Positive on Offensive Capability

The Ministry of Defense decided its budgetary request for FY 2014 (April 2014 to March 2015) on Friday. It marked 2.9% surplus from approved budget at the starting point of FY 2013, the year which appropriated surplus for the first time in eleven years. Looking into the procurement the ministry demanded, one can realize that the Self-defense Force is focusing on China and North Korea with maximum readiness. The point is whether it is enough or not.

For annual governmental budget, each ministry submits the Ministry of Finance its request by the end of August every year. As soon as MoF makes a draft for the fiscal plan based on those requests in December, Cabinet approves it and submits it to the National Diet, mandatorily to the House of Representatives, by the end of the year. The diet discusses the fiscal plan and the plan is ordinarily approved by the end of March next year. Rarely amended the plan will be, this budget system is a great resource of MoF’s power in the Government of Japan.

However, each ministry ambitiously requested its budget, following the attitude of Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, that encourages positive use of tax money to implement his strategy of economic growth. The Ministry of Defense focused on new procurement to enhance “Marine Corps ability” required in an operation of returning island back from the occupier.

The request includes establishment of Sea-Land Convertible Readiness Unit to consider feasibility of procurement needed for sea-land operation. For that purpose, the ministry expects to buy an assault amphibious vehicle for examining its performance. It also is increasing drills for sea-land operation, including participation of Ground Self-defense Force to the Rim of the Pacific Exercise hosted by U.S. Marine.

The ministry is also introducing tiltrotor aircraft, MV-22 Osprey, in FY 2015, to enhance ability of swift deployment to island area. For early warning on missiles and nuclear activity in North Korea and active move of China in East China Sea, it starts consideration of introducing high-altitude unmanned areal vehicle, RQ-4 Global Hawk. It is also adding four stealth capable fighter jets, F-35 Lightening II in FY 2014.

With the requirement of the Constitution, the ability of Self-defense Force needs to be limited only for defensive purpose. Those procurements are regarded as related to offensive operation, being doubted to be necessary from the viewpoint of non-aggressive national defense policy. If it is not enough for deterring Chinese assertive action in East China Sea, that positive request only stimulates aggressive motivation of China against Japan.

Is Fast Better?

JR Tokai, or Central Japan Railway Company which operates bullet train between Tokyo to Osaka, started tests of superconducting magnetic levitation (SCMaglev) train system in new experimental railroad in Yamanashi region on Thursday. Able to run longer distance for test operation, the train marked 300 mph with people aboard. Although it is an evidence of Japan’s train technology and worth amazing, is that speed needed for our ordinary life?

SCMaglev project is to connect Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka with super high-speed bullet train. JR Tokai is planning to start its service between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027, and extend it to Osaka in 2045. It is expected that the train will carry passengers from Tokyo to Osaka, which distance can be paralleled with New York to Washington, in an hour. Considering the waiting time in airport terminal, SCMaglev trip is faster than that with airline.

JR Tokai extended its experimental railroad from 18.4 kilometers (11.5 miles) to 42.8 kilometers (26.8 miles), which enabled tests of mass transportation or actual commercial running. A prototype of commercial train vehicle called L0 Edition started running test on the railroad, on the watch of a number of train fans. TV reports introduced amazing responses of kids or men, who had seen the extremely fast passing of the train in front of them. TV Reporters on the train experienced relative calmness in the cabin and landscape flying away over the window.

The company expects that they start the construction of railroad next year. They already having environmental assessment required for the construction. Location of four stations between Tokyo and Nagoya will be determined this fall.

So, what kind of passenger is going to take advantage of this super bullet train? Current bullet train has already made business trip easy. A businessman in Tokyo who has to attend a meeting in Osaka on 10:00 a.m. can return back to Tokyo to report the result before the evening. He does not need to stay hotel in Osaka at night before the meeting. Even though SCMaglev enables two meetings for him in Osaka, it only makes every businessman busier.

If a trip is too fast, it causes a man difficulty of adaptation to the change of location. For instance, difference of climate between departing point and terminal may cause trouble of physical condition. SCMaglev project originally started early 1960s, when Japan was in the period of rapid economic growth. “The fast, the better” is an old concept of Japan in its reconstruction from devastation of the war.

Accusing Assad

Before the investigation by United Nations finished, Japan made its standpoint clear on Syria crisis. Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, accused Bashar al-Assad regime of its use of chemical weapons against its nations. Although it is inevitable for Japan to back the United States with requirement of alliance, taking one side to support on this issue inevitably complicate foreign relationship of Japan.

“As of the government of Japan, it is highly possible that chemical weapons have used in Syria,” said Abe in his press conference in Qatar, the last destination of his visit to four counties in Middle East and the Horn of Africa. “Use of chemical weapons is not tolerated in any circumstances. Ignoring deterioration of humanitarian situation in Syria, Assad regime is responsible for the consequence in the country,” he insisted.

Although Abe emphasized that Japan would cooperate with international community to improve the situation, there are a few choices left. The Embassy of Japan in Damascus has been closed since March last year, causing the shortage of information about what was going on in Syria. Currently, Japan is not a member of UN Security Council, to which the United Kingdom is considering to submit a resolution to accuse Syria and allow use of force.

