Prince of Peace

Perhaps appealing his readiness to succeed the throne, Prince Naruhito tried to show himself as a friendly and active figure in the Imperial family. In the press conference for his fifty-fifth birthday, Naruhito stressed his strong support for the Constitution of Japan, established on a great sacrifice of Japanese people. Although no news organization reported explicitly, he looked like criticize Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who had been showing no interest in maintaining current provisions of the Constitution.

Born in 1960, Naruhito lived his life in the most peaceful time of Japan with high economic growth. But, just fifteen years before he was born, his grandfather, Hirohito, had been a target of sharp argument over responsibility of Emperor on war, as the leader of Japanese government. Naruhito had to seriously uphold peace and democracy as basic concept of post-war Japan.

In his press conference, Naruhito stressed his willingness to embrace post-war political regime of Japan. “I think it is important to never forget about the lost ones, to impress the existence of current Japan on a number of sacrifices, to have deeper recognition on history not to repeat disastrous consequence of war, and to bring up peaceful mind,” told Naruhito. This might be Prince’s statement of seventieth anniversary from the end of the war, before Abe would release it.

What made different in Narihito’s comment was firm belief on the Constitution. “Through the disaster of the war, Japan has been accepting peace and prosperity, built on the basis of the Constitution of Japan. I hope this year of the seventieth anniversary from the end of the war to become an opportunity for remembering the efforts of the people who established the basis for development of Japan, engraving the preciousness of peace and refresh determination for peace,” told Naruhito. Most news agencies did not report his respect on the Constitution, supposedly being afraid of connecting his comment to power related to government that was not assumed to be exercised by the Prince.

His comment, however, apparently contradicted what current Prime Minister was doing. Prime Minister Abe has openly been discussing what and how to amend the provisions of the Constitution, not whether it should be amended. There even is an argument that his attitude violates Article 99 of the Constitution, which required Emperor, Prime Minister or other leaders of the government to protect and maintain the Constitution. Prince Naruhito’s firm support of the Constitution unexpectedly made clear contrast with the incumbent Prime Minister who disliked the supreme law of Japan.

Chain Reaction of Scandal

Money scandal in Shinzo Abe Cabinet seems to be tirelessly sprawling. Following the doubt on political donation to Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Koya Nishikawa, two other Ministers rose up as suspicious to have received illegal money. It was a half year ago when some Ministers left Abe Cabinet due to money scandal. How many Ministers around Abe are involved in dirty money? Is this Cabinet clean enough to handle national politics?

One additional scandal is related to Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Hakubun Shimomura, who is one of the closest political allies of Abe. According to the reports, Shimomura has supporters’ groups related to education business that are not registered as political organization. Those groups are said to have been donating money to an official organization of Shimomura as annual fee, which has not accordingly be reported to the government as political donation.

In the discussion of Budget Committee in House of Representatives, Shimomura explained that those groups were not political organizations. The receipts of annual fees were issued from his political organization. Shimomura admitted it as inappropriate. One of the groups in Chubu area had close relationship with yakuza organization. Shimomura told that he returned the money to the Chubu group after he realized the relationship. However, it is amazing that an education business group, which has connection with Ministry of Education, has been involved in such anti-social crime organization as yakuza.

Minister of Environment, Yoshio Mochizuki, followed Nishikawa and Shimomura on Friday. Asahi Shimbun reported that Mochizuki had received money from a distribution company that received subsidy from the government. The company accepted ¥42 million from Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in March 2013 and ¥170 million from Ministry of Environment in August same year. Mochizuki received political donation from the company within a year from receiving of subsidy, which Political Funds Control Law prohibited. The structure of scandal is the same as that of Nishikawa who stepped down as Minister earlier this week.

Those scandals showed that Liberal Democratic Party was still dependent on money from private companies that were not big enough to manage the business independent from political power. Close relationship with small or mid-size business is the most important lifeline for LDP. That is why Abe administration keeps on producing scandalous Ministers.

Sparring Get Started

As expected, China started a series of argument denouncing revisionism of Japanese political leaders. Presiding an open debate in United Nations Security Council on the seventieth anniversary from the end of World War, Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, criticized the revisionists of fascism without naming Japan. The Japanese did not deserve that defamation, if they had not have a prime minister who reject a history Japan had been upholding.

In the speech to the meeting for maintenance of international peace and security, Wang stressed China’s role to fight fascism in the war. “Although the historical facts have long been on the war against fascism,” told Wang, “there are still some reluctant to recognize the truth and even attempt to overturn the verdict and whitewash past crime and aggression.” For the audience, it was clear that Wang included Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in his targets.

