Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Cabinet on Friday endorsed part of a package of bills on postal service deregulation, disregarding fierce opposition from some heavyweights in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
"The bills are impressive and epoch-making," Koizumi told reporters after a Cabinet meeting, referring to the unusual move for the government to endorse bills without obtaining full LDP approval.
The government planned to submit them to the Diet later in the day.