Digest

The Japanese political system and institution has often been characterized as unpredictable and slow to make decisions. In the past few years, the political administration has also been in a state of constant change. However, Japan's decision-making policy has always been one of slow, careful deliberation.

In the Japanese political system, a decision is made only after a proposal has been heavily contemplated and considered in terms of conflicting interests and social circumstances. This is the main reason why the Japanese government tends to take their time in decisions regarding the political scene.

For example,the Hashimoto administration proposed organizing a committee on economic policy directly under the Prime Minister. This committee would serve to provide the Prime Minister with adequate information and advice for planning national economic policies. However, this does not necessarily mean that the Prime Minister and the Cabinet have control of policy making and application. Important decisions will still be made outside of the National Diet by adjusting interests between Zokugiin, cliques, and political groups.

In order to provide aid Prime Minister Hashimoto, someone with extensive knowledge and skills on negotiation is needed. Therefore, under the current political power balance, the roles of the Secretary General of LDP and the Chief Cabinet Secretary are becoming more and more important.