The Japanese representative immediately rebutted. “Throughout its post-war history,” said Japanese permanent representative at the United Nations, Motohide Yoshikawa, “Japan has, based on feelings of deep remorse regarding the Second World War --- walked the path of a peace-loving nation that contributes to the peace and security of the world.” Regrettably, Yoshikawa could not necessarily deny the existence of revisionist regime in Japan.

First of all, the Japanese are not the people reluctant to recognize the truth of history. They have been embracing former expression of remorse about the war by political leaders. They are not so foolish as to disregard the impact of challenging international order constructed through post-war decades. Wang’s speech could not stand as a criticism against Japanese people.

So, is China crazy? The answer is no. China is one of the five permanent members of U.N. Security Council, which are responsible for maintaining international order. While it sometimes becomes offensive to other Asian nations, its behavior has always been based on strategy for internal and international politics. Restraint attitude toward United States indicates China’s deep consideration on international relations. It is wrong to suppose China to be an irrational player in international politics.

So, who is truly irrational? It is the leader who unnecessarily challenges post-war world order, distorting a concept of positive pacifism as a tool of undermining pacifist constitution, representing parochial nationalists full of resentment against miserable defeat in the war, and intoxicated with a pleasure in resembling himself a reformist hero. He might be calling himself Fuhrer.

Don’t Watch, Don’t Tell

Tokyo Electric Power Company announced that it had been leaking radioactively contaminated water from broken First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant to the Pacific Ocean. While it noticed that continuous flow of wasted water last April, it did not report that to the public. Fishermen around the plant got furious, recognizing the concealment as a betrayal. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s promise to the world in his speech for inviting Tokyo Olympic, “Contaminated water is completely under control,” proved to be a lie as expected.

Radioactively contaminated water was leaked through four routes. Two of them, Channels C and else, led to the port for the plant, which is blocked by filter not let the water flow to the outer sea. But the other two, Channels A and K, were directly connected to the sea outside of the port. The contaminated water may actually be diluted in the ocean. However, saying nothing about it is as immoral as secretly excrete urine in a swimming pool.

The highest level of contamination was 1,010 Becquerel of cesium and 1,500 Becquerel of strontium in one litter of wasted water through channel K. Daily flow of the water amounted to 1,700 metric tons. Radiation got high in rainy day, because the rain washed contaminated roof of the building, under which broken nuclear reactor located. It becomes a hundred times higher in rainy day than ordinary level.

TEPCO knew it all. It kept on measuring radiation in the water streaming in four channels every week after April 16^th last year. It actually realized that the level was apparently high, but kept on backing it off. TEPCO insisted that the contaminated water had no impact to the outer sea. According to its own measurement, level of cesium and strontium was less than one Becquerel per litter.

Explanation of TEPCO is far from something credible. It cannot follow where the water goes after flowing out to the sea. No one can exactly tell what kind of impact the radiation will have on sea products. More than that, how people can believe in what an always-lying electric power company says. It is necessary to settle a system in which a third party monitors the management of radioactive contamination around the plant.

The national government cannot escape from responsibility. “Contaminated water is still completely blocked, because the radiation level has been low enough in the outer sea,” told Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, in his press conference. The government cannot get rid of the fantasy that they are controlling the water. It ignores that they are betraying not only the people around the plant, but the people in the world who believe in Abe’s boast.

Scandal in Agriculture Politics

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Koya Nishikawa, submitted a letter of resignation to Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, on Monday evening. Abe accepted it and immediately appointed Nishikawa’s predecessor, Yoshimasa Hayashi. After the appointment last fall, Nishikawa had been suspected to have received inappropriate political money from business organizations related to his job. The opposite parties are questioning responsibility of Abe to have appointed an inappropriate person to the post.

Nishikawa received ¥3 millions of donation from a timber processing company in Kanuma city, Tochigi, the district where he was elected as a Representative, through a regional branch of Liberal Democratic Party he presided in March 2012. The company was registered to be issued ¥700 millions of subsidy from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries four months before donating Nishikawa. Political Fund Control Law prohibits a company receiving subsidy from national government to make donation for a year.

In addition, he also received ¥1 million from Sugar-refining Industry Building, which was related to Association of Sugar-refining Industry in July 2013. The association received governmental ¥1.3 billions of subsidy from MAFF four months before the donation. While Nishikawa explained that the building firm and the association were different organization and the donation was not illegal, the opposite parties accused him that the building firm was a paper company and the donation was actually from the association.