The most likely choice left for Abe is blindly following U.S., as his mentor, Jun-ichiro Koizumi, did in the Iraq War in 2003. Koizumi expressed his firm support to U.S. war on terrorism after the September 11 attack, to which President George W. Bush emotionally appreciated. So, the greatest concern for Japan’s foreign affairs so far is what kind of statement Abe is going to deliver when U.S. starts military attack on Syria.

Following alliance requirement may cause negative impact on relationship with others. Supporting rebels and accusing Assad makes Japan choose totally opposite side Russia has been taking. Abe is going to have a summit meeting with President Vladimir Putin next month. It is likely that two leaders will be arguing over Syrian issue, especially military option would have been exercised before the meeting.

Crisis in Syria may affect the internal discussion over collective self-defense right. As long as that is limited to surgical measures for stopping use of chemical weapons, there will not be problems. When it becomes to the war on terrorism, Japan needs to consider joining it. If Japan is going to send the Self-defense Force, there will be an argument whether the force can protect other troops based on the interpretation of the Constitution. That is why the officials of Japanese government are seriously hoping the situation in Syria not to be worsened.

Syria, So What?

The situation of Syrian civil war is facing serious moment. The United States and some European countries are preparing for military solution against undeniable violence with chemical weapons. U.S. pointed President Bashar al-Assad’s regime as the suspect of that inhumane deed on Syrian people, while Russia accused anti-Assad protesters of using those weapons. In this crucial moment in Middle East, Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, is in Djibouti to enhance energy security of Japan.

News media in Japan reported Wednesday morning that U.S. was ready to take military action on Syria, supposed attack should be by cruising missiles from U.S. vessels deployed Mediterranean Sea, and European countries including Germany adding to the United Kingdom and France are supporting U.S. decision. U.S. has informed anti-Assad protesters organization of its intention for military attack. It will be done as soon as on Thursday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said Japan was going to watch the situation with great concern, keeping communication with related countries, at the press conference on Tuesday. On Japan’s response to suspicious use of chemical weapons by Assad administration, Suga just commented that he would wait for the result of investigation by the United Nations. At that time, assault on U.N. delegation motorcade in Damascus was already reported in Japan.

Abe is on his round trip to Middle East and Africa, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Djibouti and Qatar. Purposes of his trip were to make energy business sure with those countries and to persuade them on Japan’s growing role on security of that area. To deal with piracy in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, Abe emphasized Japan’s role in the area in his speech to the member of Japan’s Self-defense Force stationing in Djibouti. “Our nations greatly expect and appreciate to your efforts. International community also respects you,” said Abe.

Showing wait-and-see standpoint of him, Abe did not make clear of his attitude on Syria issue. It is unclear how Japan will respond to possible military attack on Syria by U.S. and European countries. For him, the most workable bilateral relationship with neighbor countries is that with Russia. Expecting a major update in summit talk with President Vladimir Putin next month, Abe does not want to make things complicated by strongly supporting U.S. Japan does not have such a great role in security of Middle East as Abe likes to appeal.

Poor Humored Young Dudes

In this extremely hot summer, a lot of kidding picture on social networking service posted by part time employees annoys business administrators. Were those the craziness of those young dudes, who suffered from hot weather? They actually wanted to make their life fun, sharing pictures with friends who were watching the site. One thing they could not imagine was that those pictures would be always open to the public. Unfortunately, most people did not like that kind of joke.

It was mid-July when a picture of a part time male worker in an ice cream case of a convenience store in Kochi City was uploaded on Facebook. The store chain company removed all the ice cream, replaced the refrigerated showcase and broke off the franchise contract with that shop.

The funny picture incident caused a chain reaction. Later last month, a customer of a convenience store in Muko City, Kyoto, sneaked into a refrigerator and that picture was uploaded on Twitter. A young female staff of noodle shop in Kadoma City, Osaka, posed with three sausages, prepared for serving to customers, in her mouth and another female staff uploaded on Twitter.

Those fusses on networks spread to some criminal degree. Two young fishermen were arrested after a picture of them chanting on the roof of police car was uploaded on Twitter. In Osaka, two high school students took a picture of one of them on the railroad of subway, resembling him as a victim of running over.

A common phenomenon of those young people was that they apologized about what they had done. They just wanted to upload funny pictures for their friends in small community, not realizing the social impacts of their activity. In the cases of shop staffs, it can be said that there was a frustration of part time workers to their employers. As its result, those young people had to face a consequence, in which they would be fired or even sued for compensation.

This immatureness of the young is based on Japan’s social characteristics. In this bureaucratic nation, the people are supposed to be so innocent that leaders can easily control. Pretending to be innocent and obedient is a way to avoid intervention of public authority in their lives. Young people in Japan do not have much disturbance in their behavior like a child.

They need to recognize that advanced humorous expression harms nobody. Funny videos in foreign countries are often based on self-sacrifice, not sacrifice of others. This needs to be understood as a process of this nation to get to a higher level of sense of humor.

Restriction on Barefoot Gen

Receiving pressure from conservative or revisionist residents, the Board of Education in Matsue City, Shimane, had requested primary schools to restrict reading of manga books titled Barefoot Gen in their school library. After news report questioned the decision this month, the Board began to consider abolishing the restriction. Library is generally a place where people can freely access knowledge. People in Japan realized that freedom of knowledge could be limited by a specific guidance against anti-war argument in this country.

