Urged by Senate

Japan takes it as a consequence of its diplomatic efforts. China strongly opposes it. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution supporting peaceful resolution of territorial dispute in Asia-Pacific maritime domains, in which it “opposes any unilateral actions that would seek to undermine” administration of Japan over the Senkaku Islands. Supported by new action of U.S. legislative branch, the government of Japan started diplomatic effort toward China to restore normal bilateral relationship. The key is how China responds.

The resolution urges China to restrain its unilateral activities in both South and East China Sea, “in support of freedom of navigation, the maintenance of peace and stability, and respect for universally recognized principles international law.” On Senkaku, it acknowledges China’s fixing weapons-targeting radar on Japanese vessels in April, as well as its questioning Japan’s sovereignty over Okinawa.

Although the Senate recognizes Chinese assertion on Senkaku as its “core interest,” it understands the issue is more than “interest” for Japan. On that viewpoint, supposedly, the resolution unequivocally states U.S. commitment “under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security to respond to any armed attack in the territories under the administration of Japan.”

Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, welcomed the resolution, saying “We highly appreciate the resolution as condemning coercive change of status quo and addressing strong commitment in Japan-U.S. security treaty.” Although the response to the passage is still not clear, a spokeswoman of Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying, showed its concern in June, saying that the resolution “expresses intentionally neglects history and the current situation, sends the wrong signal and its conducive to property addressing and resolving related issues.”

However, the pressure from U.S. is not only directed to China, but also Japan. U.S. Vice-President, Joe Biden, urged Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe in Singapore to make effort to the peaceful solution. Possibly as the response to the request, Abe sent Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Akitaka Saiki, to China to talk about how to manage the bilateral issues. Saiki reportedly agreed with Chinese officials to at least maintain dialogue between both governments.

Abe insists on resuming high-level talks between top leaders or foreign ministers, while the Chinese are negative on it so far. But, with stronger involvement of U.S., China looks to be shifting its attitude to be positive on restoring bilateral communication. The situation underground would be to what extent the both side can be compromising.

Aso Likes Nazis, Ach So

The Deputy Prime Minister of Japan and Minister of Finance, Taro Aso, on Monday proposed introducing Nazi method in Japanese politics. “Weimar Constitution had unnoticeably been replaced by Nazi Constitution. How about learning that lesson? They did it without disturbance. The amendment should not be determined in a turmoil,” told Aso on the issue of constitutional amendment. He possibly wanted to discuss it in a moderate circumstance. But, it is usual that his somewhat extreme style of talking invites unnecessary argument.

In 2008, Aso asserted that then opposite party, Democratic Party of Japan, was close to Nazis in its political rigidity over bills. “In 1930s, emerging Nazis frequently stopped the discussion in the parliament led by Weimar regime. The attitude of ‘no way, let them do it’ brought that history,” Aso told in his speech. At that time, Fukuda administration suffered from opposition of DPJ, sealing its fate to a gridlock. Now, five years later from resembling DPJ to Nazis, Aso is in turn on the position of being criticized as Nazi admirer.

There is an argument that current situation in Japan is close to that in Germany in 1930s, when Nazis expanded power. The first thing is that the administration is emphasizing the necessity of economic growth. Nazi government poured resources into mixed economy, the mixture of market and planned economy. Abe’s economic policy also has an aspect of mixed economy, concerning stock market and foreign exchange, while expecting +2% target of commodity price. As Hitler encouraged public investment, represented by the construction of Autobahn, Abe puts the priority on building infrastructure.

As its result, the unemployment rate in June marked 3.90%, the lowest in these four years and eight months. The tendency of giving certain satisfaction with job creation is just the same as Nazi administration, which experienced a significant growth soon after the Great Depression.

Another element of Abe administration is exclusiveness of its political basis. In the last night of the election campaign earlier this month, a huge amount of people showed their support to Abe, chanting frustration against China and Korea. Although it is not so strong and systematic as in Nazi anti-Semitism, invisible racism against those neighbors has existed underground of Japan’s society. Abe and Aso are political figures, which are liked by those groups with exclusive concept.

Time Unfit for It

Mainichi Shimbun reported that Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, gave up his idea of visiting Yasukuni Shrine on August 15^th, the anniversary day of ending World War II. Although situation inside and outside would not been allowing him doing that, Abe has still not said whether he would go or restrain. The victory in the election surely makes him optimistic in implementing his political agenda. The question here is whether he can overcome the criticisms from victim’s families.

The main reason why Abe insists on visiting the shrine and praying for war victims is not based on his ideological belief, but on political reason that he needs support from his party’s traditional political basis of war-victims groups including Japan War-Bereaved Families Association. The comment at his inauguration about “extreme regret” on not to have visited the shrine while he was the Prime Minister between 2006 and 2007 was directed to those families.

However, the sweeping victory in the election of the House of Councillors gave him time to wait for the best timing to do that. Even if he loses a part of support from his political basis, he can afford to promote policies such as economic relief and security enhancement. The Constitution of Japan prohibits religious activity of Prime Minister in Article 20, which reads “The State and its organs shall refrain from religious education or any other religious activity.”

Enshrining A-class war criminals, Yasukuni Shrine has been criticized by China and Korea as a symbol of militarized Japan. It is likely that those nations raise its level of resentment against Japan when Abe chooses the option to visit the shrine. After the election, Abe’s first priority in diplomacy is to resume leaders talk with China and South Korea. It is not the time for him to fall in a gridlock by his insistence on his personal agenda.

