Nominal Open Government

For the first time in 129-year old cabinet system in Japan, the administration led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe disclosed what the ministers did in a Cabinet meeting, the highest decision making organization in the executive branch. What the nation saw was, however, that the meeting was extremely nominal and had no actual discussion over policies. By providing with useless information, the administration emphasized its openness of decision making. This is the Japanese version of democracy.

The Cabinet on Tuesday uploaded on its website the record of Cabinet meeting on April 1st this year. According to that, a Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary introduced agenda of the day and asked the ministers approval in the meeting. Ministers approved new three principles for transportation of defense equipments. Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy, Trade and Industry confirmed their strict examination on military exports. Minister of Defense promised that he would promote cooperation with the United States and policies for necessary measurement to defend Japan.

Then, Chief Cabinet Secretary asked comments one after another they said something about policies. Prime Minister assured all ministers of careful observation on economy and flexible fiscal operation, concerning new consumption tax rate introduced that day. Other ministers reported about policies they were in charge of. In the meeting, ministers signed six decisions and the meeting ended within twelve minutes.

Such meetings are regularly held on every Tuesday and Friday. All the proceedings are previously prepared and no irregular event will be happen. Because bureaucrats take memo and no recording device is used, it is unlikely that discussion is accurately reproduced on a document.

The administration showed no interest to disclose the discussion in the National Security Council, even if it would leaves record of it. “We do not assume disclosing sensitive information on diplomacy and security related to our national interest,” told Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga. According to Official Document Disclose Act, governmental document will be stored in National Archives for thirty years and disclosed with request. But the government can reject the request, when it regards the document as specifically important for national security.

The policy of the government is clear. It has no intention to disclose important documents. The government has an fixed idea that owner of the information is government, not people. Wrong tradition of the government, which was seen in the moment of pre-war era when government officials accumulated wrong decision on international politics, still remains in Japan.