Japanese Version of Marine Corps

Having been annoyed with constant violation of Japanese territory in East China Sea, Ministry of Defense is going to establish Amphibious Mobility Force in Ground Self-defense Force next year. Asahi Shimbun reported it as a breaking news on Tuesday. The force will be the Japanese version of Marine Corps. One of those regiments will be deployed in Okinawa after a part of United States Marine Corps moves from Camp Hansen to Guam. The people in Okinawa may protest the policy of deploying Marine after Marine.

National Defense Program Guidelines decided by Shinzo Abe Cabinet in 2013 included establishment of Amphibious Mobility Force. Resembling US Marine Corps, the force is expected to be involved in military operation to regain invaded island with support of fighter jets and naval destroyers. Procurement of amphibious automobile or boat has been included in Mid-term Defense Program. Notorious tiltrotor aircraft, MV-22 Osprey, will join the force.

The first Amphibious Mobility Force will be established with 2100 personnel in Aiura Base, Nagasaki, next March. The base will have a commanding office and two regiments. The third regiment of the force with 600 personnel will be installed in Camp Hansen in early 2020’s. According to an agreement in Japan-US Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministerial meeting in August, both governments focus on enhancement of defensive power in Southwestern Islands of Japan.

Japanese and US governments agreed on Roadmap to Realign US Forces in Japan in 2006, which aimed at lightening the military burden of Okinawa and maintenance of deterrence. Based on the agreement, US government decided to move 9 thousand of Marine personnel from Okinawa, 4 thousand of which would be redeployed to Guam. The move to Guam is supposed to start in early 2020’s.

In terms of reducing burden of Okinawa, redeployment of alternative force in Camp Hansen should not be preferable. Although the commanding office will be in Nagasaki, Okinawa is geographically close to Southwestern Islands, including the islands of Miyako, Ishigaki and Okinawa itself. While Japanese government was dealing with intimidation with nuclear and missile development of North Korea, China has been accumulating examples of maritime advance to Western Pacific Ocean.

Deployment of new force in Camp Hansen will lead to solidifying of US base, which the people of Okinawa strictly protested. They are firmly against military bases in Okinawa to be targeted. The policy is going forward to making Okinawa a battlefield again.

More Dangerous Osprey

Former Secretary of Defense of United States, Donald Rumsfeld, once called it the world most dangerous military base. In that base, Futenma US Marine Air Base, twenty-four tiltrotor aircraft, MV-22 Osprey, which were as dangerous as dubbed “widow maker,” were deployed in 2013. While Japanese government tried to persuade the people in Okinawa with reasoning of low accidental ratio of Osprey, it is proved that the ratio has gotten higher in a short period.

US Marine Corps categorizes the accident costing $2 million or more or causing death in Class-A severe accident. The ratio of those accidents in 100 thousand hours in flight time is used as a benchmark of its safety standard. Japanese Ministry of Defense announced in October 2012 that the severe accident ratio of Osprey was as low as 1.93, which meant that the aircraft would cause less than two severe accidents during 100 thousand-hour flight.

According a news report of Mainichi Shimbun, Marine Corps revealed that Osprey caused 9 severe accidents after finishing its testing development in October 2003. The flight time of that period was 302,207 hours, which meant that the ratio had risen up to 2.97, reaching 3. That data indicates that the ratio of severe accident became 1.5 times higher than five years ago.

Five years ago, MoD appealed Osprey’s reliability with lower accident ratio than the average of total aircraft accident ratio in Marine Corps, which was 2.45. But, the accident ratio of Osprey, which had been revealed at the end of US fiscal year, was raised up to 2.62. Afterward, Osprey caused two severe accidents in Okinawa last December and in offshore Australia this August. Another accident in Syria last month has further raised the ratio.

US Marine explains that military aircrafts always face potential risk and they are preparing for prevention in every step to keep high standard for safety. “Severe accident ratio is one of the indicators, because the accidents can occur with other reasons like false operation than aircraft itself,” told an officer in MoD. Both governments insist on the safety of Osprey.

Experts indicate structural problem of Osprey. One doctor who had been involved in the analysis of Osprey in Department of Defense warned to Mainichi that complicated structure of Osprey would not allow any trivial mistake. A Japanese military expert supposes that hard exercise caused serious accidents. The high ratio of Osprey’s accident cannot be accepted by the people in Okinawa, who protested deployment of that dangerous aircraft.

