The proposed incorporation of Japan's government-run universities aims at relaxing state regulations on matters such as budget use, personnel management and research organization, and to substantially expand the decision-making discretion of the universities. The system envisioned would be much more open than the existing one, in which these universities are state-affiliated institutions. That would be a great step forward.
Judging by the final report on the incorporation compiled by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, however, there would still be much leeway for state involvement. Indeed, depending on the government's response, there is danger that state control would actually increase.
The report contains new proposals for changing the status of national university instructors to nonpublic employees and establishing boards of directors that would include knowledgeable persons from outside. To expand freedom at universities as much as possible, giving instructors a nonpublic status would be a good move.