Although Abe tried to protect Nishikawa to avoid negative impact on his Cabinet, he realized his stepping down was unavoidable. His argument in the Diet that approved Nishikawa’s effort in explanation has changed to recognition of frustration in the public on the lack of persuasiveness. Newspapers reported that Abe had decided Nishikawa’s resignation as early as later last week.

This will never be the end of the story. Nishikawa was deeply involved in agricultural policy including negotiation of Trans-Pacific Partnership. Sugar is one of the five categories of agricultural products that the Japanese government promised farmers to firmly protect from the high-level free trade framework. Close relationship between the representative of agricultural policies and sugar-refining industries may cause suspicion on Abe’s handling of the issue.

The opposite parties are preparing for questioning Abe’s responsibility in the Diet. It is reported that the passage of new year budget will delay as late as April, which means that the government needs to arrange temporary appropriation for new fiscal year starting April. It is possible that this scandal marks new decline of Abe administration.

A Year of Obedient Dog

President of Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), Katsuto Momii, again revealed his incompetence in managing his relation to politics and controlling his mouth. In the meeting of Democratic Party of Japan, Momii invited displeasure from the lawmakers over his former statement on his governance in NHK. He was grilled in House of Representatives Budget Committee next day. This kind of trouble may happen again as long as he presides the public broadcasting organization.

Soon after taking the seat in NHK, Momii let the Board of Governors submit their resignation latter to grab their fate in his hand. In the DPJ meeting over the annual budget of NHK, which demanded approval of the Diet, Representative Takeshi Shina asked Momii’s perception about his former statement that collecting that kind of letters were something frequently seen in private corporations. “There was more than nothing,” answered Momii. Making difference between “frequently seen” and “more than nothing,” Shina accused Momii of changing his words and required withdrawal of his statement. Momii rejected it and left a word, “Stupid.”

Shina got furious and raised this issue in his committee. “If my statement caused a misunderstanding, I really regret it. I will make my best effort to precisely state my opinion to send correct message,” replied Momii. Although Momii is a close aide of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Abe rejected commenting on the issue.

As an only public broadcasting corporation in Japan funded by tax money, NHK is supposed to take politically neutral position. But, Momii was not sure whether the corporation would broadcast a program related to comfort women, because he did not know the standpoint of the government. Broadcasting station is not expected to consider standpoint of the government, when it deals with political issue. He said in his press conference right after he took the seat a year ago that NHK could not say left, on which the government says right. He worked as an obedient dog of Abe for a year.

Japan Congress of Journalists earlier this month submitted a letter to NHK that demanded immediate resignation of Momii. The congress criticized him of his opinion on its program and comfort woman as nothing but following the standpoint of government. For a year, media have been reporting strange changes of reports from NHK, which intensely refrained from dealing with political issues with complicated political interests. Directors or producers are said to be leaning on Momii’s standpoint and other staffs against Momii were reportedly purged. NHK gradually becomes propaganda organization of the government.

Nervous at Heckling

It is fair to say that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is the most vulnerable political leader in being heckled. Although every former Prime Ministers kept on his speech in a noisy situation in the Diet, Abe cannot continue his words at the podium, when he is criticized by opposite legislators. When he stops his speech, he looks like an incompetent teacher in a classroom, being unable to calm his students down, standing with frustration on his face and waiting for silence with slight smile. That is supposedly because he is a political elite without many opportunities of debating against political enemies.

In policy speech to the Houses or discussion in Budget Committees, Abe frequently stops his speech, when lawmakers of opposite parties chant against him. “I can’t carry on in this noisy mood,” or “Stop their irregular voices, Mr. Chairman,” should be the ordinary appeal Abe made. In that situation, Abe is mostly making a long statement not related to the questions he is asked. Opposite parties are also frustrated with wasting their strictly limited time for question.

However, he feels free in making his own heckling at opposite lawmakers. When Yu-ichiro Tamaki with Democratic Party of Japan was questioning about money scandal of Minister of Agriculture, Kouya Nishikawa, in House of Representatives Budget Committee, Abe hurled words of “How about Japan Teachers Union? How about it?” Abe seemed to be saying that DPJ had also been suspicious in political donation from the union. DPJ appealed the Chairman of the Committee and Abe promised sincere attitude.

Opposite parties are angry at unfairness of Abe’s attitude on irregular statements in the Diet, because Abe only accuse the opposites, while ignoring hecklings of his colleagues in Liberal Democratic Party. One of the LDP lawmakers chanted “That’s the terrorist party, indeed,” during Chairman of Japan Communist Party was making a speech. Although the lawmaker apologized on his statement, Abe did nothing for restraining as the President of LDP. For him criticism on DPJ is ok, but on him is not tolerable. This is the way a dictator would think about leadership.

