Japan approves plan to create second capital outside Tokyo

Osaka emerges as front-runner despite decades of corporate outflow

Tourists crowd around Ebisubashi bridge in Osaka as they pose for photos on June 1. (Photo by Toshiki Sasazu) 

TOKYO -- Japan's parliament on Friday approved a plan to create a "second capital" capable of keeping the country running if disaster strikes Tokyo, launching an ambitious attempt to loosen the political and economic grip of the nation's dominant metropolis.