Japan seems to like the new and shiny. Tack the word "shin" (new) onto the name of a product -- anything from a detergent to a political party -- and automatically you gain an edge over the opposition.
Similarly with the word reform. People promoting some policy shift have only to claim it is a "kaikaku" (reform), and opponents are automatically seen as conservatives stuck in the mud of previous policies.
The so-called electoral reform of 1994 is a good example. The former system of multiple-seat electorates was said to be outdated. Single-seat electorates with first-past-the-post voting were supposed to be more timely and democratic. Anyone who hesitated was seen as a conservative troglodyte.