The Diet is located on the top of hierarchy of state power. A Prime Minister basically needs to obey requirements from the Diet. Lawmakers on both Houses have to recognize the erosion of dignity of “the highest organ of state power” by selfish behaviors of naïve Prime Minister. If they cannot take effective measures against it, the Diet gets close to the German parliament in Nazis era.

Constitution v. Civil Law

Supreme Court of Japan is going to examine constitutionality of two issues on freedom of marriage. One is different family name of married couple and another is restriction on remarriage for women. This may lead to a major reform of Japanese Civil Law, which has been criticized as partly out of date. This could be a showdown between the 68 years old Constitution and 117 years old Civil Law.

Article 750 of Civil Law determines that a married couple chooses one of their family names to share. It was common for married couples in Japan to maintain one of their family and it was ordinarily husband who succeeded the name. This tradition has gradually been changed and a number of couples preferred different names for various reasons. Most motivation of not sharing one family name is psychological disappointment in registration of residence with spouse’s family name.

Article 24 of Constitution of Japan requires the people to maintain marriage based on equal rights for each of the couple. Five complaints assert that provision of Civil Law violates the Constitution which guarantees sexual equality and dignity of an individual. It is women who are mostly suffer from the demand of Civil Law, feeling discomfort in her name.

Restriction of remarriage for women is broadly recognized as ridiculous. Article 733 of Civil Law says that a woman cannot remarry before passing six months from former marriage. This provision is not applied to a man. The reason is simple: the divorced woman may unconsciously carry fetus. Civil Law also assumes that a baby born within 300 days from divorce is former husband’s child and one born after 200 days or more is current husband’s child.

For many people, the restriction is nothing but discrimination. Everyone knows that technology can detect who’s child is the fetus without waiting for six months from divorce. The female plaintiff argues that Civil Law violates Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees people’s equality under law. However, both the First Court and Appeal Court decided the provision of Civil Law was constitutional to avoid conflict over birth.

The biggest obstacle is conservative legislators mainly in Liberal Democratic Party. They argue that amending the provisions of Civil Law about marriage will destroy traditional value of marriage in Japan. LDP’s draft of constitutional amendment in 2012 includes a phrase that family is respected as natural and fundamental unit in society. But is it not formation of marriage that destroys family, but inappropriate social policies on the people.

No Guarantee of Respect

Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, released the names of sixteen members in consultative committee for the Prime Minister’s statement on seventieth anniversary from the end of World War II. Presided by Taizo Nishimuro, former president of Toshiba Co., the committee is expected to be politically neutral while there are some members who have been close to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Wait a second, will Abe abide by the conclusion of the committee, anyway?

Abe once revealed his intention to replace Murayama Statement, which admitted Japan’s aggression and apologized to Asian nations. Later, China and South Korea showed frustration of changing the statement. United States also hoped Abe to follow Murayama Statement in order to avoid unnecessary friction in East Asia. Abe promised that he would establish a committee for his seventieth anniversary statement in January.

One focal point has been who will be the member. Abe seems to have thought Nishimuro would be a moderate figure to demonstrate neutrality of the committee. As a co-chair of the Twenty-first Century Committee for New Friendship between Japan and China, adoption of Nishimuro could be recognized as a sign of appeasement toward China.

Rather, keystone for Abe must be the vice-president, Shin-ichi Kitaoka. Kitaoka, President of International University of Japan, has been leading Abe’s political agenda, including exercise of collective self-defense right, as an expert of security policy and reinterpretation of history. Terumasa Nakanishi, Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University, and Tadashi Nishihara, President of Research Institute for Peace and Security, are regarded as close allies of Abe in terms of conservative ideology.

Pick of two journalists showed Abe’s intention to control media. From conservative side, Bureau Chief of America of Yomiuri Shimbun, Keiko Iizuka, joined the committee. Special Senior Writer of Mainichi Shimbun, Takao Yamada, was chosen from liberal media. Some leaders in business sector and non-profit organization were for appealing broad selection.

However, Suga explained that the mission of the committee would not be writing draft of the statement, but advising the government in considering substance of the statement. Final writer will be the bureaucratic staffs around Abe. China and South Korea are closely looking at whether Abe include some expressions in Murayama Statement, “following a mistaken national policy” or “express here once again my feelings of deep remorse and state my heartfelt apology.” Protesting those phrases, it is possible for Abe to ignore coming report of the committee, when it includes negative expression on Japan’s history.