Maintenance After All

Against original plan when it decided to join Party of Hope in the election of House of Representatives, Democratic Party decided to maintain itself after the election. President Seiji Maehara, who proposed the merge and dissolution of DP, is going to step down soon. Party members do not know where to go in unprecedented turmoil of the opposite parties.

In General Assembly of Lawmakers in Both Houses, DP decided to maintain itself including local organization. “Although we have once decided to join Party of Hope with cancellation of all the nomination of DP, it did not bring a result. I cannot say it was correct,” said Maehara in the meeting. While the lawmakers accused Maehara of his reckless decision, they approved the maintenance of the party and Maehara’s future resignation.

Maehara’s strategy caused disintegrated election campaign by Party of Hope, DP and Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Their rejection each other allowed Shinzo Abe administration a sweeping victory without overwhelming public support. After the election, there left 46 lawmakers in House of Representatives and 18 independent lawmakers in House of Representatives.

Discussion inside DP is a struggle for money. The party keeps ¥10 billion of money, which had been subsidized by the government. DP, Party of Hope or CDPJ is in want of financial resource for their political activities. DP also maintains its local organization, which is always useful in elections to collect local votes. Party of Hope expected that DP would bring those resources in their merge. CDPJ hopes to get that, if DP lawmakers agree with their political causes. Some DP lawmakers argue that the party should return that money to the government and restart new party.

Party of Hope is now a Party of Disappointment. President Yuriko Koike takes distance from discussion for rebuilding the party, ignoring the selection process for post-election board members. With decline of Koike’s power, there is an argument to have co-President to deal with the matters of the Diet. Leaving her responsibility aside, Koike still wants to remain as the leader.

CDPJ looks like going its own way. “Making a party big through merging is obsolete. We do not give in reorganization of the parties,” told President Yukio Edano. He has negative impression on party alliance without policy agreement, which had kept on making after the establishment of Democratic Party of Japan in 1996. Edano declared that CDPJ would raise its original candidates in the election of House of Councillors in 2019. Bipartisan politics has been swept away in Japan.

Subaru Also Fakes Inspection

Subaru Corporation announced on Friday that it had been leaving its inspection for assembled cars to the workers without necessary license for over thirty years. One of the major carmakers in Japan is going to offer recall for 255,000 cars. Following unlicensed inspection scandal in Nissan, Subaru’s negligence in safety control harms fundamental credibility on Japanese automobiles.

The wrong inspection has been done in Gunma Factory of Subaru, which is the only factory to finish building up the cars. After Nissan revealed its wrong practice in inspection, Subaru made internal investigation on its inspection system. The result was that the factory had been let unlicensed workers finish the inspection of the finished cars. There were four unlicensed inspectors at the time of October 1^st.

The final inspection those workers involved in was what the government would do to check the cars. It is the government that relies the carmakers acting as governmental inspectors. Each carmaker has its own standard to educate and license the inspectors. Subaru has been imposing the workers paper examination on knowledge and skill to obtain inspection license. It takes two or six months to take the license, depending on whether the worker has license of automobile mechanic.

To a fundamental contradiction, Subaru has been requiring the workers to have a certain period of experience in inspection process in the factory. It means that unlicensed workers are involved in the inspection to obtain the license. Those four unlicensed inspectors had been involved in the inspection with other 245 licensed inspectors. It was not because scarcity of labor force, but long-time custom to educate inspectors.

President of Subaru, Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, expressed sincere apology for its wrong custom. The company makes a major recall for twelve types of its cars, which is approximately costing ¥5 billion. They include small-size sports car named “86,” which is produced by Subaru and sold in the brand of Toyota. Mini vehicles are excluded from the recall.

Asahi Shimbun quoted a joke. “An American carmaker ordered car parts to factories in Russia and Japan with condition of ratio of defected product one out of a thousand. Russian factory implored with concern of not meeting the deadline. Japanese factory asked a blueprint for making defected product.” It is based on a myth that Japanese carmakers have skills to produce perfect products. The myth can no longer be told with scandal in Nissan and Subaru.

Bullying Drastically Increases

In its comprehensive survey all over Japan, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, or MEXT, realized 320 thousands of bullying cases in elementary, mid or high schools. While the number of cases significantly increased from last year, it is still unclear whether each school has dug out all the bullying cases in the classroom, gymnastic or cyber space. It showed a certain limitation for the government to get into the detail of human relations in school.

