Prime Minister Naoto Kan held the eighth meeting of the Local Sovereignty Strategy Council at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address, "At today's meeting, we have set a path toward the resolution of the ongoing issue of block grants. As for the issue of the regional offices of the national government, by addressing it we will make a large step forward in the major reform of Kasumigaseki (the central bureaucracy), a reform that requires political leadership. It is a very challenging issue, which I will address with unwavering resolve."