At a GRIPS Forum held on 27th April, 2009, Mr. Hiroya Masuda gave a lecture titled "A Roadmap to Japanandrsquo;s Rebirth: Local Initiatives for National Challenges". Mr. Masuda, who served as the Governor of Iwate Prefecture as well as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, underscored that vibrant regions hold the key in reviving the national economy. He suggested focusing on two main strategies: decentralization and the introduction of a wider-area local government system. At the same time he stressed that these are simply means, and local revitalization in the true sense would depend on how the system is used. Mr. Masuda also emphasized the importance of local revitalization through discovering, with the help of an objective outsider, and polishing the buried local jewel.