Japanese Politics

[ArchmageXin]

Why is it bad for Canada? It look like just another "We hate China" club, an economic version of NATO, really.

[Cosmic Eagle]

If it's just a We Hate China club there would be nothing wrong.

No, it's a bunch of private corps trying to impose their will on the Pacific rim

[ArchmageXin]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

If it's just a We Hate China club there would be nothing wrong.

No, it's a bunch of private corps trying to impose their will on the Pacific rim

So you mean the world could end up like that video game Deux Ex (I, not the square Enix version) where all the governments are dissolved into corporate fiefdoms except for mean-old communist China being the last Government in the world?

I can't decide if that is good or bad.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by ArchmageXin

So you mean the world could end up like that video game Deux Ex (I, not the square Enix version) where all the governments are dissolved into corporate fiefdoms except for mean-old communist China being the last Government in the world?

I can't decide if that is good or bad.

China will also be controlled by corporate interests. Albeit from state-owned enterprises.

Yah those private corporations from Japan just want too relive their zaibatsu glory the way their Korean Chaebol counterparts are living now.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

China will also be controlled by corporate interests. Albeit from state-owned enterprises.

Yah those private corporations from Japan just want too relive their zaibatsu glory the way their Korean Chaebol counterparts are living now.

What zaibatsu....They are more bearable than what TPP will bring. The giant US corps and self-interest groups like RIAA and their iron control. Zaibatsu are nothing compared to that. At least they don't try to poke their nose where they don't belong

[TinyRedLeaf]

Abe wins key upper house elections

Tokyo (July 21, Sun): Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has won a majority in the upper house, exit polls suggest.

His Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner New Komeito were set to get at least 71 of the 121 seats being contested, broadcaster NHK projected. This would give him control of both houses of Parliament for the first time in six years.

The deadlock in Parliament has been seen as a key factor in Japan's recent "revolving door" of prime ministers.

Official results are not expected until tomorrow, but exit polls suggest that Mr Abe's coalition would control 130 seats in the 242-seat upper house. The result is being seen as a vote of confidence in Mr Abe, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo.

But turnout was low. As of 6pm (9am GMT), it was 32.64 percent, down 6.96 points from the same time in the 2010 Upper House election, government data indicated.

The official 17-day campaigning period ended yesterday with the opposition parties making last-ditch attempts to weaken Mr Abe, criticising his plans to raise the consumption tax and restart nuclear power plants and his failure to improve ties with China and South Korea.

Today's election was Mr Abe's first national test since taking office in December and was expected to be viewed as a gauge of support for his radical deflation-busting economic strategy dubbed "Abenomics".

After taking office in December, Mr Abe made economic recovery his priority and quickly launched a mix of fiscal, monetary and growth steps to end the chronic deflation that has plagued the economy for years.

But he has also shown a determination to revise the war-renouncing Constitution to officially deem the Self-Defense Forces what they are in fact — a standing military — so it can play a greater security role in Asia.

BBC, THE JAPAN TIMES

[walkofshane]

And it looks like Abe-nomics will continue
When he visited my country, he made a stop in my Japanese language school. I was so jealous because I was not at school that day -- I didn't have classes. He even observed a class that was being conducted by my former teacher. Oh well.

I read somewhere that Ben and Jerry's offered free ice cream to encourage people to vote today. Not sure what the voter turnout was, though.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by walkofshane

Not sure what the voter turnout was, though.

TRL's quoted report above has the answer:

But turnout was low. As of 6pm (9am GMT), it was 32.64 percent, down 6.96 points from the same time in the 2010 Upper House election, government data indicated.

I thought this construction was a bit odd:

[Mr Abe's] Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner New Komeito were set to get at least 71 of the 121 seats being contested, broadcaster NHK projected. This would give him control of both houses of Parliament for the first time in six years. (emphasis added)

I think the emphasis on Mr. Abe is a bit misplaced here. No party has controlled both houses of the Diet over the past six years. As the article says, "The deadlock in Parliament has been seen as a key factor in Japan's recent 'revolving door' of prime ministers."

As someone with a small chunk of money in a mutual fund that invests in "small-to-medium-sized*" Japanese firms, I'm hoping this news will give the markets another boost. I would think investors will view unified party control in the Diet as a positive influence on future Japanese growth.

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes of the BBC discussed the possible costs and benefits of this victory the other day. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23376633 Will Mr. Abe view this victory as an endorsement to pursue a more aggressive foreign policy, or will he focus on the tougher task of reforming the economy? I don't see these as an either/or proposition myself.


_______________
*Given the nature of the Japanese economy, this fund's definition of the "small-to-medium-sized" category includes firms like Honda, Nissan and Sega!

[TinyRedLeaf]

Few appreciate Abe's attempts to pick up Obama's East Asia fumble

By Paul Bonicelli

Nov 4, Mon

PRIME Minister Shinzo Abe intends for Japan to become the major power leading East Asia in the face of Chinese aggression, and China is responding. All of this is bad news for the United States, its regional allies and the world.