Pressure from the ally should not be ignored. “Every concerned party needs to take necessary measures for easing tension over the issues in East China Sea,” told U.S. Vice-President, Joe Biden, in the meeting with Abe in Singapore. “Japan has the most important relationship with China,” answered Abe. It is obvious that visiting Yasukuni harms Japan-U.S. alliance when he ignores its impact on China and throw East Asia into a confusion.

After all, visiting the shrine has no political benefit this summer. However, some ministers in Abe’s Cabinet are preparing for doing it. Even in the visit by ministers, South Korea refrained from sending Foreign Minister this spring. If Abe cannot stop his colleagues’ visit, he will be asked his political responsibility to have chosen them as ministers.

Explanation to Former Colonies

Bringing the victory in the election last week, Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, clearly addressed in Manila, Philippine, his willingness in enhancing Japan’s military power on Saturday. In the press conference, he insisted to amend the Constitution of Japan with a view of maintaining peaceful principles. Still, it was a major contradiction for him to keep the pacifism of Japan, while declaring expanding budget for military procurement. The response of the Southeast Asian nations, which are occupied by militarized Japan in World War II.

The greatest point he made in the conference was that Japan would not be militarized again. “From the viewpoint of maintaining Japan’s security and contributing Japan-U.S. alliance and regional stability,” he told, “we are reviewing our security guideline, establishing our version of national security conference and deepening the discussion over reinterpretation of the constitution to allow the government to exercise collective self-defense right.” He also insisted on making no change in three principles of the constitution: respecting basic human rights, sovereignty on people, and pacifism.

But the talking point of the discussion over security issues is not so peaceful in Japan. With the justification of protecting national interest and sovereignty of Japan, the government is obtaining the ability of striking enemy’s land. Even how he explains it to be strictly defensive, the ability is attacking other country before Japan will be attacked. The Self-defense Force is establishing Marine Corps to regain forcefully occupied island in Japan’s territory. The reinterpretation of collective self-defense is to join the battle between U.S. and other country, which is against the alliance.

While stressing the importance of the relationship with China, Abe encouraged the effort of Southeast Asian countries to deal with China’s active promotion to the Pacific Ocean. The government of Japan promised to sponsor patrol ships to Philippine. In the meeting with the leaders of Singapore and Philippine, Abe tried to persuade that Japan’s military empowerment would be as same as the exercise of other ordinary countries.

There is no detailed report of the response of Abe’s counterparts. The point should be how does it will be. If those Asian countries regard Chinese action as aggressive, and Japan will not be a militarism again, they will support Abe’s explanation. If not, the action of Abe administration will simply be recognized as self-fulfillment of Japan. In general, Abe’s reluctance of regretting the excessive brutality of Japan’s military makes his agenda difficult to be understood in the region.

Hesitation on Posing Burden

It seems to be hard for the leaders of Japan to refrain from borrowing money of their kids and grandchildren. Although commercial price index in July escaped from decline, by 0.4%, for the first time in these fourteen months, the Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, is reluctant to raise the rate of consumption tax next April. He requested his staff to review the impact of raising tax rate on economy and commodity price. It could be aimed not to harm positive tendency of economic revival, however, both the Liberal Democratic Party and Democratic Party of Japan has been saying that delaying the tax hike might be just a spending time, only vesting burden on our kids. Abenomics began to show its uncertainty.

Nikkei Shimbun on Saturday reported that Abe had four options on consumption tax hike. One was to raise the rate from 5% to 8% next April, and then to 10% in October 2015, as both parties had agreed on last year. The second was four-step option that was with 2% rise for the first step and three rises of 1% each for the rest. The third option was 1% hike of every year in next half decade. He also considers zero option of consumption tax hike as the fourth option.

This review may bring great risks. Even how Abe is serious about getting rid of long-time deflation, current administration has no alternative for improving financial structure of the nation other than increasing income with consumption tax hike. Including Abe himself, former prime ministers have been worsening national budget with huge accumulation of nation debt, which has already been amounted to $10 trillion. Although DPJ administration tried to reduce the debt with cutting governmental spendings, Abe has been accumulating it with great deals in infrastructure projects.

After Japan was named in the joint statement of G20 meeting in April as necessary to have a credible mid-term financial plan, Japan’s Minister of Finance, Taro Aso, announced that the government was going to make mid-term financial plan in the middle of this year. That became an international promise of Japan. But, the Abe Cabinet considers postponing the decision of the plan until it determines how to raise the consumption tax rate in this fall.

The most important thing is how international market will assess this delay of action. If it expects that Abe’s handlings on Japan’s economy will encourage further growth, stock market can be stable as it has been after Abe administration started. But if it sees the negative sign on further accumulation of national debt, long-term debt rate will be raised, triggering a breakdown of Japanese economy in the same course we have seen in Greece, Spain or Italy.

Imperial Headquarters Announcement

“Announcement of the Imperial Headquarters” has been a synonym of fake information in post-war Japan. During the war, that organization of propaganda reported destruction of U.S. aircraft carriers that still existed, and victory in which Japan had actually been defeated. The delegation of Japan to the negotiation of Trans-Pacific Partnership is doing the same thing as the Imperial Headquarters, reporting that Japan has quite a good chance to handle the negotiation. As long as Japan seeks the goal to set the exception on some agricultural goods, there will be no victory in TPP. The government of Japan should not hide the truth that the negotiation is to eliminate those kinds of exceptions.