Barefoot Gen is a story of young boy named Gen who survived atomic bombing in Hiroshima in August, 1945, based on experience of the Author, Kenji Nakazawa, who deceased last year. Through Gen’s eyes, disastrous damages on humanity brought by an atomic bomb, inhumanity of war itself, and meanings of living are straightly described. Not only in Japan, Barefoot Gen has been introduced to other countries as translated version. At least three movies have been made based on the story.

Some residents in Matsue City last December submitted city assembly a petition to remove all the books of Barefoot Gen from all elementary schools in the city. They argued that some expression of the books were inappropriate to school kids. The argument was recognized as pointing to violence of Japanese soldiers and some horrible drawings about people suffered from the bomb. Although the petition was dismissed, the Board of Education requested schools to place the books in the office, backing off the eyes of kids.

After news reports revealed the exercise of schools in Matsue, the argument over the restriction of the book spread all over Japan. People came to know that Tottori Central City Library also restricted reading the books by removing them from regular shelves. What made things complicated was that the Minister of Education, Hakubun Shimomura, one of the most conservative figures in Abe Cabinet, supported the decision of Matsue.

This is not about political struggle between the right and left, but about human rights of students to access knowledge as much as they want. Considering Barefoot Gen has been accepted over these decades as a story about the importance of peace, life and liberty, it is irrelevant for the administrators to criticize the story as violent in revisionist way, insisting on a small part of the book. Kids can decide which is right or wrong as a book on the shelf of school.

Why Japan Hurries?

The ministry meeting of Trans-Pacific Partnership on Friday delivered a joint statement, which urged the parties to have a conclusion until the end of this year. It also emphasized the importance of the leaders meeting of Asia Pacific Economic Conference in October as a turning point of the negotiation. Although there are a lot of differences among the parties, they seemed optimistic on the negotiation. It looks like they have common purpose of the negotiation: containment of China.

While it required efforts for an agreement of mutually acceptable, the statement took one step forward. It set seven important issues toward the agreement, which are tariff abolition, intellectual assets, investment, financial service, governmental procurement, policy on competition and environment.

In the context of the conference, Japan started bilateral negotiations over the list of products to open or protect. However, Japan did not have any detailed talks on apecific products with two agricultural giants, United States and Australia. In the negotiation with those two counties, it will be very hard to set a “sanctuary” for specific products, to which internal pressure for protection is strong.

According to news reports in Japan, the reason why the joint statement set a time limit was mainly U.S. eagerness for it. “Worrying about the mid-term election next year, President Barack Obama ordered U.S. Trade Representative, Michael Froman, to have conclusion within this year,” most news reports explained. One newspaper introduced a view of a Japanese official that positive attitude of U.S. was preferable for Japan, because time factor may urge U.S. a compromises in negotiation with Japan.

But, it was Japan that was also in a hurry. TPP is not the most important issue for Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe. For the leader who focuses on his own agenda, including constitutional amendment and enhancing military power of Self-defense Force, it is not preferable to spend much time for trade issue. He supposedly wants to have a conclusion soon and save ample time for dealing with other issues. In addition, he expects that the agreement on trade framework in Asia Pacific region works for putting pressure on China, to which Abe has trouble in diplomacy.

He needs to think this issue more as survival of agriculture of Japan. Based on the notion that TPP is a framework of completely free trade, it will be unavoidable for Japanese agriculture to decline. Without any political leadership for structural reform, agriculture in Japan will be severely damaged.

Accusation of Forced Labor

Deterioration of bilateral relationship began to affect businesses between both nations. Not being able to withstand the threat of losing business opportunity, Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal decided to pay compensation to former Korean workers who accused the company of forced labor in wartime to Korean court, if it loses. It is unclear why this old dispute was raised now. To make this issue a prolonged argument between the two countries is not beneficial for both.

The accusation was presented by four old men who had been mobilized from colonized Korea to Japan in order to do unexpectedly hard work in 1940s. They demanded compensation and unpaid salary to the employer, then Nippon Steel. The Appeal Court of Seoul ordered the company to pay 100 million South Korean won last month. Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal appealed to the Supreme Court of South Korea.

Before the Supreme Court makes a decision, the company revealed its readiness to pay for it, if it loses in the final court. The company supposed to have considered the possibility of seizure of its property or deteriorating company image in South Korea. It is not a problem only for the company. The Appeal Court in Busan decided later last month that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Co. had to pay for former Korean workers in a similar case. There are much more companies that may be indicted by former Korean workers.

The government of Japan keeps its standpoint that all claims of Korea had been implemented, along with Japan-Korea Basic Relation Treaty in 1965. But whether the compensation was for relationship between two governments or for private relationship was not clear. Korean accusers appeal that private compensation has not implemented by the treaty. As shown in the issue of “comfort woman,” the government of Japan insist on saying “That’s all done.” This attitude is causing more protests in South Korea these years.

On the other hand, it is questionable that this kind of unilateral solution may work for benefit of Koreans. It is obvious that this issue stimulate current protests against Koreans in Japan, because there is persuasive explanation about why those former workers sued the employer after long silence for certain decades. Former President, Roh Moo-hyun started payment for those forced workers. Japanese companies will not be positive on further investment in South Korea, if this kind of decision is consecutively made.

To avoid the escalation of negative sentiment of both nations, establishing a fund for supporting those former workers may be one of the solutions. It is important to separate this issue from interpretation of history.

