Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi defines the aim of his new Cabinet as "privatizing the postal services." The new executive lineup of the Liberal Democratic Party, of which he is president, attests to the importance he attaches to postal privatization as the mainstay of his "structural reform" agenda. In both reshuffles, he has appointed reformers without consulting factional leaders.

All this indicates that Koizumi is determined to accomplish his aim during his term as LDP president. It won't be easy, though, to build intraparty support for privatization bills. For one thing, party heavyweights are unhappy that the appointments made without regard to their factions. The success or failure of his reforms will affect the post-Koizumi succession struggle as well.

Koizumi has been pushing for bold reforms since he took office in April 2001, vowing to "change" Japan under his own initiative. Basically, that is why he has scored high marks in media polls. His ultimate aim is to "dismantle" the nation's inefficient or outdated political, economic and social systems.