It has been said that the two sets of administrative reform bills moving on to the Upper House will bring about Japan's most sweeping reforms in 100 years and end the bureaucracy's dominance over the administration.
In truth, the bills' effect will most likely be limited.
On Thursday, the Lower House passed 17 bills to reorganize the 22 existing government ministries and agencies into 10 ministries, two agencies and one commission. On the same day, revisions to 475 bills to disperse state power to local governments were also approved by the Lower House's special committee on administrative reforms and are expected to clear the Lower House today.