It had been said that the agency delegated functions and the local financial system centralized the local autonomy system in Japan. The central government decided to abolish the functions in 1990s, whereas Koizumi cabinet failed the fundamental reform of local financial system.
  Discourse matters to gain agreement for reform. Japanese policy-making process needs “communicative discourse” (Schmidt 2002). But academic experts who commit in policy-making centers for the decentralization reform cannot make it alone. They need the help of bureaucracy for it.
  This article examines several cases in decentralization reforms in Japan and shows the presence of bureaucrats’ help contributed to the success of decentralization and its absence contributed to its failure

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　While some state that“ the Tokyo-based national media pay little attention

to issues relating to U.S. military bases in Okinawa,” the conservatives argue

that the coverage of local media in Okinawa is unfair, focusing only on protests

against the stationing of the U.S. army. The gap between the national media

with headquarters in Tokyo and the Okinawa-based local media was created by

the different histories of both sides after the Pacific War. When the campaign

against the proposed revision of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty surged in 1960,

the U.S. government acted not only on Japanese political and business leaders,

but also on the media to maneuver the silencing of criticism against the treaty

revision. They also moved their military bases from the Japanese mainland to

Okinawa and turned the eyes of the majority of Japanese citizens away from

issues concerning the treaty. Although the severe suppression of dissidents was

enforced in U.S.-occupied Okinawa, an immense surge of movement towards

the reversion of Okinawa to Japan took place and the 20-year-long struggle of

mass media in Okinawa against suppression resulted in their winning the freedom

of speech. While the local media have continued to protest against the concentration

of U.S. military bases that have persisted even after Okinawa’s

reversion to Japan in 1972, the Tokyo-based national mass media pays little

attention to issues related to the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty due to the effective

maneuvers of both the government of the United States and that of Japan to

hide the military-related issues between the two nations. It is still unforeseeable

that the gap between the local and national media will be narrowed.

　　The intensifying confrontation between the Shinzo Abe Cabinet and the

Governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Takeshi Onaga, as well as the heated political

argument concerning national security legislation, have stimulated anew the

interests of the Tokyo-based national media in the issues of the relocation of

Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. While the Abe Cabinet tries to forcefully

build a new military base in the Henoko coastal area in compensation for the

Air Station Futenma as proof of the strengthening of the Japan-U.S. military

alliance, the local Governor continues to appeal against the national government’s

plans. Media regarded as liberal are especially becoming more attentive to thevoices of people in Okinawa than they were before. The Abe Cabinet, however,

has put pressure on the media to manipulate its coverage, and it seems that the

approach of“ guessing the will of the Cabinet and hesitating to irritate them” is

beginning to prevail, which affects media coverage.

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BACKGROUND：Multimodal exercise programs are often used to improve the cognitive, physical, and psychological functions of the elderly, and it is believed that the effects of these programs are sustained by continued use. Although it is said that an element of fun is necessary for a person to continue exercising, there are very few reports that have examined the effects of such programs. OBJECTIVE：The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of Rhythm Synchro Exercise, a multimodal aquatic exercise program, on psychology and especially on enjoyment. METHODS：A comparative study was conducted between 20 elderly subjects who participated in a Rhythm Synchro Exercise class for once a week, 60 minutes, 12 times in total and 17 elderly subjects who participated in a land-based exercise class for once a week, 90 minutes, 12 times in total. Subject demographics and exercise status were obtained by the interview, and questionnaires were administered before and after classes to assess exercise self-efficacy and subjective health perception. In addition, the degree of enjoyment of each program was evaluated in the middle of the classes （20 subjects for rhythm exercise, 15 subjects for land-based exercise） and at the end of the classes （20 subjects for rhythm exercise, 17 subjects for land-based exercise）. RESULTS：In both groups, there was a main effect of time on subjective health feeling. The Rhythm Synchro Exercise group showed a tendency to maintain and improve their exercise self-efficacy in bad weather. It was also found that its members were able to be more enthusiastic about the program compared with the land-based exercise group, and it was recognized that the program could provide enjoyment. CONCLUSION：It was suggested that the provision of Rhythm Synchro Exercise could provide enjoyment, which is one of the factors necessary for improving psychological function and especially for continuing exercise, and can be expected to be effective as a new aquatic exercise.

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