Most of the records in this series relate to the work of a World Bank Group (WBG) working group, led by Yukio Yoshimura, senior advisor to World Bank Group President James Wolfensohn, that was established in 2001 to report on the status of the WBG's relationship with Japan. Working group team members interviewed more than 300 WBG staff and leaders in Japan's government, private sector, academia, non-government organizations (NGOs) and media. Summaries of these interviews are included in this series, as is the final report titled "Reshaping the World Bank Group's Relationship with Japan", submitted to President Wolfensohn on June 12, 2002. The report covers both strategic and working level engagement and offers recommendations for WBG senior management. Slides and notes for an October 2001 briefing for President Wolfensohn describe the proposed working group and its methods and objectives. A list of team members and potential interviewees is also included.

Other records in this series consist of monthly reports on Japan authored by Yoshimura and submitted to President Wolfensohn. Records related to a WBG "Consultative Group Meeting" are also included; these include a summary of a February 2002 meeting, a report containing a "working hypothesis" on the relationship between Japan and the WBG, and slides for a presentation of the work program for a broader Japan/WBG research initiative.