A Review on Local Autonomy and Finance in Japan after World War II - On the Roles of 'Reformed Local Autonomy' -

The purpose of the paper is to revaluate the roles of the reformed local autonomy for promoting decentralization and local autonomy against new centralization. I consider the local autonomy and finance in Japan after World War II, focussing on the roles of so called 'Kakushin Jichitai', reformed local autonomy in the 1960's and 1970's. Firstly I review the developing and declining processes of 'reformed local autonomy' in the period of high economic growth in Japan. Then I discuss the roles of these reformed local government bodies through rising citizen movements. The local governments like Minobe-Tosei or Asukata-Yokohama-Shisei contributed to the tax reforms and some other financial reforms and promoting decentralization. The 1960's and 1970's in Japan are called 'The Period of New Centralization' in intergovernmental relations. However, the roles of these reformed local autonomy for promoting decentralization against new centralization should be revaluated