The whole number of bullying in schools from April 2016 to March 2017 amounted to the highest record of 323,808, adding 43.8% on previous year. Serious cases among them, including committing suicide or non-attendance, rose up to 400, having increased by 27.4%. MEXT recognized it as a result in which trivial cases were intensively included by school teachers.

More bully cases were found in elementary schools. There were 237,921 cases reported from the elementary school all over Japan, adding 58.8% to the previous year. The number also increased in mid-schools and high schools. 62.5% of all cases were ridiculing, mockery or slander. Those are the phenomenon often seen in ordinary human relationship in any society. One serious situation in Japan is some children accept them as unbearable uneasiness for their life. It is Japanese society that is denied.

How are the kids involved in bullying? 62.5% of the cases were deriding or slandering. Violence of hitting or kicking pretending to be a playing each other occupied 21.6%, followed by 15.3% of isolating or ignorance or 3.3% of slandering in social networking service. But it is fundamentally hard for the teachers to grasp all the negative impacts of human relations in schools.

It is unclear whether the survey reflects every aspect of bullying in schools. The number of bullying cases per student in Aomori prefecture rose up to 38.8, 4.4 times greater than the previous year. After a female student killed herself last summer caused by continuous bullying, the local government of Aomori became serious about finding all the bullying. One teacher in Tokyo was told by his superior that Board of Education would come by to investigate the school, if the number of bullying cases in the report had been too small. The teachers are as serious in finding bullying cases as giving lecture.

It is important not to ignore even a trivial sign of being bullied. However, MEXT is dealing with the problem by issuing orders in a top-down manner. Issuing orders of additional assignment to the teachers may cause another kind of bullying in the bureaucratic hierarchy in Japan. It is also important for the government to take bottom-up measures to encourage students who are in trouble with friends.

Great Despotism of China

For his good luck, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe might look to be a democratic leader, when he is compared to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinese Communist Party Congress upheld Xi as an ideological icon paralleled with former big names. Xi concreted his regime with denial of emergence of new leaders who would succeed him. It is likely that despotic leadership of Xi is going to last long.

The congress was closed after electing 204 members of Central Committee and approving the party code on Tuesday. In the action guideline of the code, the party wrote down “unique socialist ideology of China in a new era of Xi Jinping.” Xi appealed to the comrades building “socialist modern great power” by mid-21^st century in the congress. His presence was engraved in the party constitution.

There have only been two names in the party ideology: Thought of Mao Zedong and Theory of Deng Xiaoping. By including his name in the official document, Xi overtook his two predecessors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao. That unique socialist ideology consists of “quintinity in unity,” which promotes building of economy, politics, culture, society and ecologic civilization, and “four allovers” in moderate society, deeper reform, rule of law and strict control of the party. Under that ideology, Xi argued necessity of building first-class military in the world.

In the first plenary meeting of Central Committee on Wednesday, the party formed new administration led by Xi. While Xi and Prime Minister Li Keqiang stayed on their position, five new members entered to the Politburo Standing Committee. They are Director of General Office Li Zhanshu, Vice Premier Wang Yang, Head of Central Policy Research Office Wang Huning, Head of Organization Department Zhao Leji and Secretary of Shanghai Han Zheng. Zhao succeeded one of the closest allies of Xi, Wang Qishan, as Secretary of Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Although two young leaders in the 6^th generation next to Xi, Secretary of Guangdong Province Hu Chunhua and Secretary of Chongqing Chen Min’er, were not included in the China Seven. While former Chinese leaders tried to stabilize their regime by naming the successor, Xi refused it this time. Xi’s exclusion of next generation is recognized as his ambition to maintain his regime after the second term just started.

Newspapers in Japan criticize concentration of power in Chinese government. Asahi raised a headline of “Walking toward Personal Despotism?” in the editorial on Thursday. “Although Xi seems to hope to rebuild the party, concentration of power to that extent is dangerous,” argued Asahi. “In this era, any despotism will not bring sustainably long stability.” It is Chinese people that can ring a wake up call.

Poll Shows Uneasiness on Election Result

One truth of the election of House of Representatives last Sunday is that Liberal Democratic Party obtained the seats more than its actual power. One post-election poll showed a fact that over one half of the people were frustrated with the result. While LDP occupies over 60% of all the seats, the supporting rate of Shinzo Abe administration is as low as 42%. With fundamental concern on the twisted result, the leaders of LDP, including Abe, could not be delighted with their sweeping victory.

