Japan Launches DOGE-Like Initiative to Cut Government Waste

Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said that showing how the government is spending taxpayers’ money helps to maintain public trust in the nation’s finances.

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama arrives at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, on Oct. 21, 2025. Kim Kyung Hoon/Reuters

Japan’s finance minister on Nov. 25 unveiled a plan to cut wasteful government spending, drawing parallels to the United States’ Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama launched the “Office for Administrative Reform and Promotion of Efficiency,” which she said will work with the finance and internal affairs ministries to review measures such as government subsidies and special tax treatments for companies, according to The Japan Times.