The reformist administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is in a crisis as a result of strong resistance to the slogan of structural reforms with no safe haven, under which he formed his Cabinet in April 2001.
Expectations are dwindling that the Cabinet will achieve rapid reforms of Japan's impoverished economic structure, now that Koizumi has lost much of the overwhelming public support upon which he entered office.
Nevertheless, society is steadily changing as if to cast off its old self, even though Koizumi may not be directly credited for it.