Elite Civil Servants

Abstract

Promotions in their mid-forties to senior kacho positions constitute forebodings about class I officials’ future career path. Some 23 years after joining a ministry, appointments to the most senior kacho level are due. Only those who are appointed somukacho (director of a bureau’s general affairs division) will be considered for promotion to head the minister’s secretariat’s personnel division or general affairs division one year later. In MITI’s case the first selection to somukacho eliminates 17 out of 24, the second selection picks from the remaining seven the two survivors who will remain in the restricted race to the vice-ministership and to the (junior) position of vice-minister for international affairs respectively, some eight years later. Four years after being promoted to bucho rank (department chief), directors general (in MITI’s case — see table 7.1) are almost assured of whichever of the two coveted positions they will ultimately reach.