Prime Minister Naoto Kan attended the fifth meeting for consultations between the national and regional governments at the Prime Minister's Office.

Those attending the meeting on the national government's side were: Mr. Yoshito Sengoku, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Yoshihiro Katayama, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications and Minister of State for Promotion of Local Sovereignty, Mr. Yoshihiko Noda, Minister of Finance, Mr. Koichiro Gemba, Minister of State for National Policy, and Ms. Renho, Minister of State for Government Revitalization. On the regional government's side were representatives of the six regional organizations.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address, "Local sovereignty reforms are our top policy priority. To realize them we must advance efforts to address specific issues. With regard to block grants, we must find a way to create a mechanism allowing each local municipality to use them at its own discretion. I would also like to take concrete steps to streamline the regional offices of the national government and work toward the establishment of the three bills on local sovereignty."