60051    After leaders of government, bureaucrats and industries under the old political system were expelled, young members without experience had to become leaders.

60052    With many young members in their 20's and 30's participating in the political world, a new era of "postwar politics" started.

60053    Now, we are entering an era when we need a drastic reform, as we did just after the war.

60054    The bureaucrat-led system that brought about miraculous economic growth has now become an obstacle and even causes malfunctioning of the system.

60055    It seems that "bureaucrats" have become stronger than unstable politics.

60056    However, that is only superficial, and in fact I see they have lost confidence, seeking their raison d'etre.

60057    They are in addition required to address the requests of the time such as administrative reform, deregulation, and decentralization of authority.

60058    The Ministry of Finance, which has strong power and has come to be criticized as if they are "the root of all evil," is required to divide its duties not only by other ministries but also by foreign countries, and almost openly discussed are the abolition of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, consolidation of the Ministry of Construction with the Ministry of Agriculture, and privatization of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

60059    This is a change that we could not imagine a little while ago.

60060    The Ministry of Transport, which is regarded as a symbol of approval and regulation, is not an exception.

60061    Leaders of the airline industry cried, "The airline industry will soon become nothing but the second National Railways Corporation, which suffered from losses," while executives of JR companies are warning against the increasing difference in the price of transportation, hotel, and service fees between Japan and overseas, saying, "de-industrialization is spreading from manufacturing industries to others."

60062    "We imagine a terrible future in which one day the stock market suddenly disappears from Japan," claimed financial institutions such as banks, security companies, insurance companies, and non-life insurance companies, and concerning the relief bank for credit unions that the government and the Bank of Japan established in the name of "maintenance of financial system order," they are fearing that "using taxes for relieving 'bad' financial institutions that lost sight of their responsibility in the bubble economy is being criticized by Cabinet members, because it may cause serious problems in case of failure. If this is the case, this will be a national-level crime."

60063    All of them indicate that it is dangerous that the harmful effects of approval and regulation reached "the worst level."

60064    They have been a hotbed of crimes such as massive corruption and political scandals.

60065    The change of generations and deregulation change the role and quality of politicians dramatically.