# Substitute Super-Cities Back-Up Tokyo is the Government's Special Plan to Replace Japan's Capital By Omar Yusuf | Published 2011-11-05 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/back-up-tokyo References: [io9](http://io9.com/5855866/japanese-legislators-consider-building-a-back) & [telegraph](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8851989/Japan-considers-building-back-up-capital-in-case-of-emergency.html) In almost every piece of science fiction, Japan is devastated by some maniacal genius, a meteorite or nuclear war, so upon hearing about the government's plan titled Back-Up Tokyo, an initiative to built a [substitute city](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/silk-renaissance) in case of a disaster, it didn't strike me as unreasonable. During World War I, the French built an entire [replica of Paris](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/realitymaps) in order to confuse the daily German bombing sorties, and the idea behind Back-Up Tokyo is similar. Instead of protecting the city from a clear and present enemy, however, it's meant to give the residents of the world's densest city a replacement for their destroyed homes and communities in the event of a natural catastrophe. Codenamed 'IRTBBC' (Integrated Resort, Tourism, Business and Backup City), the metropolis will be [built approximately 300 miles west of Tokyo](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/woven-city), and will be designed to house 50,000 residents, 200,000 daytime workers and an emergency seat of government. Let's just hope they don't rename the alternate city Neo-Tokyo, lest those science fiction tropes become a reality! ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.0/10 - Popularity: 17% | Activity: 34% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Disaster Preparedness Cities:** The Back-Up Tokyo initiative highlights the emerging trend of building substitute cities to provide residents with a replacement in the event of a natural disaster. - **Replica Cities:** The concept of constructing replica cities, like the French replica of Paris during World War I, is being explored as a strategy to confuse potential threats and protect the original city. - **Integrated Resort Cities:** The proposed substitute city IRTBBC aims to integrate tourism, business, and government facilities, indicating a trend towards developing multi-purpose cities. ### Where This Applies - **Civil Engineering:** Building substitute cities requires expertise in civil engineering to plan and construct infrastructure that can withstand potential disasters. - **Urban Planning:** Urban planners play a vital role in designing and mapping out the layout of substitute cities to ensure the efficient use of space and resources. - **Emergency Management:** The development of backup cities necessitates collaboration with emergency management professionals to establish protocols and systems for seamless relocation and governance in times of crisis. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [AI Post-Apocalyptic Cities](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dune-universe.md) - [Underground Autonomous Shelter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plan-b-1.md) - [Experimental Urban City Developments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/woven-city.md) - [Sustainable Alien Planet Colonies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/colony-concept.md) - [Expansive Creative Regional Festivals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tokyo-creative-salon.md) - [Wooden Resilience Stadiums](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fukushima-united.md) - [Cultural Japa Pavilions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/japa-valley.md) - [Japanese Gourmet-Focused Websites](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/go-tokyo-gourmet.md) - [Sustainable Eco Towns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/telangana.md)