Mr Abe is going down this path of "proactive pacifism" not because he is an atavistic shrine-visiting militarist (he is not), nor because he leads a country bent on war with China (it is not).

It is simply because he governs a country that is unfortunately placed close to an assertive power that wants to alter the international system and reap more economic benefits from sea-bound minerals, while the erstwhile referee, the United States, has decided to lay low for eight years.

Trouble has been brewing for over a year regarding the disputed sovereignty of the islands in the East China and South China Seas. China has been stepping up its maritime presence while declaring unilaterally its sovereignty over the islands.

Moreover, China's ally North Korea continues to provoke in many ways, not least of which by hurling missiles over Japan and kidnapping Japanese nationals.

The Japanese PM has had enough, announcing in Parliament for the entire world to hear that "the ocean should be protected and the freedom to navigate must be protected".

These words are typically spoken by US presidents when tensions are high because only the US can say them with authority. But more importantly, only the US can say them and mean them as a true balancer who intends only to keep the peace and keep the commerce flowing*.

No country in the region — literally not one — wants to see Japan try to solve US-size problems. Nevertheless, we have come to a point in Year Five of the Obama administration that our militarily weak allies who have no regional, moral, political or diplomatic authority have to do our job against change agents.

The reality of the danger the world faces from disputes and provocations that can get out of control does not depend on whether China's leaders are simply warmongers (I don't think they are) or the stewards of a dangerously slowing economy who perhaps fear that now is their last chance to break out of their perceived encirclement.

It is simply a fact that the prime minister of Japan, no matter who he or she is, cannot tolerate a situation like the region faces today.

FOREIGN POLICY

*A bit of an over-statement. I highly doubt any East Asian country, or any other country in the world for that matter, truly sees the United States as a "balancer who intends only to keep the peace and keep the commerce flowing".

But it is true that we have reached a stage where there is less of a counterweight against the rising power of China, which doesn't even need to flex it military muscle (it doesn't want to; Chinese leaders know full well that they have bigger problems to deal with than to provoke a regional war) to twist the arms of its smaller, weaker neighbours.

The simple reality for the countries of Southeast and Northeast Asia is that we've become China's backyard, the way the Caribbean is for the United States.

[SaintessHeart]

Rule #1 of politics : Everything comes at a price.
Rule #2 of politics : Being in someone's backyard doesn't mean you have to eat the shit he throws out. Neither is there a need to burn his house down so he stops throwing shit out. Manage, manage, manage relations.
Rule #3 of politics : There is always opportunity in chaos.

Having Japan rearm herself is a good thing; I can't speak my share, but I can only point to one thing called "regional military exercises".

US and China fighting over influence in the SEA/Pacific region is a great way for better trade deals, usually coming out of the "superpowers" pockets. The issue, however, is whether the individual governments have the backbone to say no when the time comes when their people are in need?

By the way, China had started trading iron ore futures - now here is one more way to make money.

[Guardian Enzo]

Literally the only Japanese politician I've ever admired, Hosokawa Morihiro, is running for Governor of Tokyo.

I can hardly believe it - Hosokawa is 76 and he's been living off his pottery since he resigned in 1994 after being the first non-LDP Prime Minister in 40 years. It's the anti-nuke issue that brought him into the race and out of the artisan's life, but for me it's more about the fact that he's an internationalist, an artist and intellectual and not a corporatist toad.

The nationalists like Ishihara and Abe loathe Hosokawa and are terrified of him - the smear campaign has already started. I'd normally be dismissive that the politically apathetic and conservative Japanese could ever elect him Governor (the second most important elected office in Japan) but he has the full backing of Koizumi, also based on the nuclear issue. Koizumi is still the most popular politician in Japan so Hosokawa might just have a chance.

What a morning in Tokyo it would be, going from Ishihara and then his hand-picked successor (who resigned over a huge financial scandal) to Hosokawa. I'll believe it when I see it but at least there's a reason to give a damn now.

[KiraYamatoFan]

76 and still full of beans for this kind of run... love that.

It would be nice indeed to have someone who stands more on the progressive side of the fence to sit in the big governor's office in Tokyo. I hope he has younger followers somewhere whom one can become Japan's Tony Blair someday.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by KiraYamatoFan

76 and still full of beans for this kind of run... love that.

It would be nice indeed to have someone who stands more on the progressive side of the fence to sit in the big governor's office in Tokyo. I hope he has younger followers somewhere whom one can become Japan's Tony Blair someday.

I definitely think the potential is there for Hoshikawa and Koizumi (who in truth isn't really a progressive, but is burning his bridges with the LDP by endorsing Hosokawa) to try again to mount a real alternative to the LDP nationally if he wins. The DPJ is basically a joke, and the only alternatives that have gained any traction are the neo-fascist movements of Ishihara and Toro Hashimoto, which have quite naturally joined forces.

[SaintessHeart]

He will hav my support if he increases the number of loli maid cafes thoughout Tokyo the next time I visit, not just in Akiba.

And take enjo-kousai off the streets. It is annoying.