In the poll by Asahi Shimbun operated on Monday and Tuesday, 51% of the responders answered that the leading coalition of LDP and Komeito gained the seat “too much,” apparently overtaking 32% of those who thought it “reasonable.” Even about 30% of supporters of the leading parties thought it excessive. While 56% of those in the age between 18 and 29 realized the result as reasonable, more responders in the rest of the ages thought it as too much than who felt it reasonable.

How do they think the reason why LDP has made that victory? 26% approved that it was because the people positively evaluated Abe’s policies. 65% answered “I don’t think so.” Even 48% of LDP supporters did not think so, exceeding 45% of who thought it acceptable. 54% of the people expressed their concern on the policy Abe was promoting, overtaking 29% who embraced greater hope on it than concern. While 58% of LDP supporters held hope for policy of Abe, 69% of independent voters had concern on it. 37% expected Abe to stay as Premier, while 47% did not think so.

Those concerns were stemming from hawkish attitude of Abe. 45% opposed Abe’s proposal to include Self-defense Force in Constitution of Japan, exceeding 36% of the approvers. It was a striking result that young agers between 18 and 29 were positive on the constitutional description about SDF. 49% in those ages approved it, making clear contrast from those in 60s 54% of whom opposed. 45% of male supported it, while only 28% of female do that.

Supporting rate for each party showed significant change of political landscape. Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan gained 17% of support, symbolizing its status of the biggest opposite party. Party of Hope led by populist governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, sank to 3% of support, lagging behind of Komeito with 4%. The people who expected to political role of CDPJ rose up to 49%, making a contrast with 29% of those who had expectation to the policy Abe would promotes. It is likely that the politics in Japan is going to be a confrontation between LDP and the opposite powers centered by CDPJ.

Abe Goes Straight to Amendment

Having been successful in life-prolonging general election, Shinzo Abe administration looks like going straightforward to constitutional amendment. In the post-election press conference on Monday, Abe showed his ambition to submit a draft of amendment to the Diet, stressing his willingness to make consensus beyond the aisles. Although the leading coalition occupies two-third majority for the initiative, they do not have a clear vision for how and what provision should be changed.

Abe basically insisted on his effort for consensus. “Although the leading coalition achieved two-third majority, it is necessary to make a broad consensus not limited in the coalition,” Abe said. “I will make effort to have simple majority in national referendum.” Abe denied scheduling as the top priority. He has proposed to activate new constitution in 2020, regardless what kind of constitution it would be.

Liberal Democratic Party raised description of Self-defense Force, education for free, emergency clause and electoral district of House of Councillors along with prefectural border as the four points for the amendment. While some of them can be accepted by the opposite parties, writing down the status of SDF still faces opposition even in LDP. “Constitutional amendment cannot be done in a mood,” told former Minister of Defense, Shigeru Ishiba. Abe admitted that it was not the time for having consensus in LDP.

It was an unexpected result that Party of Hope, an opposite party positive to constitutional amendment, declined in the election. Instead, Constitutional Democratic Party of Hope achieved the status of the biggest opposite party. Abe insisted on “making effort” to establish a broad consensus, which did not necessarily mean having overall consensus including CDPJ. “As long as it is about politics, it would not be understood by all of them,” said Abe, indicating exclusion of CDPJ. His effort for consensus will not be unlimited.

LDP’s coalition partner, Komeito, is still reluctant to the issue. In the agreement for maintenance of the coalition after the election, the description for constitutional amendment was concluded to be “making effort for building consensus.” While LDP hoped to make it to be “going forward to constitutional amendment,” Komeito rejected it with reasoning of lack of public enthusiasm on the issue.

The opposite parties are not united against Abe administration, anyway. While CDPJ insists that it would not be unwilling to change the Constitution, not hoping to be seen as a rigorous protector, Japan Communist Party and Social Democratic Party definitely oppose it. Party of Hope will be swinging between LDP and the opposites in each point for amendment. It is likely that LDP will lead the discussion.

Victory of Leading Coalition

Thanking to the own goals of his opposites, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe enjoyed sweeping victory in the election of House of Representatives on Sunday. The leading coalition of Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito occupied two-third majority in the House, securing enough seats for the initiative of constitutional amendment. Receiving the votes against Abe administration, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan grabbed the status of the first opposite party. Party of Hope has sunk in criticisms on opaqueness of major policies.

LDP secured 283 seats at the time of Monday morning, mostly reaching its seats in the House before dissolution. The party took 217 electoral districts out of all 289, in most of which the opposite parties raised multiple candidates dividing anti-Abe votes. Traditional supporters of Democratic Party, represented by Japan Trade Union Confederation, did not fully support the deserters to Party of Hope. LDP enjoyed profits of someone else.