One thing the delegation insisted was that the participation in the negotiation was not too late to take initiative, emphasizing that the discussion over tariff had less been deepened than expected. “It is possible for Japan to join substantial discussion,” told Kouji Tsuruoka, the head of Japanese delegation, in a press conference. The meeting Japan joined was, however, the eighteenth round of the negotiation. It might be starting a football game at two-minute warning of the last quarter with the score of 0-18.

Although Japan’s most focusing point was to set exceptions in tariff on five agricultural goods, --rice, wheat, beef/pork, dairy products and raw materials of sweetness--, Tsuruoka strangely did not appeal those crucial interests for Japan in the meeting. While he explained that “Every party knows Japan’s standpoint without any explicit words,” other delegations reportedly expressed strange feeling on Japan’s attitude.

Some newspapers reported the comment of an officer of Japan Business Federation, or Kaidanren, that he expected to set rules along with Japan’s interest, reflencting ridiculous optimism of Japan. On its base, there is the structure of Japan economy, which heavily depends on industries and almost ignores agriculture. While Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, reiterates that he will protect national interest of Japan, the definition of “national interest” is different on which side of economy a man belongs to.

The government of Japan is responsible for this separation. It is traditional way for the government to deceive farmers, for example in taxation or regulation, for centuries. It has historically been oppressive rather than supportive for farmers. The appeals of farmers for protecting agriculture should not necessarily be the resistance against TPP itself. The point is how to improve the productivity and competitiveness of agriculture. Unfortunately, Ministry of Agriculture has almost no idea to do that, insisting on how to control the frustration of farmers.

Arms Race in East Asia

Though reluctantly, Japan shows its willingness to participate in the arms race in East Asia. In the mid-term report for National Defense Program Guidelines prepared to release by Ministry of Defense, new assets for dealing with growing tension in Asia-Pacific are included. Looking at current building up of Chinese naval power, there is not much negative opinion against security enhancement. Without a vision of reducing possibility for unexpected collision happens, no one makes a mitigation effort.

The mid-term report proposes Japan Self-defense Force to introduce unmanned areal vehicles, which flies in higher altitude than commercial aircrafts. It is expected to work for reconnaissance against Chinese activity in East China Sea. Yomiuri Shimbun reported that RQ-4 Global Hawk is the most likely for fulfilling the requirement.

The report also recommends the necessity of possessing capability of Marine Corps, which is the mixture of marine and ground power. The capability is expected to be necessary for regaining an island occupied by a foreign country. It focuses on enhancing mobilization capability and troops available for both sea and land. The cooperation with U.S. government or private sectors to enhance security against cyber attacks. Needless to say, those capabilities are for counteracting China.

China is showing active moves in East China Sea. Chinese government established a new organization for coast guard, which is the integration of some agencies in charge of coast guard, fishery or commercial ships. Four ships of the new organization, with repainted new name on its body, were observed on Wednesday in contiguous zone around Senkaku Islands.

Ministry of Defense confirmed the same day Chinese military aircraft, Y8, flew through the strait between Okinawa and Miyako Islands toward Pacific Ocean. Although it returned to mainland China soon, that was the first example for Chinese military aircraft to break the First Island chain in Pacific Ocean through.

Those activities by China undoubtedly work as intimidation to Japan. “That was strange unprecedented action and we will watch closely,” told Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, on his departure to his trip to South Asian countries on Thursday. While the flight was over the area of public sea, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan sent Chinese government a message indicating their concern. It was reported that Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Akitaka Saiki, is going to visit China next month. But China’s consecutive intimidation is making diplomatic solution difficult. China firstly needs to restrain from ambitious activity in East China Sea, if it is not intending to the course of escalation.

Crisis of Bipartisan System

The defeat of Democratic Party of Japan in the Upper House election brought a serious crisis on political system in Japan. While Liberal Democratic Party expanded its power in the House from 84 seats to 115, DPJ reduced from 87 to 59. Following the power shift in the House of Representatives last December, bipartisan system in Japan looks like broken. Is one party ruling coming again?

There are various reasons for DPJ’s defeat. Voters’ disappointment on the handlings in the executive branch would be at the top of the list. The people expected a different kind of politics from longtime LDP rulings four years ago, when DPJ took the power. As soon as they took the seat, they went to an unexpected direction of implementing their own goals, such as shifting from Japan-US alliance to co-existence in East Asian region. They looked like forgetting the biggest aim of improving people’s life.

In addition, two stars in the party had fallen down. The first Prime Minister of DPJ administration, and one of the two founding leader of the party, Yukio Hatoyama went too far from real politics. In his visit to China, he admitted that it was understandable for China to refer to Senkaku Island as being stolen. That made total contradiction from Japan’s official standpoint. Another founding leader, Naoto Kan, performed as the rebel against DPJ in the election. In the Tokyo district, he supported a candidate who had lost in primary selection in the party. As its result, both the official candidate and the rebel were unsuccessful in the election. The attitude of Kan should be criticized as selfish, because his support to the rebel was actually for his own election in the future.

In democracy, bipartisan system often stands, in simple description, on the choice of small government for the rich or big government for the poor. In Japan, LDP administration had been representing rich people, while upholding big government. That was applicable for reconstruction era after World War II, which required bureaucratic power. Once Japan turned down to the declining process in economy, big government for rich people was not making sense. Following the expectation of the people, DPJ tried to represent poorer people. But it failed in making the government bigger enough with the financial limitation.

