to ensure that Yokohama can continue to grow and develop further in the future. The budget will also enable us to reliably perform our role as a basic municipality. Budget by Account Account Fiscal 2020 Budget Fiscal 2019 Budget Percentage change year-on-year General account ¥1,740.0 billion ¥1,761.5 billion -1.2% Special account ¥1,269.7 billion ¥1,328.2 billion -4.4% Public enterprise account ¥596.3 billion ¥615.2 billion -3.1% Total accounts ¥3,606.0 billion ¥3,704.8 billion -2.7% ※Figures in the chart have been rounded in each category. Note that total amounts presented here may not balance due to rounding. General Account Income and Expenditures Revenue ¥1,740.0 billion City Tax ¥844.1 billion Local allocation tax ¥20.0 billion National government & prefectural disbursements ¥425.3 billion City bonds ¥126.7 billion Other ¥323.9 billion Expenditures ¥1,740.0 billion Personnel expenses ¥371.3 billion Social assistance expenses ¥520.6 billion Debt service ¥189.2 billion Administration costs ¥270.0 billion Facility development expenses ¥201.6 billion Transfers to other accounts ¥187.4 billion How the Budget is Used Per Capita (General Account) Average budget spent on each Yokohama citizen ¥464,013 (Population as of Jan. 1, 2020: 3,749,929) Childcare/Education ¥154,512 (33.3%) Health/Welfare/Medical ¥125,788 (27.1%) Roads, housing, planned urban development ¥ 45,079 (9.7%) City Hall operations, etc. ¥ 44,040 (9.5%) Promoting Yokohama City brand, economic development, etc. ¥ 26,441 (5.7%) Water and green space conservation, climate change countermeasures, etc. ¥26,190 (5.7%) Community planning, sports activities, and ward administration \14,700 (3.2%) Waste disposal, waste reduction, recycling ¥11,618 (2.5%) Fire and emergency services ¥11,309 (2.4%) Subway/buses/waterworks ¥4,336 (0.9%) Major Undertakings Robust Economic Growth and the Realization of a Culture, Art and Creative City Comprehensive support for small and medium-sized enterprises and promotion of shopping districts Strategic attraction of enterprises Yokohama Triennale 2020 Planning for new municipal theater project Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games An advanced environmental city overflowing with flowers and greenery Prepare for International Horticultural Exhibition Achieve our goal of a “SDGs Future City Yokohama” The Challenge of a super-aged society Establishment and promotion of community-based integrated care system Promote measures for securing human resources for long-term care Secure medical functions for the year 2025 Creating a City Where People and Companies Can Gather and Flourish Promote revitalization of the Kannai and Kangai districts Promote IR (Integrated Resorts) Maintain and enhance regional transportation Ensure safety of routes used by school students, etc. Fostering Diverse People to Build the Future Enhance nurseries and pre-school education Promote education that expands children’s opportunities Promote measures to address child poverty Improve regional public assistance for disabled children and adults Resilient City Planning to Shape the Future Bolster communication tools for transmitting disaster information Accelerate countermeasures against localized heavy rainfall and similar threats Promote cruise ship port-of-calls and strengthen capacity to handle cruise ship traffic We Have Pursued Every Avenue to Secure Revenue to Promote Necessary Measures In an environment where there is little likelihood of a major increase in municipal tax revenue, and given a financial structure where social security expenditures continue to rise by the year, the City of Yokohama compiles our budget by tapping varied revenue sources, including thorough-going reviews of how we operate and of our various undertakings, securing revenue from the national government, and by rolling over savings in one year’s budget into the next year’s budget※１. In fiscal 2020 we anticipate a decline in revenue from large-scale sales of city land, while the implementation of the FY2019 budget prioritizing responses to the damage from Typhoon 15 (Typhoon Faxai) and other natural disasters limited our ability to save revenue for roll-over into the FY2020 budget. As a result, this fiscal year we will face a need to draw down our reserves to an even greater extent than in the previous year, and use them as a source of funds. ※1 Securing revenue by implementing the previous year budget efficiently enough to save on funds budgeted, and roll them over for use in the following fiscal year. Securing Financial Resources for Fiscal 2019 Review of city undertakings Utilization of land sale profits Utilize revenue saved from previous year budget Utilize reserves Secure revenue from other sources Securing Financial Resources for FY2020 Review city undertakings Utilize land sale profits Utilize revenue saved from previous year budget Utilize reserves Secure other revenue sources We Are Working Hard Not to Pass on Excessive Financial Obligations to Future Generations (Systematic utilization of city bonds and