Although it had been expected that LDP would significantly lose its seats, possibly as much as 50, the result gave the leading coalition absolute majority. “There still are critical voices against me or LDP. CDPJ have received them. Recognizing it firmly, I am going to accept the result in a humble manner. We are promoting discussion with the opposite parties,” Abe told with surprise of LDP’s victory.

New phenomenon in Japanese politics was clear advance of CDPJ. While the deserters of DP faced a criticism that it was actually a supplemental power of LDP, CDPJ presented itself as anti-Abe and anti-LDP party. There actually was frustration with Abe’s unilateral handling of politics or biased economic policy. CDPJ enjoyed good support from independent voters.

One important element for CDPJ was cooperation with Japan Communist Party. Most CDPJ winners in electoral districts could not make it without firm support of JCP. It is inevitable that CDPJ will have to cooperate with JCP over important issues in the Diet. If those two parties fail in reaching an agreement in constitutional amendment or consumption tax hike, the cooperation will end up with temporary phenomenon.

Party of Hope is in jeopardy of elimination. Its president, or governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, may be stepping down. There is no other political figure that can maintain its popularity. Although some winners consider to go back to Democratic Party, they will receive firm criticism about their reckless behavior to go and back between parties. After all, the opposite parties keep on losing power.

Issues Left Behind

All the candidates finished their twelve-day campaign at 8 pm on Saturday. It is the voting day of the election of House of Representatives today. The big three issue in the campaign were constitutional amendment, consumption tax hike and nuclear power generation. The argument over them, however, was not made enough for the voters to decide which candidate or party would be reliable. After all, the election is about whether the people approve unilateral ruling of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Liberal Democratic Party raised four points for constitutional amendment: adding status of Self-defense Force, education for free, emergency clause in disaster and electoral district along with prefectural border for House of Councillors. Nevertheless, Abe has been less serious in explaining the purpose of those amendments. He insisted on asking the voters which party would be reliable to handle those issues, stressing necessity of putting higher pressure on North Korea for example.

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan opposed those amendments raised by Abe. LDP draft of the amendment includes reinforcing state power over the people, requiring the people to obey public cause for governance. “It is the politics in 18^th century that allows the state power to do everything they want to do. We regain reasonable politics,” told CDPJ President Yukio Edano. While Japan Communist Party and Social Democratic Party strictly opposed constitutional amendment, Party of Hope raised other amendments than changing Article 9.

Abe raised changing purpose of consumption tax hike, from for reimbursement of national debt to for education for free, as a cause of dissolution of House of Representatives. The opposite parties argue that Japanese economy is too weak to withstand higher consumption tax rate. Consumption tax causes greater damage on low-income families in its nature. Abenomics actually generated economic gap between the rich and poor, encouraging the opposite parties accuse Abe.

The leading parties did not show any target of when to eliminate nuclear power generation. With unprecedented accident in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant and stricter regulation afterward, the cost of nuclear power generation was proved to be incredibly high. The opposite parties appealed in their campaign that nuclear power generation had to be ended in 2030, immediately or as soon as possible.

The arguments rather focused on Abe’s handling of politics. It has been blamed that Abe was reluctant to explain how he had been involved in the scandal of Moritomo and Kake Gakuen. Accordingly, the election is to a large extent about approval or rejection of leadership of Abe.

Heisei Ends in March 2019

Asahi Shimbun released a breaking news on Friday that indicated abdication of Emperor Akihito would be held at the end of March, 2019, and new Emperor would take the throne next day, April 1^st. Although the government of Japan had been considering two options for the abdication, one of which was at the end of 2018, it seemed to have chosen another one to avoid official rituals in yearend and new year days. Heisei era will end on March 31^st, 2019.

Asahi reported it based on information from multiple sources in Prime Minister’s Official Residence. The government will hold Imperial House Conference after the election of House of Representatives and special session of the Diet to elect Prime Minister convoked in November. Attended by Prime Minister, Speakers of both Houses, Chief Justice of Supreme Court and Imperial families, the conference will officially decide the day of abdication by a governmental ordinance.

