It all began with a single notice handed out last month to Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers.
Addressed by Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa and dated Sept. 18, the notice stated that the ruling DPJ's policy research council will be abolished under the new administration and lawmaker-sponsored legislation would generally be prohibited so the Cabinet would be the only place policy is initiated.
The move, intended to unify the Cabinet's powers, reflects a clear departure from the dual policymaking process of the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party, with the Cabinet in one corner and the ruling parties in the other — a relationship that led to cozy ties between politicians and bureaucrats.