To revitalize the bipartisan system, it is necessary for DPJ to firmly conceptualize its raison d’être. Although it is hard to show clear difference in diplomacy and security issues, it is possible to take clear standpoints in domestic issues. To show persuasive plan for the reform in pension system and job creation, for example, would work for regaining its power. It is important to maintain their mind for governmental reform.

TEPCO Keeps on Betraying

Tokyo Electric Power Company admitted on Monday that there is a leakage of radioactive contaminated water into the sea around First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. This was the first time for the company to announce that, while a lot of accusations had been raised. TEPCO still denies the possibility of flowing to the outer sea. Only the happiest people believe in their words.

TEPCO has been negative on the possibility of the leakage of contaminated water to the sea. Even when the radioactive water was observed in the well along the seaside, the company kept on skeptical about the leakage, saying “There’s no data indicating it.” Only after Nuclear Regulation Authority indicated the possibility of the leakage, TEPCO seriously started investigation of the leakage. If the authority had not deliver that warning, the company would not have followed the issue.

The conclusion of the investigation was that the leakage had actually been occurred. “Ground water with radioactive materials has been flowing into the sea,” told the spokesperson of TEPCO. The radioactive materials are dissolved in the groundwater. The company explained that the groundwater had been mixed with seawater when the tidal level had gotten high. It is unlikely, however, that the specialists in geology missed the possibility of that mixture. TEPCO cannot escape from criticisms on intentional ignorance of the possibility.

TEPCO still tries to minimize the impact of the leakage to the public. “The contaminated water is staying in the port, and have not spread to the outer sea,” its spokesperson insisted. The main reason of that attitude was the necessity of persuading fishermen who were afraid of the impact of the water on sea products in the area. Although the company asked the understanding of fishermen for pouring cleared water used in cooling the broken reactors into the sea, fishermen had rejected that offer with skepticism against complete purification.

TEPCO has no clear plan to stock that used water for coming years. It has built the storage tank enough for 400,000 metric tons, and decided to increase the capacity to the double. Nobody knows whether or not it will be enough. Still, nobody openly talks about the inevitability of discharge to the sea. One thing is clear now. If the company decides it, the issue will not be only about fishery around Fukushima, but about the unprecedented international water pollution. TEPCO is losing the most important thing for them to manage this crisis. It is credibility.

Adjustment of Twisted Parliament

This sweeping victory has a lot of choices on where to go. Being seriously wanting to get majorities in both Houses, Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, at last obtained the freehand of lawmaking in the National Diet, as a result of the election of the House of Councillors on Sunday. Although he insists on the revitalizing Japan’s economy, his true resolution has to be the constitutional amendment. Given three years of his term, Abe tries to pave the way to reach his personal agenda.

While the top priority in policy implementation is making people realize the positive effect of his economic policy, or Abenomics, Abe’s own interest is cast on the Amendment of Constitution. He keeps mixed feeling in the victory, which did not achieved two-thirds majority in the Upper House required for taking initiative of the amendment. It is possible that Liberal Democratic Party includes New Komeito, adding to Japan Restoration Party and Your Party, to have two-thirds. However, New Komeito is not so active in promoting the amendment, and Abe cannot have a clear vision of getting simple majority in popular vote, which is ultimately required.

So, he rather looks to the reinterpretation of collective self-defense right. Insisting the necessity of maintaining Japan-US alliance, he assails that a Japanese ship needs to respond to an attack on a US ship, by freeing Japanese self-defense force from the restriction of the Article 9 of the Constitution. By emphasizing it as an enhancement of the Japan-US security cooperation, Abe tries to persuade US that the reinterpretation has benefit in the bilateral relationship.

However, those agenda have negative elements in terms of the relationship with neighbor nations of Japan. China and South Korea showed negative response to Abe’s victory, because they worry about aggressive attitude in reinterpretation of the post-war history. Considering the possible resentment from the neighbors, it would be unlikely for Abe to visit Yasukuni Shrine on August 15^th, the War-end Memorial Day, although he has regretted not to have visited it in his first term in 2007.

After all, there are a few projects for Abe to tackle positively. One of them is improving the situation of Japan’s economy. His growth policies need to be shaped up for spreading wealth to every corner of Japan’s economy. Whether or not the economic recovery will be successful determines Abe’s success next three years. Against his expectation, there will actually be a few chances to promote his ambitious agenda in security and constitutional issues.

Enthusiastic and Distorted Nationalism

While the people in Egypt was protesting against military regime, the people in Akihabara, Japan, required exclusion of Chinese and Koreans from Japan. At the last evening of campaign for election of the House of Councillors, supporters of the Liberal Democratic Party escalated their requirement to eliminate supports for foreign residents in Japan, not criticizing the government but media organizations as traitors. The situation is getting close to the 1930’s before the World War II.

The scene in front of Akihabara station was extremely strange. During the last speech of Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, most of the audience, amounted to about ten thousands, chanted and waved the national flag of Japan. When Abe criticized the handlings of former administration of Democratic Party of Japan and emphasized the necessity of the amendment of the Constitution, they responded delightedly. The flags were distributed by the campaign activists and the members of right wing organizations. The scene reminded people of ceremony of small town to send young men to the battlefield in the World War II.

Even after Abe’s speech finished, the excited audience did not want to go home. They started hauling harsh words to camera men in front of them. Responding to someone’s call, they started criticizing the public TV station, chanting “disorganize NHK, disorganize NHK.” The audiences seemed to be frustrated with its reports supportive to the right of Korean residents in Japan. Then they started calling “Scrap, Scrap Asahi,” labeling the newspaper as leftist.

Most audience excited on Abe’s speech was young agers who were frustrated with social system created by older people. With the job protection to older workers, there are the less job opportunities for the young. Although Abe’s economic policies raised the bonus of big major companies in Japan, middle and small business had not enjoyed its benefit. Their frustration strangely did not go to Abe, but to other issues such as DPJ or foreign residents.

Such a people do not have detailed information about policy and politics, only looking into some extremist assertions on website. That phenomenon represents a tendency of narrow-minded Japanese. They ignore, or have no idea about, the change of power structure in international politics. They do not want to see the world inside or outside Japan. The frustration against media may encourage governmental power over freedom and liberty of the people. Supporters of Abe’s constitutional amendment do not know that it will be themselves, or their kids, who need to go to battlefield in contingency.

Death or Three Hundred Years in Prison

The discussion is escalating to the level as if the Liberal Democratic Party is amending the Constitution for applying death penalty or three hundred years in prison to a person who rejects a call for mobilization. The General Secretary of LDP, Shigeru Ishiba, told in a TV show that penalty would be strictly applied by martial court, which would be installed in the national defense force established after the amendment. Even though Ishiba does not intend to kill a man of conscientious objection, someone else would be able to do it, if the constitution is amended.

While the TV show was aired three months ago, his discussion spread after Tokyo Shimbun picked the issue this week. “There is no guarantee that no man would say ‘I don’t want to go’ to the call of mobilization for protecting the independence of our state,” he said in a TV discussion to explain what martial court was about. “If he does not obey it, the heaviest penalty in the state will be applied. That should be death penalty in a country with death penalty, life in prison in a country with the penalty of life in prison, and three hundred years in prison in a country with the penalty of three years in prison” he added.

Men and women in the Self-defense force take the oath of obeying orders in contingency. Ishiba must have thought that it was insufficient for maintaining internal order in the Self-defense Force. But, he was not credible enough for the people, because he has been showing attitude as a military freak. As the Minister of Defense, he appealed that his hobby was crafting battleship models. That rendered people an image that he was a virtual military-lover free from reality.

The Constitution gives jurisdiction only to the court and the court system consists of three layers system with supreme, high, and regional. “The whole judicial power is vested in a supreme court and in such inferior courts as are established by law. No extraordinary tribunals shall be established, nor shall any organ or agency of the executive be given final judicial power,” says the Article 76 of the Constitution. To establish martial court, constitutional amendment is required.

The question here is whether LDP leaders require the amendment to deal with real threats from neighbor countries or to shape this country up as militarized. As for China, for example, even the United States has not fully determined the intention of its building up of military power. It is unlikely for LDP to have precisely identified China as a threat to Japan, to the extent that Japan needs to prepare for its invasion. LDP looks like too much afraid of China’s intimidation.

Group Murder on One Person

Young crimes in the United States sometimes take a form of killing multiple people by single person. In Japan, on the contrary, they often appear to be killing one victim by a group of people. A murder case in Hiroshima prefecture, in which a girl in sixteen years old was found dead in a forest in the suburb of Kure city, is suspected to have been done by seven young men and women. The principal of the crime is a girl in the same training school, who were unpleasant for the attitude the victim showed to her. The case proved a tendency of the Japanese, who show extreme brutality with the existence of colleagues.

According to the news reports, the principal girl, with six others, brought the victim to the forest by a car in the midnight of late June. They committed violence, consecutive hitting and kicking, to her in the car and forest, and dumped the body to a valley after the victim was supposed to have been dead. Although some of them deny the involvement of the murder, the most admit the commitment of the lynching.

With a sense of sin, the principle turned herself in to the police with her parents. If she did not do that, it is not sure the case had been acknowledged. She explained the reason of the murder to be victim’s calling name of her in a social networking service. Another possible reason was a money trouble in escorting business they had been involved in.

One problem here is some of the seven criminals were strangers each other, although one of them are a boyfriend of the principle. It is hard to believe that a person could easily support strangers’ murder, or leave it happening at least. All of them except the car driver were nineteen years old or younger, the minorities in Japanese law.

In Japan, news reports on crime are highly dependent on the information leaked by police officers. In this case, most part of the murder story is constructed with confessions of the arrested seven, brought by police. While network censoring is prohibited by law, it is still unclear how the police collected information of dialogues from the network. It is unlikely for police to leak conversation in the network without any verification to the provider.

With the development of social network service, on the other hand, crimes keep on descending down to the underground. It is sure that the police cannot catch up with the spread of various crimes. Without an expectation of brutalization of young crimes, media still report minority criminals with anonymity. Considering the deep regret of victims’ family, newspapers and TV stations need to reconsider that practice.

Intimidation from a Small Island

Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, on Wednesday became the first Japanese leader in these forty-eight years who visited closest land to China without going abroad. In Ishigaki Island, one hundred fifty miles away from Taiwan and two hundred fifty from the mainland China, Abe encouraged coast guard men and women who were in charge of deterring Chinese ships around Senkaku Islands. It was also intended to intimidate Chinese government by showing his determination on protecting “Japan’s national interest.”

The last incumbent PM to visit Ishigaki Island was Eisaku Sato in 1965, when the island was still under the administration of the United States. Abe tried to appeal the first visit after the Southeast Islands, also including Ishigaki and Okinawa, had been returned in 1972.

In the speech in Ishigaki Coast Guard Office, Abe insisted on no compromise in the Chinese intimidation around Senkaku. “The situation around our sea territory is getting difficult with frequent approaches by Chinese ships after we purchased Senkaku on September 11^th last year,” said him. He also showed his determination as the leader, saying that “I am willing to stand on your front to protect the life and property of our nation and the territory of land, sea and air.”

In this timing, Abe needed to show his strong leadership to win a victory in the election of the House of Councillors on coming Sunday. It was reported that his envoy, former diplomat Shotaro Yachi, had proposed Chinese official to deal with Senkaku issue as diplomatic issue and not to disturb China to dispute its administration, while Japan would still not admit the existence of territorial issue. Abe needed to deny that kind of weak attitude.

Chinese government shortly responded to Abe’s speech in Ishigaki. “We request stopping action that erodes Chinese sovereignty,” told the spokeswoman of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying.

Most of Abe’s colleagues are worrying about the negative aspect of his action. “It was quite stimulative and needless,” said one governmental officer. The President of New Komeito, Natsuo Yamaguchi, was sober on Abe’s visit to Ishigaki. “To improve the relationship with China, we need to bring an idea for how we control the issue, while appealing our own viewpoint,” he told reporters.

Even how Abe is enthusiastic on intimidating China by visiting neighbor lands including India, Mongol, and the countries of Southeast Asia, the situation that he can have no contact with Chinese leader has not been changed. Value-oriented diplomacy is one thing. But, substance is really needed.

Growing Power over Individual Rights

In the campaign for the election of the House of Councillors, oppressive examples over freedom of speech are reported. All cases are about criticisms against leading party or its policies. Liberal Democratic Party upholds constitutional amendment to strengthen governmental power on individual rights. Before the Constitution is amended, the government led by LDP seems to have started restraining human rights. Those may be considered as the signs of despotism.

Alongside the audience for kick-off speech of Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, in Fukushima city, four men seized a signboard possessed by a housewife, which read “Prime Minister, I have a question. Are you supportive or against dismantling nuclear reactors?” Those men surrounded the woman and one of them identified himself as a policeman. Another man, showing a name card of LDP staff, took the board away. “I was scared with their consistent demanding of my address. I thought I would be arrested,” told the woman to the interview of Tokyo Shimbun.

The same night, LDP announced that it reject all contact from Tokyo Broadcasting Service for reporting, disputing that TBS’s report about LDP few days before had been unfair. The barring out was lifted next day, after TBS submitted a paper regarding the significance of LDP’s appeal. While TBS did not admit its apology, Abe insisted that TBS had apologized in his speeches. It was not what a big leading party would do to one media organization, anyway.

One week after the campaign started, the Election Supervising Committee of Sapporo City, Hokkaido, warned the men of illegality. Those men were affiliated with Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA), the biggest pressure group of farmers, who had been disseminated brochures criticizing the government’s policy of joining the negotiation of Trans-Pacific Partnership. According to the Public Officers Election Act, political parties or organizations doing political activity are prohibited to circulate brochures in campaign period. But, some lawyers distinguish farmers’ organization from political entity. JA Hokkaido decided to refrain from disseminating their brochures before voting day.

Although those cases are not clearly violating freedom of speech guaranteed in the Constitution, it is clear that the government and the leading party is getting nervous about criticisms against them. The examples above indicate how post-election Japan will look like, in which LDP occupies overwhelming majority in both Houses. Like Germans who applauded economic growth in 1920-30s, the Japanese, enthusiastic about Abenomics, are not wiling to see negative aspects of this administration.

Sweet or Bitter for Caroline?

President of the United States, Barack Obama, at last seems to have learned that it is name, not qualifications, for the Japanese to realize the importance of a person. He reportedly decided to appoint Caroline Kennedy, a daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, as U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Regardless the true reason of the choice, the Japanese expect her to do something good enough for her name value. The point is whether she realizes that.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan has been chosen in face-saving manners. Careers of former ambassadors include the Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives, Senate majority leader, Vice-President, or famous scholar. Kennedy is going to add “political celebrity” on the list. The Japanese will welcome Sweet Caroline as a symbol of close relationship between two nations, at the time they have to face the active move of China with enhancement of Japan-U.S. alliance.

However, it is not easy job for any U.S. Ambassador to Japan to tackle the accumulated issues to be solved. No exit is found for the relocation of Futenma Air Base with sound approval of the people in Okinawa. Deployment of MV-22 Osprey still faces consistent opposition. Toward current administration of Japan, U.S. takes sensitive distance on the issues of dispute with neighbor countries. While Obama administration has been willing to enhance the bilateral alliance, it showed negative attitude against reinterpretation of post-war history, which invited strong criticisms form China and Korea. Can Kennedy deal with all those issues without rich experience as a diplomat?

What she, and the government of U.S., cannot underestimate is the achievements of current Ambassador, John V. Roos. Although his job experience in Japan might not be clear for U.S. people, he is the representative of U.S. at the critical time of the Great East Japan Earthquake. He worked hard, in down-to-earth manner, to establish the relationship of both nations represented by the term, Tomodachi. He also is the first U.S Ambassador to Japan who attended the Peace Memorial Ceremony in Hiroshima on August 6^th, 2010, the decision which must have been disputable inside U.S. government. Kennedy is expected to do more, or at least the same.

There will be an opportunity for the Ambassador to say something hard to the government of Japan, namely in dealing with security in Northeast Asia. Communication between the two governments is much more complicated in the time of structural decline of power, led by economic difficulties. Maintenance of the alliance is not easier than what former ambassadors had gone through.

Can They Go Back?

It is fair to say that the most important decision by the national government for evacuee of the accident in the First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant is when they can go back home. Most parties do not answer that question in the campaign of the election of the House of Councillors. As far as about 310 thousand people have still not found appropriate place to live, to settle them must be the first priority of every party. It shows poor politics on human rights, which guarantee safe and comfortable life.

Liberal Democratic and New Komeito have to be responsible for elaborating how they promote cleaning the contaminated land, rebuilding infrastructure for local life and tell the people when they will be able to return home. But they do not tell about when the evacuees can go back in party’s campaign promises. They are only saying they will do their best, avoiding clear words for implementation.

Other parties are also unclear on this issue. People’s Life Party, in their campaign promise, proposes that the reconstruction policy needs to be shifted from returning back to migration, while how to keep the land for evacuees and how they find the budget for it are unclear. Green Wind, based on no returning, asserts that contaminated land should be bought by the national government. Your Party indicated the necessity of determining whether they can go back, or not, to the highly contaminated area. But, attitudes of rest of opposite parties are not clear.

According to the survey by Asahi Shimbun, four parties look to returning back for all evacuees, while five are shifting to no returning. Democratic Party of Japan, as the party that led the emergency measures at the time of the accident occurred, does not abandon the principle for getting-all-back. After the disaster, the government led by DPJ sought to clean all the land up for residents to come back by decontamination efforts. However, the efforts proved to be extremely difficult, mainly because radioactive materials can go nowhere. Even how they wash the roof, wall, road, ditch and everything in the towns, there is no place for the water, cloth or debris to go.

LDP answered that it needs further consideration, because there are opinions of evacuees both wanting to go back and thinking return unlikely. Although LDP’s attitude is irresponsible as the leading party, the answer is based on the truth of sufferers. Regardless who is responsible for the contaminated land, the fact is the reactors are still not stable, decontamination effort is showing its limitation, and there are not many who definitely go back their home town. Parties should not take this issue as reconstruction or energy strategy, but as human rights of the people in Japan.

Leakage Doubted

Highly contaminated water has been found in the wells around the First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Since those wells are located close to the shoreline, the water is doubted to have leaked into the sea. The problem is both Tokyo Electric Power Company and the government cannot determine where the water comes from. The later information is delivered, the lower people’s credibility to TEPCO and the government becomes. This shows that the crisis in Fukushima is still going on.

TEPCO announced on Tuesday that its team had observed 9,000bq per litter of Cesium 134 and 18,000 per litter of Cesium 137 in the water of the Observation Well 1, which was dug at the coast side of the second reactor of the plant. The consistency of contaminated water has been raised by 86 to 91 times from that of four days ago. “The reason of the rise is unclear. It is possible that mud with radioactive cesium was infused into the water. We will confirm it anyway,” explained TEPCO.

Various radioactive materials were identified in other wells on Friday. In the Observation Well 3, located 200 meters south of No. 1, there found were 1,400bq of Strontium. TEPCO also found 630,000bq of Tritium in another well closer to the sea. The level was raised from the time they were found in May.

Nobody has persuasive answer on where the materials come from. TEPCO explains that it was possible for radioactive materials leaked right after the accident two year ago to have flown into the well. However, the Nuclear Regulation Authority indicated the possibility of leak of highly contaminated water into the land had been occurred and doubted certain amount of water leakage into the sea.

Asahi Shimbun points out a possibility of continuous leakage from underground tunnels, which contain great amount of contaminated water after cooling down the broken reactors. Tokyo Shimbun analyzes that there are two origins. It indicates that Cesium is brought from the water beneath the reactor, and Strontium and Tritium, each of which diffuses beta ray, are from the water used for cooling down. Tokyo’s analysis means double leakage. Being skeptical about TEPCO’s explanation, NRA decided to set up a team for the investigation.

There is a huge amount of contaminated water alongside of the plant, which was produced by cooling down the reactors. If that water has been leaked, it leads to an unprecedented contamination of seawater. With active effect of river system, the Japanese has tended to believe that seawater cleans everything brought from land. But, even the sea cannot accept that amount of radioactive materials.

Hero or Traitor?

Good leadership means doing a different thing from a top-down type order. Masao Yoshida, who was the director of the First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant at the time of the unprecedented accident of nuclear fuel rod meltdown two years ago, made that definition common in Japan. He died with esophageal cancer on Tuesday. Conceived as a man who made a right decision in a confusion of commanding system in his organization, he also was definitely a part of the cause of accident. It is not Japan to thank him, but Tokyo Electric Power Company.

After the hydrogen explosions occurred in the plant, TEPCO decided to infuse sea water into the reactors for cooling them down. When the headquarters of TEPCO in Tokyo ordered to stop it, with advises from Cabinet office led by then Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, Yoshida agreed with that order in telecommunication, while he actually ordered his men to continue the infusion. As its result, the plants could avoid worsening the situation. That is the story of Yoshida’s right decision in extreme tension.