Emperor Akihito revealed his hope to retire at the end of 2018 in his TV address last summer, saying “Having passed a major turning point of 70^th anniversary of the end of World War II, I am reaching 30^th year of Heisei Era.” While abdication at yearend will have less impact on ordinary life of the people, because renewal of system will be easy, there will be a major ceremony of 30^th anniversary of passing away of late Emperor Hirohito on January 7^th, 2019. Imperial Household Agency has been reluctant to have the abdication in yearend.

The biggest issue should be the name of new era. At the end of Showa, the government held a meeting for the name of era right after the death of Emperor Hirohito in the morning of January 7^th, 1989. Eight experts on the issue made some proposal and they picked Heisei. Then Chief Cabinet Secretary, Keizo Obuchi, announced the name of new era only eight hours later than the death of Hirohito.

There already are some proposals in the government, which were submitted by scholars in Chinese classics, Japanese literature or Oriental history. Prime Minister’s Official Residence and Cabinet Office will make secret selection from the list. It is expected that the name of new era will be announced as soon as next spring or summer.

The name of new era will be the 248^th one, since the first name was decided at the time of Taika Reform in 645. Abdication of Japanese Emperor will be the first case after the last one by Kokaku Emperor two hundred years ago. After the abdication of Akihito, Crown Prince Narihito will take the throne and his younger brother, Fumihito, will be at the first place in the list of the successors followed by his son, Hisahito.

Nissan Fakes Inspectors

As if following Kobelco, one of the big carmakers in Japan, Nissan, revealed its wrong habit in inspection of new cars. Even after the company was accused of its involvement of the non-licensed engineers in the inspection last month, Nissan did not correct it. Nissan has to stop its shipping of the cars, which may affect its business as a whole.

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism found on September 18^th that the cars produced in Shonan Factory of Nissan Car body had been checked by the inspectors without official license, eroding the credibility of the cars. In the internal research in Nissan after the finding, Nissan reconfirmed that supervisors in the factory continued such inspections without replacing the personnel. The research found that the check of steering had been done by non-licensed inspectors and the licensed inspectors had been authorized those results with data brought by machines.

In addition, it was found that the factories with that kind of unlicensed checking amounted to four, including those in Oppama, Tochigi and Kyushu. It meant that false checking was made to two thirds of the all Nissan factories in Japan. The process conducted by non-licensed inspectors was the final check before shipping each car. “I apologize our betrayal against our clients,” told President Hiroto Saikawa in his press conference on Thursday.

Nissan decided to bring back all the cars it had already shipped from the factories. While the company had recalled 1.16 million of the cars earlier this month, it will make inspection again for 34 thousand cars, including additional recall of 4 thousand. The inspection is going to include final check on braking system. Nissan announced that it would stop all the shipping from those six factories.

Why Nissan cannot correct its own wrongdoings? Saikawa explained that communication gap between the leaders in factories caused insufficiency of correcting errors. But, it is unlikely that those professional workers could not understand the meaning of the order from the top managers. The problem is irresponsible mind of their products, which may cause fatal accident costing human life.

Credibility on Nissan brand will decline in international level. While it had been in the fifth position in car sales inside Japan, new hybrid vehicle, Note, contributed to regaining power. New model of electric car, Leaf, was expected to boost its sales later this year. The scandal revealed that high technology shown in such new models would not be reliable enough, putting negative impact on its strategy for taking international hegemony with foreign carmakers like Renault.

Great Socialism of China

Communist Party of China opened the 19^th party congress on Wednesday. President Xi Jinping read out the report of Central Committee, in which he declared new political target of building strong country of socialism by the one hundred anniversary of establishment of People’s Republic of China in 2049. Japan has to face stronger great power of communists in volatile Northeast Asia.

It was the first time for Xi to make political report to the congress, which would be held every five years. Xi stressed his achievement in his first term to have built up a thought of “unique socialism of China in new era,” defining it as a guideline of the struggle for great reconstruction of Chinese nation by the party as a whole and all the people. He declared building of “beautiful and strong country of modern socialism with prosperity, democracy, civilization and harmony.”

To reinforce his new concept, Xi raised some targets to achieve. He set the target in 2020 to complete “moderately prosperous society,” as well as improving China’s power in economy and scientific technology by 2035 to lead the country to a modernized socialism with extremely small gap between the rich and poor. In his idea, the great power of modernized socialist nation with world top-level national power and international influence in the middle of this century.

He did not forget referring to the growth of military power. Reviewing these five years as having achieved “historical breakthrough in the reform of national defense and military,” Xi promised to build up military power in the first class of the world through modernization of the organization and equipments. He insisted protection of the rights of military personnel and their family to persuade the military frustrated with reduction of manpower in the reform.

It is expected that those concepts announced by Xi will become a new guideline of China named after him, which reminds of Thought of Mao Zedong or Theory of Deng Xiaoping. By putting himself on the position paralleled with past prominent leaders, Xi hopes to grab strong governance in all over China. It is not only about a great leader of China but the world.

Japan will have to deal with the giant authoritarian regime led by a leader who is not elected by direct election of the people. Japan cannot expect that China will release its core interest in East China Sea around Senkaku Island or other are in western Pacific Ocean. Great socialism of China will cause frequent frictions with neighbor countries, which can lead to serious conflicts in the region.

Big Reactors to Die

Kansai Electric Power Company decided that it would dismantle the reactor #1 and #2 in Oi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui. They would be the first reactors with high output over 1 million kilowatts to be dismantled after the severe accident in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in 2011. Even a big nuclear reactor, which has been recognized as more efficient than smaller ones, is proved to be unable to survive in the strict regulation on nuclear business.

Each of two reactors in Oi Plant has 1.175 million kilowatts of output power. Their life will be ended in 2019, according to the regulation that all the reactors should not be used for more than 40 years. As exception with approval from Nuclear Regulation Authority, nuclear reactors can extend its life for more 20 years. Reactor #1in Oi Plant will face the time limit of application for the extension next March.

To apply the extension, KEPCO needs to have examination for the damages inside the reactor, which may take several months. New regulation after Fukushima accident requires strict safety measures against earthquake or tsunami, demanding higher cost. Since reactor #1 or #2 in Oi has complicated structure that makes reinforcement difficult, KEPCO seems to decide dismantle them to avoid further cost. Underground rifts around the plant, which would require expensive preventive measures, also caused the decision.

KEPCO had been depending one-half of its whole electric power supply on nuclear power generation before Fukushima accident. Affected by introduction of power retailing liberalization in April 2016, the company has been losing its clients. Although resumption of Oi Plant had to be the key element for regaining competitiveness, it proved to be too expensive to be affordable.

Each of the six rectors determined to be dismantled was with smaller output of 340 to 556 thousand kilowatts. The decision in Oi Plant may affect the fortune of other large reactors such as in Second Tokai Nuclear Power Plant. While the government of Japan has Energy Basic Plan that expects nuclear power generation to owe 20 to 22% of all electric power supply, retreat of large nuclear reactors can demand thorough review of the plan.

Only 14 rectors out of all 45 have passed examination of NRA so far. Electric power companies in Japan are getting more careful in applying resumption of nuclear reactors to the government. It is likely that the government will face two choices; one is to change the target of the share of nuclear power generation and another is to approve building new nuclear power plants.

Amendment Accelerated

With speculation of a great victory of the leading Liberal Democratic Party, it is discussed that the schedule for constitutional amendment, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is upholding as the top agenda, will be accelerated after the election of House of Representatives this weekend. LDP may submit a draft of changing Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan to an extraordinary session of the Diet this fall. Abe looks like optimistic in leading the discussion with stable majority in the House.

The leaders in LDP Headquarters for Promoting Constitutional Amendment began to consider submitting LDP proposal for the amendment. As Abe insists on defining Self-defense Force in the Constitution, the draft will likely be adding new sentence for assuring the force constitutional. The opposite parties and even some lawmakers in LDP argue that description of SDF may contradict Section 2 of Article 9, which renounced force as a measure for settling international conflict. Defining SDF in the Constitution can cause erosion of civilian control by degrading Ministry of Defense under SDF.

Abe does not care about those arguments. Not touching this sensitive issue in his campaign speech, Abe takes stealth strategy to pave the way to the amendment. LDP raised four points for the amendment in campaign platform: adding SDF in Article 9, education for free, emergency clause and electoral district of House of Councillors along with prefectural border. Abe argues that the discussion in the LDP as already been wrapped up.

Polls endorse Abe’s ambition. Most newspapers predict that the leading coalition of LDP and Komeito will likely be occupy more than 300 seats out of 465. Mainichi Shimbun indicated a possibility that LDP would take 300 or more, which meant that the coalition would get two-third majority necessary for taking initiative of constitutional amendment. There are other lawmakers in Party of Hope or Japan Restoration Party who are willing to join the effort of the amendment.

However, it will take certain period of time for LDP to make the draft. There is a consistent opposition in Komeito against changing Article 9. “There are not so much people who realize SDF as unconstitutional,” said President Natsuo Yamaguchi. Main talking point for Komeito is limited on adding the right for environment or emergency clause.