Secret Protection Act

It does protect secret information of the government, while it may restrict human rights, including right of knowledge or freedom of speech. Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, considers submitting Secret Protection Act to next session of the National Diet this fall. Even though the officials stress the necessity of maintaining alliance with the United States and other nations by strictly controlling governmental information, the main purpose of the government is to strengthen administrative power over their people. There will be a little effect of protecting security information from leaking.

The act is going to lay stricter penalties for workers in national public sectors, who leak classified information. Based on the report of a study group on this issue in 2011, the act will pose ten years prison at most on the leak of “special secret” on defense, diplomacy or public safety. Targets of the legislation are not only bureaucrats, but also legislators including vice ministers and advisors to Prime Minister. Coping with Japanese version of National Security Conference, Secret Protection Act is supposed to deter leakages of important information to other countries.

With this kind of legislation, news scoops about scandals or briberies of governmental officials will eventually be reduced, because access to governmental person will be strictly limited. Although the law will limit the penalty applied only to “socially unacceptable activities,” law enforcement is easily exercised in arbitral ways.

It is not the time when leak of governmental information is done between a young newspaper writer and “deep throat” covered by darkness of the night. Communication channel is too complicated for the government to deal with.

Before worrying about colleague’s leakage to media, the administrative leaders need to tighten the security of information. In fact, the Ministry of Environment unconsciously leaked their secret information on the negotiation over a treaty of limiting mercury trade through google mail sharing service. Considering consecutive hacking incidents happening in the ministries, the government needs to enhance its cyber security, for not being easily accessed to its “important secrets.”

For allied countries, mainly for the United States, the weakness of information control would actually be a great anxiety for its world strategy. However, U.S. needs to understand that Secret Protection Act has little things to do with protecting security information. The greater cause of the legislation is an attempt of the government to enhance its ruling power over ordinary people in traditional way.

Verdict without Lawsuit

New Justice of the Supreme Court, Tsuneyuki Yamamoto, for some reason revealed his idea on Tuesday that Japan needed to amend the Constitution, if it would want to exercise of collective self-defense right. It is unusual for a Justice, whose job is perceived to be interpreting the Constitution, to refer to a possibility of consitutional amendment. Although he was talking about appropriate argument, making a statement on the issue that was not on the table of the Supreme Court would be criticized as an excessive manner. It can be said as, in other words, a kind of verdict without lawsuit.

It was at the press conference taking an opportunity of introducing new Justice in the Court, when Yamamoto showed his idea on collective self-defense right. “Collective self-defense right is a right to fight with another country with close relationship, when the country is attacked, even if we are not actually attacked,” told Yamamoto in the conference. He explained his personal opinion that reinterpretation of the Constitution to make collective self-defense right exercisable was not so easy. “To exercise collective self-defense right in the expedition to other side of the earth, it is necessary to amend the Constitution, rather than reinterpretation of it,” added Yamamoto.

It was inappropriate for him to reveal his personal opinion before any lawsuit was brought to the Court, because it can give the Cabinet or lawmakers preliminary knowledge on how a Justice would behave on the issue. If Yamamoto’s opinion affects future decision, it should be closer to rule of person, instead of rule of law.

However, the story is not so much about the due process of law. Before taking a seat of the bench of the Supreme Court, Yamamoto has been the Director General of Cabinet Legislation Bureau, the organization which had been keeping its interpretation that Japan could not exercise collective self-defense right along with the restriction of the Constitution. Positive on changing the interpretation, Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, replaced Yamamoto and appointed a preferable diplomat, Ichiro Komatsu, on the post. It was possible that Yamamoto’s statement was an effusion of his frustration.

Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, expressed his strange feeling on Yamamoto’s comment. “A Justice of the Supreme Court is making final decision on constitutionality. It is strange for a Justice to refer to the necessity of constitutional amendment on a public place,” said Suga. Secretary General of Democratic Party of Japan, Akihiro Ohata, appealed the strangeness of Suga’s comment, supporting Yamamoto’s statement. If this issue is escalated to be political dispute, it was Abe who firstly brought a trouble by replacing the director general for his political aim.

Close TEPCO Down

Ruler of water rules the nation. That is an old saying in Heian era (A.D.794-1192) in Japan, when frequent flood of rivers had been a great threat to the society. Tokyo Electric Power Company could not do that.

TEPCO on Tuesday confirmed three hundred metric tons of leakage of radioactively contaminated water used for cooling broken reactors in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant from a tank established alongside of the site. Following the failure of stopping underground water flowing out to the Pacific Ocean, TEPCO exposed its incompetence in controlling the contaminated water. This is the time for the government of Japan to take over the administration in the plant and close TEPCO down as a corporation.

According to TEPCO, the contaminated water has been leaking out at least for a month and still keep on doing that. The point of leaking is not determined. It is supposed that water comes out from a seam of one of thousand tanks, which had been built for temporary use without welding in joints. No appropriate measure has been done. It is possible the same thing happens, because other tanks are made in the same way. Nobody believes TEPCO’s words that the water has not leaked to the sea.

