A 53-day extraordinary Diet session began Tuesday, with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reiterating his determination to stick to his administrative reform initiatives, including the privatization of Japan's postal services.
But Koizumi avoided some political land mines in his policy speech, most notably details regarding revisions to the Political Funds Control Law and key questions on diplomatic issues related to Iraq and North Korea -- all expected to be hot topics in upcoming Diet debate.
"The privatization of the postal services will be the largest reform since the Meiji Era and is at the heart of the reforms of the Koizumi Cabinet," Koizumi told the plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon.