日本科技實力一向受到肯定。日本政府在1995 年通過「科學技術基本法」確立「科技創新立國」的目標。可是日本的科技發展卻偏重於技術生產的商品化發展，忽略基礎科學教育的落實；科技決策體系偏重於官僚體系的指導與介入，忽略科技研發的創新。這兩種「偏差的動員」使得日本科技發展受到相當大的限制。日本科技行政組織與科技政策決策自1990 年代起有大幅度的改革，日本首相掌握科技發展的整體性目標與策略，以及政府公佈科學技術基本法與科學技術發展計畫，可說是最大的兩個變化，而且也是最具有分析意義的對象。而且，從科技行政組織與科技政策決策機制的改革，也可以進一步釐清，日本最近一波行政改革的意義，亦即，日本首相擁有較大的決策權限，並且以整體性角度來思考日本政策，以符合民眾的需求。

Japan’s technological strength has always been sure. The Japan’s government affirmed setting the objectives of a “Nation Based on Science and Technology” as the fundamental policy goal. This policy orientation has been consolidated by the Science and Technology Law which gave the government legal competence in science and technology. The evolution of the Japanese technology policy shows that it is not just limited to technological advancement, but rather, there are significant economic, political and institutional implications. The administrative structure for the funding of science and technology in Japan was markedly reorganized in 2001, when the Ministry of State for Science and Technology Policy and the Council for Science and Technology Policy were founded. These two organizations have been given great power. This article describes and analyses the renovation of the mechanism on Japanese science policies.