Prime Minister Naoto Kan attended the first general meeting of the 30th Local Government System Research Council held at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Local Government System Research Council was set up in the Cabinet Office for the purpose of comprehensively examining the current local government system and in order to study and deliberate on important matters related to that system, in response to a request for consultation by the Prime Minister.

During the meeting, the Council members elected among themselves Mr. Masaru Nishio, President of the Tokyo Institute for Municipal Research, as the Chair of the 30th Local Government System Research Council. The Prime Minister handed Chair Nishio a request for consultation, asking the Council to study and deliberate the role of basic municipal units and the orientation of administrative structures, among other matters, following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

After handing over the request, the Prime Minister said in his address, "Thank you for attending the meeting of the 30th Local Government System Research Council as Council members. This Council has a long history as well as an extremely important mission. It seems to me that new challenges are arising in each new era.
I feel that in particular, the Great East Japan Earthquake that we experienced this year renewed our awareness of the roles being played by local public authorities; the basic municipal units of cities, towns, and villages; and the regional municipal units of prefectures during times of disaster.
I am aware of the importance of reforms for regional sovereignty. This must be realized by all means in order to change the shape of our nation. It is a challenge we have been facing since before the earthquake. I sincerely ask you to conduct active discussions and make specific proposals under Chair Nishio, making this Council a fruitful endeavor in order to allow local residents to make decisions for their own municipalities and create vibrant regional communities."