Kyodo: Keidanren unveils national reorganization proposal for economic revival
The Japan Business Federation, or Nippon Keidanren, on Wednesday officially unveiled a proposal for reorganizing the whole country into about 10 blocks instead of the current 47 prefectures and ceding more central government power to the larger regions. The nation's most influential business lobby has contended that the proposed new system is necessary to make local authorities less reliant on the central government economically, revitalize regional economies and enhance administrative efficiency. The business lobby plans to present the proposal to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, senior officials of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the New Komeito party, and prefectural governors. The proposal calls on the government to enact a law by 2013 for implementing Keidanren's policy recommendations...The group also suggests the current 1,800 or so municipalities be consolidated into 300-500 to focus on public services frequently required by local residents including health and nursing care and firefighting services...more...
The prefectures replaced the han as the basis for administration following the Meiji Restoration. There were initially hundreds but reduced to 47 in 1888. There's a reasonable Wiki entry on the system.