Merchant of Death

Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito are going to unleash Japanese government providing other nation’s troops with weapons and ammunitions. It means removing the line between direct support of war and taking distance from battle. Although Japan has kept its standpoint of being away from weapons sales under the three principles of weapon exports, it changed its attitude to be positive on providing with weapons with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s coinage of “positive pacifism.” It actually is making Japan a merchant of death.

Under Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, which renounced war as a way for solving international conflicts, Japanese government has been refraining from being involved in other nation’s war. After Gulf War, when Japan’s limited contribution only in financial support was criticized, Japan legislated for joining peacekeeping operation by United Nations. To deal with U.S. operation in Afghanistan in 2001 and reconstruction of Iraq in 2003, Japan made support through temporary legislations.

In the security reform under Abe administration, permanent law for sending SDF abroad is discussed. Although Periphery Situation Law of 1999, which determined Japan’s support for United States Forces in contingency in Korean Peninsula, prohibits providing with weapons and ammunitions, new permanent law will not set that limit. There will be no concept of “non-battlefield,” where SDF cannot join in a military operation in the law

Since 1967, Japanese government upheld three principles of weapons exporting, which prohibited giving weapons to concerned parties in a conflict. Abe administration removed that limitation and making military business easier in Japan. Lifting the ban against procuring weapons and ammunitions to foreign troops should be an extension of his policy. Abe ignores a traditional interpretation that providing with weapons may be recognized as use of force in overseas, which is prohibited in the Constitution.

The government is establishing a new agency in Ministry of Defense for procurement of military equipment. By integrating a section for procurement with researching section, the ministry expects cost cut for reinforcing its equipments. That policy will support weapons business, contributing to implementation of Abenomics.

The main reason of more positive procurement of weapons is economic growth or revisionism of pacifistic history of Japan rather than supporting international cause of fighting terrorism. DNA of economic animal or war fighter still remains in the Japanese.

Rhetoric for Rhetoric

Policy discussion on the Diet is reaching a peak in this annual session. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe keeps on defending his agenda as necessary for the future of Japan. The opposite parties criticize that Abe administration is leading this nation to wrong direction. So, people need a discussion realizing which is right or wrong. However, Abe derails the discussion in a bureaucratic way.

One of the hottest issues in this session is security reform. Abe administration is going to submit legislations, including exercising of collective self-defense right. To the question of Katsuya Okada, President of Democratic Party of Japan, Abe argued that Japanese Self-defense Force could participate in the operation of sweeping floating mines in Hormuz Strait. Sweeping floating mines is internationally recognized as an act of adversary and Japanese government has refrained from doing it. Abe tries to change the policy under new concept of collective self-defense.

The problem is his reasoning. Abe raised Japan’s economic dependence on crude oil from Middle East. “Sweeping floating mines in Hormuz Strait will meet the condition of exercising collective self-defense right, which determines use of force by Self-defense Force as limited only in the time when people’s right for life, liberty or pursuit of happiness is threatened,” explained Abe.

If this explanation stands, Japan can send its troops to anywhere its national interest exists. Japan’s self-sufficiency of wheat is 11% and soybean is 7%. If Japan feels threatened in the supply of those agricultural products, it will be able to send troops to protect transportation network in the world. Even an aggression to other nations is possible, according to Abe. The Japanese will no longer be a pacifist nation.

On relocation of Futenma U.S. Marine Air Base to Henoko coastal area of Nago city, Abe stressed his position not to change current policy even in the firm opposition of the people in Okinawa. “I will stay the course with my effort to get consensus in Okinawa,” told Abe. However, Abe keeps on rejecting to meet with Governor of Okinawa, Takeshi Onaga. How do you have communication with Okinawa without discussing this issue with the governor, Prime Minister?

While expecting profit of major corporations to be distributed to mid or small size companies, Abe argued that his economic theory was not trickle-down theory. So, what is your economic policy? His answer was “creating positive circulation.” This was not the answer to the question. Answering a question with changing question discretely is a way bureaucrats do NOT answer a question. Abe’s discussion is always hijacked by his bureaucratic staffs.

Sign of Recovery?

The Cabinet Office released temporary data of gross domestic products in the fourth quarter in 2014 on Monday. It showed 0.6% of growth, marking the first growth after introducing new rate of consumption tax last April. Exports led the growth resumption, while personal consumption and asset investment was still lagging behind. Progress of Japanese economy to recover the slump is still slow.

Annual growth of Japanese economy was improved to the level of 2.2%. Export grew by 2.7% from the previous quarter, thanking low rate of Japanese yen. Although personal consumption grew by 0.3%, it was lower than public expectation. Asset investment marked only 0.1% of plus and housing investment declined by 1.2% with a great gap from rushing-in purchases before consumption tax hike.

Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy, Akira Amari, was delighted to the gospel. “With improvement of consumption mind of the people, can’t we expect the future? It is highly important to make actual wage grow,” told Amari at his press conference.

His optimism was based on the tendency of nominal economic growth rate, which overturned actual economic growth rate for the first time in these seventeen years. Higher actual economic growth rate than nominal one has been recognized as a symbol of deflation. For Shinzo Abe administration that embraces fighting deflation as its first priority, the overturning was a great achievement for its success.

However, expectation of private economists for the fourth quarter was 3.5% of growth, far behind of actual result. Personal consumption has not been recovered well from the level before consumption tax hike. Sales of durable goods like toys or bags declined as mobile phones and personal computer grew. Actual wage of last year was 2.3% lower than the previous year. With a great impact of the tax hike, Japanese economy is still struggling.

Tokyo Stock Exchange rallied with the report. Nikkei 225 marked ¥18,000 at the end of Monday, for the first time from July, 2007. But it declined at the beginning of Tuesday. The rally has an aspect of positive impact from international market. Current economic growth is also supported by low price of crude oil. There is an analysis that Japanese economy will down with decline in Europe and China.

The crucial point for Japan to see independent growth is whether the people can have purchasing power. While Prime Minister has been asking the corporations to raise their workers’ salary, managers have been reluctant to do that. Traditional stimulus policy of Liberal Democratic Party is not enough. Abe’s reform agenda are not credible enough, too.

Referendum for Cool Classroom

The people in Tokorozawa city, Saitama, decided that the schools around a military base of Air Self-defense Force needed air conditioner in classrooms in the summer as a result of referendum voted on Sunday. Why did they need to vote for that? It was because the mayor decided they did not need it. Direct democracy overturned the decision of people’s political leader.

Tokorozawa city government chose twenty-nine public elementary or mid schools around Iruma Air Self-defense Force Base, which needed to have air conditioning system so that the students could study in the classrooms with windows shut and avoid extreme noise of landing or leaving fighter jets.

The mayor of the city, Masato Fujimoto, abruptly declared that he would review the plan in 2012. For Fujimoto, who was elected seven months after Great East Japan Earthquake and severe accident in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, classroom in cool air conditioning was extravagance. “Luxury life stands on a lot of sacrifices,” Fujimoto kept on saying.

However, parents could not disregard their children studying in hot and humid classrooms everyday. They required the mayor a referendum with signatures of over one fiftieth of eligible voters, which was needed for direct request to local government described in Local Autonomy Law. Receiving the signatures, Fujimoto reluctantly submitted a bill for referendum ordinance to the local congress last November and the congress passed it.

In the referendum on Sunday, about fifty-seven hundred approved the setting up of air conditioner to the classrooms, while about thirty hundred opposed. But the referendum has no legal binding. Voters’ turnout was as low as thirty-one percent. Although the ordinance require one third of approval for the mayor to consider the importance of the result of referendum, the approval votes did not reach that level.

It is still unclear how the mayor will respond to the referendum. There will be next mayoral election this fall. Fujimoto realized how his policy has been unpopular to the parents. City government has already started looking for budget resource to buy air conditioners for the schools.

But neither the people nor the mayor is fundamentally responsible for the air conditioner. It is the noise of aircrafts that is responsible for the environment of students’ study. Supposedly caused by current climate change, Saitama Prefecture is one of the hottest regions in Japan these years. Relocation of military base in Japan is hot issue not only in Okinawa.

Partisan Discussion Again

Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito started discussion over new security legislations including exercising collective self-defense right. After achieving consensus from Komeito, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expects to submit a package of legislations for more ambitious contribution to international security in May or later. Because the discussion points were basically for justifying collective self-defense right, the legislations would actually be trivial.

Both parties also accumulated meeting before cabinet decision of collective self-defense right last July. To enable the government of Japan exercise collective self-defense right, which had been prohibited as violating the Constitution of Japan, those parties created a virtual concept of situation in which existence of state were threatened. In other words, they tried to unleash Japanese Self-defense Force, whenever the government realized a threat for existence of the state.

One of the legislations they are talking is amendment of Self-defense Force Act to add a concept of “existence situation.” Japanese Self-defense Force will be able to join a war outside Japan, when the government recognizes obvious danger fundamentally overturning people’s right for life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. They will also enable protecting weapons of not only United States but also other allied nations including Australia.

Gray zone between a situation being dealt with police or coast guard and necessity of military power would be another talking point. Both parties basically agreed on making process of ordering dispatch of self-defense force easier. The decision will be made by Cabinet decision, not in actual meeting but through telephone by all Ministers. It is not something a Cabinet needed to consult with leading parties.

