Calls from within the government for a revision of the Administrative Complaint Investigation Law — under which citizens can file complaints with administrative bodies or call for an investigation of their actions — deserve serious attention.
Under the law, citizens can file a complaint or call for an investigation within 60 days of becoming aware of administrative actions that affect them. The procedure is easier than filing a lawsuit and is free and, according to the internal affairs ministry, citizens in fiscal 2008 inititated more than 21,000 cases against the central government and more than 25,000 cases against local governments. Seventy-one percent of complaints were about national tax matters, while calls for investigation were most often (44 percent) about matters related to social insurance.
Earlier this year, national strategy minister Yoshito Sengoku, who at the time was also administrative reform minister, called for revisions to the law. Internal affairs minister Kazuhiro Haraguchi signaled a desire to start a task force with Mr. Sengoku.