Tokyo Shimbun reported that the government considered raising International Nuclear Event Scale from 1 (anomaly) to 2 (incident). It is unclear why Nuclear Regulation Authority decided to raise the level this time, despite other major incidents had been reported in the past. The newspaper introduced the view of Masaru Kaneko, Professor of Keio University, who asserted the need of putting TEPCO under bankruptcy. “It has been obvious that the recovery process would be broken up. This is a simple result that politicians and bureaucrats postponed the final solution, trying to avoid responsibility on their own,” said Kaneko.

The incident is causing greater international concern. Reuters introduced the words of a spokesman of South Korean Foreign Ministry. “They also need to make the information available to the public, all over the world, given this is the first case in history where contaminated water from a nuclear plant is flowing into the ocean at this magnitude,” he said. This spokesman is right when he took this issue in a historical context.

Bankruptcy of TEPCO was considered in the past. The reason why it had not been applied was unbelievably simple: because the impact of TEPCO stockholders were too big. Remind this is about life of residents, environment, international reputation of this country, and fundamental basis of this nation. As long as taking this issue from the viewpoint of balance sheet of income and spending, there will be no answer found.

Sufferers Sue Government

The sufferers of accident in the First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant decided to present a case to the court on governmental omission in taking appropriate measures according to Children and Sufferers Supporting Act established last year. In a way of business as usual, the bureaucracy in Japan ignored its own responsibility to support the sufferers effectively. Political leaders in Japan need to understand this issue not as rebuilding a nation, but as violation of human rights.

Children and sufferers Supporting Act was passed in the National Diet in June last year to help evacuees of the nuclear accident. It determines “right of avoiding exposition to radioactive materials” to all sufferers mainly in Fukushima, and requires the government to set the supporting area based on quantity of radioactive materials. The government is obligated to help all the people whether they live in Fukushima or anywhere else, and to make a basic plan listing actual measures of support and quantitative standard of radioactive materials.

Obviously and embarrassingly against the law, the government of Japan has not made that plan so far, leaving hardships of people in Fukushima behind. There has been no explanation of not doing that. Expected plaintiffs, twelve evacuees from the area around the plant and seven staying still, are asking governmental confirmation that it is illegal for it not to have made the basic plan, and that they are eligible for governmental support. They are also requesting ¥1 each for compensation.

Main reason why supporting policy is not implemented is incompetence of Reconstruction Agency. Ill organized and negatively motivated, the staffs of the agency is doing nothing but what they were told to do. When housing for evacuees are in trouble, they focuses on it leaving everything else behind, and when a request comes out of ordinary bureaucratic route, they ignore it. Making few efforts for grabbing needs of suffered people, they sit and have meetings in cool rooms in the office in Tokyo. One of the officers was replaced after he uploaded his frustrations on his blog, offending sufferers’ attitude and political irrelevancy.

The law passed with great effort by lawmakers of Liberal Democratic Party, which was an opposition party then. They are not so enthusiastic for its implementation in their irresponsible way. Since the reconstruction policy is extraordinary distribution of national wealth, political leadership must be the key to success. While bureaucrats are focusing only on maintaining the shape of the whole nation with a viewpoint of equal distribution, political leaders need to address necessary policies for the most unhappy people, even if it causes occasional partiality.

How to Use LINE

If you have a greeting from a friend with whom you haven’t made even one contact for ten years, it is likely to be through LINE. That is because this Japan-made social networking service application can remember and display contact information of an old friend, if you ever had had a phone call with him or her. While most Japanese still do not know how to use this convenient application, more teenagers are addicted to it, sometimes causing even a murder.

LINE application was developed by NHN Japan, a branch of South Korea based corporation, after the Great East Japan Earthquake two years ago. Using cell phone number as ID for an account, users can make phone call or chat with friends for free. Within two years, the number of users exceeded 150 millions in the world.

The popularity of the application is based on its feature that communication would be limited in a group of friends, comfortably smaller than Facebook or Twitter. Taking advantage of its convenience, students often use the application for sharing information about school and friends, in which they feel secured within the network of friendship. According to a report of NHK TV news, LINE is the most frequently used social network service for high school student, leaving Twitter and Facebook behind, with 52.8% users among whole high school smart phone holders in a poll.

However, human communication always brings friction in human relations. Students sometimes use LINE for excluding one of their friends with defamation or putting someone out of the network. Fabrication of a photo picture that embarrasses one person or sending words like “kill” or “get out of our sight” would be frequent abuses. The motivation of a sixteen years old girl to kill her friend in Hiroshima last month was reported to be as badmouths on LINE application.

In this country with extremely dense population, human relation is often focused on excluding or distinguishing someone from a community. People in the community feel safe by confirming oneself still remaining within the group. That is the reason why LINE overtook open networks such as Facebook or Twitter in Japan.

While LINE makes grouping the people easy, it is also easy for a group to make someone being isolated. In this small country, hard to evacuate over the surrounding seas, isolated person is too uneasy to live. Isolation is sometimes a traditional way for adjustment of population in this nation. It is important for the nation to use this kind of tool for saving someone’s life or helping pursuit of happiness for all.

Nothing Done to Egyptian Violence

The government of Japan issued a recommendation of evacuation from Egypt to remaining Japanese, which amount to be one thousand. While it is responding to the deteriorating situation of opposition between interim government and Muslim Brotherhood, there is no effective action from Japanese government to stop the bloodshed in Egypt. It is the one of the characteristics of this bureaucratic country not to take responsibility, if it seems possible for the leaders to avoid direct criticisms.

