Thursday, January 4, 2001

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori paid his respects at Ise Jingu, Japan's premier Shinto shrine, in Ise City, Mie Prefecture. He spoke of the reform of the central government at the press conference held afterward, saying, "With our sights set on the 'rebirth of Japan'--a structural reform of our economy and society overall--we aim first to achieve a 'rebirth of government,' with the state taking the lead in reforming itself so that it can recover responsiveness and flexibility in affairs of state and perform the inherent role of the state." He clarified that following the reorganization he intended to press on to the next matters to be addressed, including the reform of public corporations, public interest corporations, and the civil service system, along with regulatory reform and decentralization.