A compilation of meeting minutes, handouts and other material providing comprehensive coverage of over 30 years of the Provisional Commission for Administrative Reform (First and Second iterations) and Provisional Council for the Promotion of Administrative Reform (First to Third Councils), which were set up for the purpose of refashioning Japan in the postwar years, in response to substantial changes in the socioeconomic climate. Enables users to verify the background to reform of various Japanese organizations and systems, including the privatization of three major public corporations (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone [NTT]; the Japan Monopoly Public Corporation; Japan National Railway [JNR]) in the 1980s, deregulation, relations between the national government and regions, public service employee structures and systems, social security, non-clerical government departments and special public corporations, plus the processes involved in drafting various policies, how those policies were implemented, and what they achieved.

Part 1: First Provisional Commission for Administrative Reform (Rincho I)
The first deliberative body after the war to embark on genuine government reform not only of administrative organs, but across all administrative systems, in line with a wider drive to modernize the country's administrative operations. The resources contained in this section were gifted to the Tokyo Institute for Municipal Research by Yomiuri Shimbunsha vice-president Yusai Takahashi, a member of the Commission, and contain minutes of Commission meetings, joint sessions, technical committees and working groups, plus discussion materials, recommendations and reports for all of these. The recommendations enjoy the status of Japan's "administrative reform bible" and were to serve as the basis for subsequent reforms.

Part 2: Second Provisional Commission for Administrative Reform (Rincho II)
Otherwise known as the Doko Rincho after its chairman Toshio Doko, faced with unprecedented financial crisis and the end of Japan's sustained period of high growth, Rincho II adopted a basic approach of rebuilding finances without increasing taxes, and made reform and rationalization its main priorities. The resources in this section were gifted to the Tokyo Institute for Municipal Research by Shino Namikawa, secretary to Doko. Covers session proceedings/summaries of proceedings identifying the speakers at all 121 meetings of Rincho II, plus handouts, recommendations, summaries of deliberations and reports of the first and second special sessions, and various round-table discussion groups. This Second Provisional Commission for Administrative Reform set out a path for the privatization of JNR and other public entities, and led to the launch of Japan's Management and Coordination Agency.

Part 3 First Provisional Council for the Promotion of Administrative Reform (Gyokakushin)
Emerging as a follow-up to the Doko Rincho, the First Provisional Council for the Promotion of Administrative Reform advised giving the cabinet more general coordination functions, boosting regional agency and autonomy, easing official restrictions, and reforming special public corporations. Part 3 covers all 126 sessions of the Gyokakushin, including working groups dealing with regional administrative reforms, cabinet functions, science and technology, deregulation, and effective use of public land, plus subcommittees monitoring reform progress, addressing the issue of special public corporations, the progress of regional reforms, and reform of administration and public finance; plus proceedings (summarized proceedings) of round-table discussions on administrative reform, handouts, recommendations, opinions, and reports.

Part 4 Second Provisional Council for the Promotion of Administrative Reform (Shin-Gyokakushin)
As well as monitoring government responses to the opinions and recommendations of the Provisional Commissions for Administrative Reform and First Provisional Council for the Promotion of Administrative Reform, the second Gyokakushin canvassed various government ministries and agencies, regional bodies, related groups, and experienced academics, and used the resulting information to advise on specific measures for advancing administrative reforms. This section provides a detailed record of the activities of the Shin-Gyokakushin and its subcommittees leading up to reform proposals/recommendations, including measures to address land issues such as soaring land values, the easing of official regulations in the field of logistics and distribution, relations between national and provincial authorities from a regional regeneration viewpoint, and also the work of the Shin-Gyokakushin in setting out the major challenges for the administrative reform process, and a basic direction for reforms.

Part 5 Third Provisional Council for the Promotion of Administrative Reform (Gyokakushin III)
In addition to providing appropriate advice on the status of implementation of Provisional Commissions for Administrative Reform (Rincho I and II) and First and Second Provisional Council for the Promotion of Administrative Reform (Gyokakushin and Shin-Gyokakushin) recommendations/opinions, this section contains summaries of the deliberations of all 123 Gyokakushin sessions, handouts, recommendations and opinions, including from sessions and subcommittees addressing the issues of how to enable all Japanese citizens to live rich, well-rounded lives; public administration responses to growing internationalization, ensuring fair and transparent administrative procedures, and advancing decentralization, eg via pilot local authorities.