The response of Japanese government has been hesitant from the beginning of collision between protestors and the government. On August 4^th, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, made a comment requiring all the parties utmost restraints and responsible action. “I expect that every group promotes national reconciliation under democratic process,” he said. “I expect that a government elected by democratic process under human rights and the rule of law will be established soon,” he also told next day.

But the situation has deteriorated day by day. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered a statement of Foreign Minister, Fumio Kishida, on August 14^th, saying “Egyptian security forces started clearing out demonstrators sympathetic to former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, resulting in a large number of casualties. Japan deeply deplores and expresses strong concern that this situation has arisen despite the effort of the international community, including Japan, to urge all relevant parties to behave with the greatest extent of self-restraint and responsibility up to now.”

However, things are not so easy. Some observers of protests witnessed firing from the side of protesters, the fact which indicated there are some terrorists inside the protestors. It is undeniable that the collision is turning to be a civil war between secularists and fundamentalists. What do the Japanese can do as a nation with high standard of world peace?

The request by the United Nations Security Council to stop violence in Egypt was led by France, United Kingdom and Australia. Since Japan is not the member of the council, it has no power on the effort. How about cooperating with its “most important and indispensable ally,” the United States? U.S. has still not fixed its standpoint toward Egypt. While Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham urged U.S. government to suspend aid to Egypt after their visit to Cairo, President Barack Obama has not shown positive action, only condemning violence.

It is unlikely for Japan to do something more U.S. can do to Egypt. When the situation goes worse, leaders of Japan may think they can attribute it to U.S. or other European nations. The only thing they worry about is being condemned by their people on the failure of evacuation of the Japanese from Egypt.

Security Strategy of Japan?

The administration led by Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, decided to draw out national security strategy by the end of this year. It is mainly to deal with assertive activity of China in East China Sea. Yes, security of Japan has historically been how to deal with China factor for centuries. But, Japan can have no strategy except following world strategy of United States in terms of military affairs. Is it fair to say that Japan is making its own strategy?

Abe has shown positive attitude in reinterpretation of the Constitution to exercise collective self-defense rights, which has been recognized as prohibited by the specialists of Cabinet Legislation Bureau. By appointing new Director General who is positive in reinterpretation, he urges the discussion for reviewing the traditional standpoint on the issue.

Abe insists that Japan-U.S. alliance will end, if a Japanese ship does not retaliate against the enemy, when a U.S. ship cruising alongside is attacked, with restriction of interpretation of the Constitution. Someone who has moderate knowledge about security can understand how this discussion is ridiculous. Firstly, United States does not count on Japan’s retaliation capability when its ship is attacked. It would be U.S. Force to retaliate in such a situation.

Secondly, who is going to attack a U.S. ship? For North Korea, surprising direct attack on U.S. ship means invitation of all-out retaliation on its soil, leading to the end of Kim dynasty. The leaders of the North is not so much stupid as misunderstanding its consequence. China is more careful than the North in escalating the tension in Northeast Asia. Although it makes assertive actions against Japan around Senkaku Islands, China is very restrictive in stimulating U.S. Forces deployed in Asia. Accordingly, it is unlikely for Japan to face such a situation as Abe intensively imagines, and it will not be too late to prepare for that situation after that kind of threat becomes more obvious.

After all, every security strategy of Japan has to be following U.S. strategy. For defense strategy, the government of Japan already has National Defense Program Guidelines. National Security Strategy must be nothing different from that, except naming. Change of naming without any substantial change is Abe’s favorite policy, by the way. Change from Defense Agency to Defense Ministry and establishing National Security Council are his efforts. By making what is called national strategy, Abe will be satisfied with his shape as a strong national leader.

What He Didn’t Say

The Prime Minister of Japan did not refer to the responsibility of the country in the World War II in his speech at the National Memorial Ceremony for the War Victims on Thursday. It was the first time for PM not to mention that point since former Premier, Morihiro Hosokawa, in 1993. This would be regarded as his trivial compensation for not visiting Yasukuni Shrine on August 15^th, appeasing his right wing supporters with avoiding regret to past history. Isn’t it too nearsighted to deal with already complicated relations with neighbor nations?

In his speech, PM Shinzo Abe tried to stress Japan’s effort for the future. “We are going to face history in humble manner, memorize lessons to learn, and open up our hopeful future,” told him. “We are making our best in contributing permanent peace in the world and in building days of comfortable life for all people as much as possible.”

Former PMs, Hosokawa and his followers, has been at least touched the historical fact of Japan’s regret. “In the last war, we posed a great pain on countries, especially Asian nations,” told Yoshihiko Noda last year, for example. This time, Abe rejected to express “regret” to Asian countries, based on the notion that the ceremony would be held for praying for war victims. He as usual ignored world eyes watching what Japanese PM would be saying, or not saying

Abe privately donated money for rituals in Yasukuni Shrine, leaving question on his violation of the Constitution that prohibits the government to exercise activity of religion. Regardless the criticisms to the attitude of the Abe Cabinet, three Ministers visited Yasukuni on Thursday, inviting skepticisms against their approval on war of invasion. Around hundred legislators including members of Liberal Democratic, Democratic, Restoration and Your Party also visited the shrine.