Sweeping floating mine is a controversial issue between two parties. LDP has been positive to allow self-defense force to be involved in operation for sweeping floating mines in Persian Gulf. For LDP, Japan has crucial interest in Persian Gulf, where a number of Japanese oil tankers pass. However, Komeito thinks that economic importance does not fulfill the condition of collective self-defense.

But, it is unclear whether Komeito can oppose the argument of LDP. In the discussion last year, the party made consecutive compromise to LDP, with reluctance of leaving Abe administration. Komeito is not likely to divorce with LDP with opposition in security issues, because it knows the merit of being leading coalition for achievement of other policies including welfare or social security. In terms of contributing to the alliance with United States, legislation without controversial argument over collective self-defense will be working fast.

Resumption without Persuasive Reason

Nuclear Regulation Authority approved two reactors in Takahama Nuclear Power Plant, owned by Kansai Electric Power Company, to be meeting safety standard revised after the severe accident in Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant four years ago. It became the second nuclear power plant in Japan that passed the test for resumption. KEPCO will make efforts to get approval from residents around the site. However, NRA’s process of the assessment raised controversy over hearing people’s voice.

In the process of assessment, about thirty-six hundred public comments were brought to NRA. One of the greatest concerns among the comments was simultaneous accidents. There are three nuclear plants and a fast breeder reactor around Takahama Plant. If a great earthquake happens in Japan Sea and huge tsunami washes the shore, it will be possible for all those nuclear plants to be simultaneously out of control.

NRA’s answer to the question was ridiculously simple. “Each plant will individually deal with that,” told the Chairman of NRA, Shun-ichi Tanaka, in the press conference. What the Japanese learned from the accident in Fukushima was that human being could not deal with nuclear accident. Workers in Fukushima Plant repeatedly evacuated from the site in order to avoid fatally high-level radiation. NRA at least has to make detailed evacuation plans in every possible case of multiple and simultaneous accidents.

KEPCO and the government of Japan look like optimistic in achieving approval from the residents. Takahama Plant is located in Takahama town in Fukui Prefecture. The national government is going to hear opinion from Fukui prefectural government and some towns within thirty kilometers from the plant. Those local governments are positive on resuming the reactors, because their finance have been addictive to nuclear power plant that brings subsidy.

Frustrated are the other local governments outside Fukui. Maizuru City in Kyoto Prefecture is only four kilometers away from Takahama Plant. Governor of Kyoto has been demanding KEPCO and national government to get approval from people in Kyoto Prefecture. “Approvals from Kyoto and Shiga Prefecture are not legally necessary for resumption of nuclear reactors,” told Katsunobu Kato, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, dismissing the governor’s request.

Policy for resuming nuclear reactors is basically wrong in terms of its dependence on manageability of severe accident, because nuclear accident is not manageable. Approval of national government does not make sense along with absence of reliable evacuation plan and ignorance of residents around. Nuclear option of Japan cannot be stopped.

Reform for Nothing

Without any precise definition, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated the word “reform” thirty-six times in his policy speech to the Diet on Thursday. As far as the people have realized, the highest priority for Abe has been on revising post-war history of Japan. It is fair for the people to suppose that his reform must be synonym of revisionism. Abe is breaking down traditional power structure in Japanese society without showing actual vision for the future.

Abe symbolically raised agricultural policy reform as his determination to tackle on established power in Japanese society. “What is the cause of this reform? It is for creating strong agriculture and increasing income of farmers,” told Abe in his policy speech. He stressed abolishment of privileged status of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives for the first time of these sixty years. For Abe, new and strong agriculture was something “young people could develop new frontier with their own passion.”

This reform is basically a copy of old reform campaign taken by his political mentor, Jun-ichiro Koizumi, about a decade ago. Koizumi labeled old mainstream fraction inside Liberal Democratic Party as resistance against necessary reform. Abe targeted agricultural cooperatives instead. It is true that agricultural cooperatives have had strong grip on farmers. On the other hand, the cooperatives provided information and technology for products with high quality. Although Abe presented a process of the old system, no prescription was shown for his “new agriculture.” “Do it yourself” is always the benchmark of Abe’s policy.

Acknowledging a growing concern on social separation, as raised by Thomas Piketty, Abe seemed to have been careful in safety net for women and children. He inserted an episode of a mother whose daughter had dropped out of mid-school and spent her young life in “free school.” “Poverty of children is a serious problem related to social justice, in which efforts are rewarded,” told Abe. However, it has been the basic concept of Abe administration that redistribution would disturb vigorous economic activities. People may see Abe’s conviction of social safety net as a double standard.

