Preface
Each year the Japan Center for Local Autonomy issues its‘Local Government System in Japan, English-Language Series', and this year we are issuing the‘Revised Local Autonomy Law'. This was last issued in 1994 and is now being reissued in a new edition to reflect the amendments that have now been made to the Local Autonomy Law.
The Japanese-language manuscript was compiled by the International Affairs Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the translation was entrusted to staff members at the Ministry of Home Affairs. I would like to express our heartfelt appreciation for the hard work of all those who have played a part in the publication of this book.
Finally, I would also like to express our deepest gratitude to the Nippon Foundation, which subsidized the publication of this book.
March 2000
Hideaki Matsumoto
Chairman
Executive Board
Japan Center for Local Autonomy