In China, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Liu Zhenmin, called Japan’s Ambassador to China, Masato Kidera, and protested the attitude of Abe Cabinet. Asahi Shimbun reported the disappointment of an officer of Foreign Ministry against the change in PM’s speech in the ceremony. The President of South Korea, Park Geunhye, urged Japanese political leaders to show boldness to ease the wounds of past.

Since Abe’s diplomacy is heavily leaning on his own idealism, he often strays far from the sidewalk of national interest. If he realizes his political asset is significantly based on his economic policy, it is not smart for him to invite further complication in relationships with economic emerging powers in Asia.

Day of Infamy for Conservatives

It is called the sixty-eighth anniversary of the end of the World War II in Japan, while the actual end was September 2^nd, 1945, when imperial Japan signed a document of surrender to United Nations on board of USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. August 15^th was the day Emperor Hirohito made a radio address of surrender about a week after atomic bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For ordinary people in Japan, this was the day the Emperor descended from as god to as a human being. For conservatives, however, this is the day of infamy.

On the extremely hot day, the people of Japan listened to the address, standing still and shedding tears under the blue sky, with cap on their hand, and surrounded by concerted noise of cicadas. Some were very disappointed with the defeat of the nation led by god, others were feeling comfortable with all the battle ended up. In the history for ordinary Japanese, this was the day of revolution, which drew a line between old monarchy and contemporary democracy.

For political leaders, the end of the old regime meant the end of their lives as leaders, which should not be accepted at all. Some might be sentenced death penalty and others could be accused by ordinary people on whom they posed irrational orders. For conservative leaders, the result of Tokyo War Tribunal was anything but acceptable. A-class criminal of the war, for them, was a unilateral branding done by United Nations to defeated leaders.

For the conservatives in Japan, these have been the years of struggle for removing their dishonor. To reach the goal of their struggle, they upheld reviewing post-war history through their own interpretation. Going to Yasukuni Shrine is an act of refreshing their determination to resume history of Japan as nation of god.

Although Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, is not originally a revisionist conservative, he made himself defined as close to those fundamentalists mainly for obtaining political power in his process to be the top leader. It is close to the pattern of George W. Bush who pretended to be a compassionate conservative with political requirement.

Considering negative impact on diplomacy with China and Korea, Abe avoided to go to Yasukuni today, while he donated private money for ritual as the President of Liberal Democratic Party and apologized his special advisor in the party, Kouichi Ogiuda, about not going to the shrine. The conservatives must be furious about Abe’s waning attitude. But, China and Korea are furious about other ministers’ visit of shrine, even though Abe has not done that. This is routine vicious circle after all.

Education Insufficient

In a train of subway in Tokyo, one cannot get through without any instruction on your behavior. “Do not rush the train,” “Yield your seat to the elderly, handicapped passenger, or expecting mother,” and “Be careful of your hand not to be caught in closing door,” are some of typical examples. This is the reflection of a uniqueness of Japanese society, in which obedience is regarded as a virtue of citizens. Education plays a major role of constructing this kind of common sense.

Input occupies most part of education in Japan. A student needs to memorize a huge number of English words and idioms, grammar of ancient Japanese language, various theories of mathematics including factorization or Pythagorean theorem, and causes and results of civil wars in middle age in Japan. To pass major examinations, mostly five times a year, students are busy in listening to what their teachers tell and in reading books. There is no time for expressing his opinion in the classroom. The class naturally becomes one-way dialogue from a teacher to students.

In schools in Japan, adultness means being gentle. During the speech of the principal in a hall, a student standing still, listening carefully, and being silent is treated as manners of a grown-up. So, students are too silent in the classroom. When a teacher asks an opinion on a past event in history class, students are mostly hesitant to expose his/her idea. In United States, a teacher may say “Make some noise!” to urge some response to an issue. There is no such words as “Make some noise” in Japan. Showing excitement is just an effusion of childishness.

Passive attitude toward information and virtue of obedience construct dependence on leaders in society and politics. Only a few smart students have an experience of changing teachers mind by discussion, because somewhat pointless argument is always been dismissed by top-down power game. As a result, people are easy to persuade for leaders, and leaders recognize guiding people to the direction they think right is their main job. As long as a man can safely move from one place to another, he will follow all the instruction in the subway train.

However, this is a skillful measure of the government to let people ignore violation of individual rights. Even when the government started censoring what the people are talking about through the internet, people in Japan would believe that it is working for their benefit. But the thing is not only about Japan. Cyber penetration occurs beyond borders. If the people in Japan think that they can maintain their life only by following governmental instruction, they will encounter a tragic consequence. Education needs to be making students strong enough to live as a citizen.

Still Reluctant to Taxation

It should be the green signal for raising consumption tax rate. Growth rate in the second quarter this year marked sound recovery from deflation. Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe has been telling that he would consider the tax hike watching closely the situation of economy in the second quarter. Nevertheless, he still looks reluctant to do that. This depends on which voices should be heard: the Ministry of Finance or his private adviser.

The Cabinet Office on Monday released the provisional result of gross domestic products in the second quarter, April to June, of this year. The real GDP, excluding fluctuation in commodity price, marked 2.6% of rise in conversion to annual rate. The nominal GDP also showed stable growth with 2.9%. It was three-quarters consecutive plus both in real and nominal.