It is no doubt that he was a distinctive leader with determination, compassion to human, and bravery, since most workers adore his management of disaster. However, TEPCO considered pulling workers up from Fukushima sight to save their lives before the explosions. That’s why Kan became furious and went to TEPCO office and said “Retreat is intolerable.” Yoshida must have been involved in the consideration of TEPCO, as the leader of Fukushima site. If the workers of TEPCO had left the site, Tokyo would not have existed as a capital city now.

Yoshida must have been a man who knows best about what was going on. There are a lot of questions about the disaster. Why did vent before the explosions failed? Why didn’t the government provide correct information about evacuation? What was wrong with the leadership of Kan and TEPCO headquarters? While TEPCO says that his death has nothing to do with the disaster, because it takes five year or more for esophageal cancer to outbreak and Yoshida’s exposition to radiation was within a limit of the workers in nuclear power plant, what is the true reason of his death anyway?

Yoshida’s leadership story caused one of the few positive stories of TEPCO. He actually brought many questions to the heaven, which TEPCO must have answered. Now, TEPCO is keep on looking for its survival as power company, despite the incredible failure of producing 310 thousand of refugees pandemic all over Fukushima area and its own huge amount of deficit. TEPCO needs to ask Yoshida whether it is worth existing.

Enthusiasm over Recovery

Policies of a central bank are ordinarily recognized as not affected by its domestic politics. How about Bank of Japan? Just ten days before the election of the House of Councillors, the bank announced that Japan’s economy started recovering. Leading parties that uphold current economic policies started emphasizing their policies were proved as correct, trying to get affirmative response from voters. Both the bank and leading parties are making their best to keep people’s eyes out of negative aspect of Japan economy.

In the Statement of Monetary Policy delivered after the policy-making meeting on Thursday, Bank of Japan declared that “Japan’s economy is starting to recover moderately.” It expressed the situation as “Japan’s economy has been picking up,” last month. It was the first time that the bank used the word “recovery” in these two and a half years. The main reason of improvement is because “exports have been picking up” and “industrial production is increasing moderately.” In addition, the bank assessed public investment to be increasing and private consumption has remained resilient.

Although the statement described about risks, the bank attributes most of them to external elements. “There remains a high degree of uncertainty concerning Japan’s economy,” it says, “including the prospects for the European debt problem, developments in the emerging and commodity-exporting economies, and the pace of recovery in the U.S. economy.”

The world’s common concern about Japan’s economy is not about the situation of global economy, but about the structure of itself. There is a broad skepticism on a huge amount of debt the government of Japan owes. Current administration led by Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, has not sent much message about tackling it, because reminding the people of it might cause popularity decline. The government, at least, is worried about how the situation of economy affects the election.

The Governor of Bank of Japan, Haruhiko Kuroda, strictly denied the relationship between the policy of the bank and politics. “The conclusion of moderate recovery is naturally drawn from economic indexes,” he insisted in the press conference.

The ministry Kuroda had long been affiliated to, Ministry of Finance, has been recognized as making highly political move. Some media and economists still doubt the political intention in the term, “recovery.” The fact is that more small and middle-size businesses suffer from price hike of imported resources. Gradual inflation is harming family consumption. The point of coming election is how voters think about those negative aspects of current economy policies.

Low Attention to Disaster

People try to memorize an important event or person by reminding of it on the same day every year. The Japanese sometimes does it not only annually, but also monthly.

It is the day just two years and four months after Great East Japan Earthquake and disastrous accident in the First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant today. It has fallen on campaign period of election of the House of Councillors this month. Knowing that refugees of the disaster suffer from delay of reconstruction effort, political parties are mostly ignoring the real need of them, which is when they will be back home. It is morally incorrect for the nation to leave the sufferers behind economic issues, constitution amendment or energy supplies.

The Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, at the campaign kick-off speech in Fukushima city, emphasized the importance of reconstruction policies. “There will be no revival of Japan without reconstruction in Fukushima,” told him. Didn’t we hear it somewhere else? Yes, that was the phrase former PM Yoshihiko Noda often used. People remember that terminology as something an unable leader would like to say. Actually, Abe invites enormous disappointment in the minds of people in Fukushima by showing his willingness of resuming nuclear reactors in the power plants in all over Japan without any guarantee of ceasing crisis in the First Fukushima.

There are around 310 thousand Fukushima people who cannot get back home. The contaminated land was categorized as three kinds of area: open to everybody, cannot stay overnight, and unlivable for certain years. The problem the government owes is nobody says when the residents in unlivable area will be, or will not be, able to return home. Those residents are actually pessimistic about the future of their hometowns, expecting a decision that their towns may not be available eternally.

However, politics and bureaucrats do not deliver clear words about the future of unlivable area, because doing it brings responsibility for the compensation. Bureaucrats in Kasumigaseki are highly reluctant to put further resource into the reconstruction, in spite of they had vested people contingency tax for reconstruction for twenty-five years.

It is obvious that the executive branch is waiting for sufferers to give their all rights up in desperation. They may do it as long as those people are alive. That is why the opposite parties are responsible for urging current administration to accelerate the process of rebuilding cities in Tohoku area. Ignorance is sometimes the most violent way to harm devastated people.