Not brave enough, Abe did not talk much about historical revisionism, collective self-defense right or amendment of the Constitution. He touched with Japan’s deep reflection on World War II, effort for building peaceful and democratic state and contribution to international peace and security, without mentioning seventieth anniversary statement of him. On security legislation and the constitutional amendment, he only showed his positive mind on them in his speech. He looked like taking advantage of the tendency of Japanese people who blindly approve political campaign for “reform.”

Military Use of Study

An elite university in Japan decided to unleash military study, abolishing a part of post-war study guideline settled in reflection of supporting development of weapons in the wartime. The Graduate School of Information Science and Technology in University of Tokyo replaced the sentence prohibiting military use of study “without exception” to allowing “dual use” of study both for peaceful and military purposes. While argument over whether the change meant lifting the ban, it was unnecessary for the university to make a step forward, if it had not been willing to explore military study.

The graduate school has been involved in advanced study on artificial intelligence of robots. It revised its Guideline of Science Study last December, adding an expression that “In study, there is a concept of dual use between peaceful and military, and the study would be promoted with deep recognition on that double meanings.”

Under totalitarian regime of wartime Japan, academic institutes were mobilized for improving weapons and military equipments. Regretting that history, the Boarding Council of University of Tokyo agreed with prohibiting all military studies in 1959. Along with some opportunities for study being supported by military, the university repeatedly reconfirmed its policy of not involved in military study.

Under Shinzo Abe administration, Japanese government began to reach academic community for military reinforcement. Promoting cooperation with universities was written in the National Defense Program Guideline in 2013. Ministry of Defense came to appropriate defense budget for study in universities. According to Tokyo Shimbun, University of Tokyo sent two professors to national project for advanced study. After revision of the study guideline, the Graduate school is going to participate in a robot contest hosted by United States Department of Defense in June.

Border between peaceful and military use of technology has been blurred year by year. Some highly effective materials for fuel cell of car wheel are possible to be used for military clothes. Some scholars receive money for those studies from the government. It is important for scholars to draw a line occasionally.

However, if the university would continue prohibiting military study, it does not have to abolish the words for strict prohibition from the guideline. Even if it wanted to define “dual use,” it is possible to add a sentence of no use for military as a reconfirmation. Exhausted by poorly funded environment of study, scholars tend to be easily lured by money offers. Abe administration is also making “strategic use” of national budget for academic communities.

Strategic ODA

The Cabinet led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unleashed Japan’s official development assistance to support force of foreign nations. Media reported the decision as another erosion of one of the fundamental principles written in the Constitution of Japan, which determined to renounce war as a sovereign right of nation and the threat or use of weapons as means of settling international disputes. The government regards the change of international aid as strategic use of resource.

New concept was written in revised Official Development Assistance Charter, decided by Abe Cabinet on Tuesday. Although Japanese government had been demanding its ODA to avoid being used for military purposes or urging international conflicts from the beginning of foreign aid in 1955, new charter required the government to judge the possibility of aid to foreign forces in case-by-case manner. The aid is still limited only for non-military purposes, such as civilian support or disaster relief. Providing with weapons or militarizing facilities through Japan’s ODA will still be prohibited.

Another news was introducing a concept of national interest in Japan’s foreign aid. New charter defined ODA as measure to reserve national interest of maintaining peace and security or achieving prosperity. Abe administration has been considering strategic use of ODA as a way of implementing its unique concept of “positive pacifism.” Strategic ODA was one the three pillars as well as exercising collective self-defense right or abolishing three restrictive principles of exporting weapons.

The talking point is whether the aid will not be used for military purposes after the project gets out of control of Japan. According to a report of Mainichi Shimbun, Japanese government reformed military hospital of Senegal in 2001, as one of the few examples of aid related to military. Under new charter, the decision will be made by the government of Japan based on strategic assessment of how the aid will contribute to Japan’s national interest. It may possible that Japan’s aid will be used for building military reinforcement, even if it will not be direct support for military procurement.

In the situation that Japan never supports any military projects, Japan can appeal that it will not take side in any conflict. Strategic aid means that Japan will support any country it likes at its disposal, creating enemies.

“Japan makes efforts to share comprehensive values such as freedom, democracy or rule of law,” the new charter reads. It is possible that the government of Japan is going to build a structure of containment against China by supporting other Asian nations. But, the resource of China to support foreign countries is bigger than that of Japan. Strategic use of foreign aid may lead to exacerbating relationship with China.