In the law which determined consumption tax rate to be raised by 3% next April and by additional 2% in October 2015, improvement of economic situation is one of the conditions for introducing new rate. To assess the situation, 3% growth in nominal and 2% growth in real are the benchmarks for that. The statistics in the second quarter this year were getting closer to the level.

However, the substance of recovery has not improved so much. Contributors to the growth in the second quarter were still export and individual consumption. Basic reason for the growth in export was favorable foreign exchange rate with cheap yen. With somewhat baseless optimism and concern against taxation in the future, individual consumption showed moderate increase. On the pessimistic side, asset investment slightly declined, marking six quarters consecutive down. Industries are not as hopeful as individuals about their future.

Although the stats showed overwhelming recovery from slump, Abe keeps on cautious in making positive statement for tax hike. It is mainly because his economic advisers, represented by Koichi Hamada, are still against raising consumption tax rate, because of its negative effect on economy. Ministry of Finance, on the other hand, does not consider the possibility of postponing tax hike, taking it for granted.

Abe was a member of upholders of “flood-tide” economy, which depends on economic growth to improve fiscal situation. For him, it is of highest priority to recover the economy, rather than putting a brake on further increase of fiscal deficit. That is why he is reluctant to decide tax hike, without any assurance of economic improvement. Nobody knows whether the world is waiting for his decision until it is labeling Japan as not serious about its deficit.

No Prosecution against Leaders

The prosecutors has reportedly decided that they would not prosecute former Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, some of his cabinet members, leaders of governmental offices, and administrators of Tokyo Electric Power Company, who had been responsible for the managing the accident in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant March, 2013. It actually is not easy to let them take responsibility in unprecedented disaster. However, people in Japan have not forgotten that they failed in establishing united system for disaster management and yielded a huge amount of refugees from nuclear radiation.

Prosecutors office accepted last August the charges from the sufferers of Fukushima nuclear accident against TEPCO Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata, former President of Nuclear Safety and Security Agency, Nobuaki Terasaka, Chairman of Nuclear Safety Committee, Haruki Madarame, and other twenty-three leaders related to nuclear policy. The accusation was against negligence resulting in death or injury by sabotage in taking measures for quake and tsunami causing the accident, by causing death of patients in the hospital around the plant, and by exposing residents to radioactive materials emitted from the plant.

The sufferers also charged six cabinet members including Kan, then Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano, and former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Banri Kaieda. The accusation to them was against failure of vent to avoid hydrogen explosion and caused injury of staffs in the plant.

There is overwhelming consent in the society of Japan that no leaders could not have avoid the tragedy caused by such a great disaster. The decision of the prosecutors must be the reflection of that sentiment. However, here is a fact. Over three hundred thousand people are away from their sweet homes and living in small tentative houses, and still looking for jobs. When the plant lost entire electricity, those leaders were talking about how they could perform political leadership, how they can hide critical information about radioactive dissemination from the eye of public, and how they can maintain those expensive nuclear reactors.

Harakiri is a Japanese way for a man to compensate his failure at a price of his life. If the prosecutors are not indicting those leaders, there will be no way for the compensation except decease. Actually, Masao Yoshida, Director of First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, escaped from prosecution, because he is already dead. Even though law would not judge their crime, the leaders will suffer from constant reproaches from evacuees from Fukushima in their whole lifetime.

Strange Climate

Climate in Japan is strange these days. On Friday, it marked over 40°C in four cities for the first time in these six years. A lot of people were carried to hospitals and some were dead with overheating disease. This extremeness is not only caused by natural factors, but by artificial reasons. This is the time when the Japanese need to begin serious discussion over changing their life style.

In those four cities, Shimanto city in Kochi prefecture and Kofu city in Yamanashi recorded the third highest temperature in Japan. It was 40.7°C, following 40.9°C in Kumagaya city and Tajimi city in 2007, and 40.8°C in Yamagata city in 1933. 40.7°C is paralleled with 105°F. High atmospheric pressure from Pacific Ocean covered Japan as a whole, and the consecutive high pressure raised air temperature namely in the cities away from coast side.

Victims of heatstroke are mainly old people. One woman in Mito city fell down during her work in vegetable field and died in a hospital. Another man in Nara died in his mowing. Lack of water, mineral and sodium causes solidification of blood. It is not only heat, but humidity that affect that disease.

A hot day produces a lot of victims alongside of waters; seaside, lakeside and riverside. A number of people, from fourteen-years-old boy to seventy-three-years-old man, were drowned in playing, swimming or fishing. To escape from heat on the land, many people approach water, risking their lives.

Heavy rain is also a major problem in Japan this summer. In Akita and Iwate, unprecedentedly heavy rain for a few hours drew landslides and killed six and one is still missed. The rain was coming too quick to let the residents evacuate. High humidity easily makes cumulonimbus, which causes heavy rain.

It is obvious that the prevalence of electric devices, including cooler, refrigerator, computers in office and many more, affects the climate change in Japan. Heat island phenomenon, isolated place with higher air temperature than other places around in urban area, can be seen in everywhere in Japan. Especially, air conditioners in houses and offices, emitting high and humid air outside of building, may make environment of cities worse.

It was not strange that people escaped heat by opening the windows and splashing water around building. In addition, Japan had seen a sense of limitation of electric power after the disaster in nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Before climate is getting severer, the Japanese lifestyle needs to be changed. Shortening business time, wearing ethnic cool clothes, and shading windows are some examples.