[SeijiSensei]

Japan's Ambiguous Nuclear Policy

In a 2000 essay about the future of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the disarmament advocate Jonathan Schell drew a distinction between capacity and intention in describing the range of positions states may adopt on nuclear weapons. At the time, Sweden had the capacity to produce such weapons but not the intention; Libya had the intention but not the capacity. Japan, by contrast, stands out as the only nation that has both the capacity and the intention to produce nuclear weapons but does not act on its intention. It has pioneered a type of nuclear deterrence that relies not on any overt threat, but on the mere suggestion of a latent possibility.

But now the two props of Japan’s not-so-secret strategy of technological deterrence are falling apart. The Abe cabinet has adopted a confrontational stance toward Japan’s East Asian neighbors. It has weakened the country’s previous commitment to not exporting arms to certain types of countries, including those subject to arms embargoes or involved in international conflicts. Other countries, sensing that the Abe administration may want to jettison the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, have begun expressing concern over Japan’s stores of plutonium.

Washington’s request [that Japan return some nuclear materials] has sparked speculation both in Japan and abroad that the U.S. government is worried about the Abe government’s belligerence and may be reconsidering extending the 1988 cooperation agreement which allows Japan to recover and store plutonium derived from fuel the United States supplied for Japan’s power plants.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Japan military softening image... with help from Girls und Panzer

Tokyo (April 14, Mon): Pacifist Japan is gradually learning to love its military, with an apparent public relations campaign under way to soften its image, featuring online popularity contests, a much-touted soprano vocalist and dating events.

The armed forces are also visible in youth culture, with young teens tuning in to Girl und Panzer, a cartoon about schoolgirls who do battle in tanks. Japan's most popular Twitter hashtag in 2013 was #KanColle, a reference to an online game in which anthropomorphised warships compete to out-pretty each other as young girls.

The image change comes as nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing to give the Self Defence Forces more money and scope to act as a normal military might, at a time of rising tensions with China.

Relief efforts in the aftermath of Japan's 2011 tsunami awakened the public to its modern-day military, and the sight of soldiers combing wrecked coastlines became a comfort for those whose loved ones had disappeared beneath the waves.

Japan hopes that its military becomes respectable as a career choice to help with the recruitment of educated and dedicated soldiers, sailors and airmen — a challenging feat in a rapidly-ageing society.

Kirk Spitzer, a journalist specialising in military matters, says "the majority of Japanese still have a lot of qualms about having a real military service".

And he suggests that it is perhaps this more than anything else that explains the public-relations campaign of musicians and popularity contests.

It helps to "create the idea that people in the military are normal people or everyday people — they are not some group of killers".

AFP

[SeijiSensei]

What Germany Can Teach Japan

Imagine a postwar Germany that had never managed to become friends with its neighboring countries. Imagine a Germany that, despite all the remorse it had shown for its belligerence during World War II, had been excluded from the European Union. Imagine, even, that this Germany had been excluded from NATO, because it had forever been denied the right to engage in a defense alliance.

On top of all of this, imagine the following: Your economy is in decline; a mighty, nondemocratic neighbor is increasing military spending while denouncing you as an aggressive, militaristic nation, even as it and other nearby countries are grabbing parts of your territory.

If it’s hard to imagine such a scenario, just hop on a plane to Japan.

Japan saw Germany as a mentor in the 19th century. Perhaps that time has come again?

The author, a reporter for the German newspaper Die Welt, argues that Japan needs to take the initiative in improving relations with its neighbors. He points to a conversation with a Japanese official concerning a proposal by Korean President Park that their two countries work to develop a mutually-acceptable history curriculum for the schools. When asked why the Japanese government had made no response to Park's suggestion, he was told that Tokyo had “not received any proposal from the Korean government in relation to this issue.”

[SeijiSensei]

Wow, this thread has been dead for a year now! Well, here's a piece by a former government official on how the government in general, and the Abe Government in particular, collude with the television networks and other media outlets to suppress criticism of the LDP: The Threat to Press Freedom in Japan

In Japan, relations between the state and journalists are formally maintained through a network of reporters’ clubs, or kisha kurabu. Typically, only members are allowed to attend the press conferences, and only members have access to the organizations’ officials. In return for endowing reporters with this privileged status, the officials take it for granted that their organizations will get favorable coverage. And very often they do.

Another problem is that the media in Japan is not regulated by an independent agency. For example, it is the government itself — specifically the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications — that grants licenses to TV stations, and these are up for renewal regularly. Consequently, TV stations are under constant supervision and fear losing their right to operate if they challenge the government.

What’s more, there is virtually no separation of management and the newsroom at major media companies. A company’s chairman or president will often micromanage news coverage, or even the behavior of individual reporters.

[Yu Ominae]

Sort of related, because Abe's cabinet approved of collective self-defense as a national security requirement, the FCCJ had a press conference where a South Korean conscientious objector sought asylum in France and spoke over (partly) concerns that the Japanese may be drafted.

[Jagger]

I'm paying attention to the wrong thing here but that second woman is so tiny. It's like those anime stereotypes where the old people are strangely miniature.