managing the loan balance in the general account) The City of Yokohama applies the “Yokohama Model” approach to the primary balance (PB)※1 under which we issue city bonds. Under the city’s 4-year mid-term plan, we will run a deficit in the PB for the first two years of the plan, but will then run in the black for the final two years of the plan, achieving over the full term of the plan the equilibrium which is our ultimate fiscal goal. In fiscal year 2020, with the Yokohama Model PB in the black, we will utilize 126.7 billion yen of public debt to put in place roads, parks, schools and other facilities close to the hearts of our citizenry, and work to strengthen our countermeasures against wind and flood damage. We will also manage the city budget such that, through the systematic utilization of public debt, we will by the end of FY2021 bring the loan balance※2 in the general account to below the 3,154.9 billion yen balance posted at the end of FY2017. ※1 An approach in which the total value of public bonds issued in a given fiscal year is held below the value of the principal for the dept service, thereby forestalling an increase in the city bond balance. ※2 The loan balance is the combined value of--in addition to the city bond balance in the general account--that portion of the debt balance in the special account, the public enterprise account, and any applicable extra-governmental organizations that is considered to fall under the general account. Approach to Systematic Utilization of City Bonds in Mid-term Four-year Plan 2018-2021 Principal for the debt service < City bond issuance (Increase value of city bonds issued) Deficit FY 2018 Deficit FY 2019 Principal for the debt service ＞ City bond issuance (Reduce value of city bonds issued) Surplus FY 2020 Surplus FY 2021 (forecast) Achieving the equilibrium in four fiscal years 横浜市 令和2年度予算 Search 【Inquiries】Finance Bureau Financial Affairs Division Tel: 045-671-2211 Fax: 045-664-7185 The Basic Steps for Preventing Viral Infections Work Just as Well for the New Corona Virus Wash Your Hands Frequently When we get home, before and after we cook meals, before we sit down to eat, let’s all wash our hands thoroughly with soap and water. Disinfecting with alcohol is also effective. If You Have a Cough, Use a Mask In order to prevent droplets when we cough and sneeze from infecting the people around us, let’s use face masks or handkerchiefs to cover our mouths and noses. Sleep Well, and Eat a Balanced Diet It is easier for a virus to infect you when your stamina is low. And low stamina can also make your symptoms worse if you do get infected. We have established a Yokohama City New Corona Virus Infection Call Center. Calls taken: Daily 9:00 — 21:00 (including weekends, holidays and public holidays) Tel: 045-550-5530 横浜市 新型コロナ Search Revised Health Promotion Act Takes Effect to Eliminate Passive Smoking Indoor Smoking in Many Facilities Will Be Banned in Principle Effective April 1 1. Smoking will be banned in principle in restaurants and drinking establishments, offices, factories, hotels, Japanese-style ryokan inns and other facilities. The ban applies even to rest and relaxation areas used exclusively by employees. Exceptions: As an interim measure only, smoking will be permitted for the time being inside dedicated smoking rooms in buildings and establishments that meet the legally set standards, and in small eateries and bars that have filed for permission to allow smoking on their premises. 2. No One Under 20 Allowed in Places Where Smoking Is Permitted It is illegal to allow anyone under 20 years of age to enter a location where smoking is permitted, even if that individual is an employee (includes temporary and part-time workers). Signs banning entry to smoking areas for under-20s ★Entry also forbidden for under-20s engaged in janitorial work, transporting goods and other items, or making deliveries. 3. A label is to be posted at the entrance of commercial establishments, institutions, and other facilities indicating if there are locations inside where smoking is permitted. 4. Remember to be considerate of those around you when you are smoking outdoors or at home. Depending on how far your tobacco smoke drifts, there is a risk of passive smoking affecting your neighbors or others around you even if you are smoking outside. Please be aware of others. ★In principle, smoking has been forbidden completely on the grounds of government offices, schools, hospitals, and other public facilities effective July 1, 2019. ★Under the City of Yokohama ordinance banning the throwing away cigarette butts, empty cans and other trash on the street, it is forbidden to simply toss these items away anywhere within our city limits. Let’s put an end to “smoking while walking.” 横浜市 受動喫煙防止 Search 【Inquiries】Regarding revisions to the Health Promotion Act, passive smoking prevention, and related matters Yokohama City Passive Smoking Countermeasures Call Center Tel: 045-330-0641 Hours: Mon. — Fri., 8:30 — 17:15 (Excepting holidays and public holidays)