Japan sets up government efficiency ministry, rejects Musk-style aggressive layoffs

Japan has launched its own "Ministry of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ", with the inaugural meeting outlining plans to identify and remove inefficient tax measures and subsidies. "By eliminating waste through national efforts, including those of the public, and directing money to areas where it is really needed, we will be in stark contrast to previous governments," finance minister Satsuki Katayama told reporters after the first meeting of the Japanese version of DOGE on Tuesday. "This is essential to maintaining the trust that the country, our currency and the markets place in us." The Japanese version of DOGE is expected to be far less aggressive than the previous US department of the same name, led by Mr. Musk, who brandished chainsaws as a symbol of his aggressive cost-cutting program, which led to mass layoffs of federal workers. Instead, Tokyo is more likely to cut existing spending as a way to support Prime Minister Sakae Takaichi's commitment to "proactive but responsible" fiscal policy.