Even if LDP is successful in taking initiative with two-third majority, it is not sure that the amendment will get simple majority in national referendum. Once the effort of the amendment fails, next chance cannot be come so soon. So, Abe is very careful in building consensus.

Economic Discussion in Weekend

Newspapers focused on the speeches of party leaders for the election reports in the weekend. In front of the families, businessmen or young couples walking in the cities, they appealed their own policies they would take in the Diet. Main target was economy. While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stressed his achievement in his economic policy called Abenomics, the opposite leaders accused Abenomics as having widened economic gap between the rich and poor.

Although current rally of stock market in Tokyo is reflection of the consecutive stock price hike in the world, Abe took advantage of it as if it had been a good result of Abenomics. “Stock price marked the highest price in these twenty-one years yesterday. Resource for pension system has increased with investment to stocks. I want to continue this policy,” told Abe in his campaign speech in Takamatsu City, Kagawa, on Saturday.

While there is a speculation that victory of leading Liberal Democratic Party will have positive impact on stock market, it is common notion that the stock price hike is caused by involvement of the government or Bank of Japan, as seen in BoJ’s purchase of exchange-traded fund or increasing of stockholding of Government Pension Investment Fund. Benefit of stock price hike is actually limited to the voters in urban area and the local voters have not affected by it.

The opposite parties accused Abenomics as a policy only for a small number of the people. “Even though he argues that gross domestic products has increased, it was about numbers swollen by changing of definition,” argued President of Party of Hope, Yuriko Koike. “Although stock price is getting better, do you realize actual effect of it?” Koike asked the voters with the party’s policy of freezing consumption tax hike, the policy Abe promoted.

Consumption tax directly strikes the life of the people with lower income. Japan Communist Party strongly accuses that policy. “Actual wage of the workers has declined, and big companies enjoy unprecedented profit, accumulating internal reserves. It generated unbelievably large gap between the people,” insisted JCP Chairman, Kazuo Shii. He appealed abolishment of consumption tax hike from 8% to 10%.

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan also focuses on economic gap. “We need to eliminate poverty by narrowing the gap not by top-down economic policy” told President Yukio Edano, requiring fair rules in open competition in economy. CDPJ is increasing its support by opposing to unilateral politics of Abe administration and building broad coalition with other liberal powers including JCP.

Indulgent Culture of Kobelco

The third largest steelmaker in Japan, Kobe Steel, internationally known as Kobelco, announced that it faked data about the strength of its products. They include the metallic parts for cars, trains or airplanes. It was proved that tens of supervisors intensively fabricated the data, indicating organized deceit against the interest of its clients. Some people remember that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once worked for the company.

Kobelco has suffered from a scandal last year when fake data of stainless wire for spring by one of the companies in Kobelco group was revealed. New scandal now is made by Kobelco itself. The company shipped its products made of aluminum or copper with faked data of strength or size. Its clients that received those wrong products amounted to 200, including Toyota Motors or Mitsubishi Heavy Industry.

Total amount of those products within a year before this August goes up to 20 thousand tons, which occupies 4% of all annual shipping of aluminum and copper. They were shipped from four factories in Mo-oka in Tochigi, Chofu in Yamaguchi, Daian in Mie and Hadano in Kanagawa. Some cases were proved to have been continuing for ten or more years.

Seven major carmakers in Japan reconfirmed that they used those wrong products for their cars. While each carmaker has made its own examination for the cars before shipping, they hope recalls to be unnecessary. H2A rocket #36, that was successful in launching earlier this month, used the parts with wrong data. According to Tokai Railway Company, those parts were installed in the device for supporting axle of the bullet train on Tokaido Line. Four heavy industries reported to government of Japan that wrong Kobelco products were used for military equipments of Self-defense Force.

The products with wrong data increased last week as Kobelco promoted internal investigation about the scandal. It was found that one of those products included the copper-alloyed plumbing in Second Fukushima Nuclear Plant. President of Kobelco, Hiroya Kawasaki, apologized about the scandal five days after the first news was publicized. “I apologize about causing inconvenience for our clients and consumers,” told Kawasaki in a press conference. As he revealed his intention to compensate for the cost its clients suffered, stock price of Kobelco declined in Tokyo market.

It is likely that Kobelco’s quality check has long been insufficient. Prime Minister Abe introduced an episode that he made wrong shipping of the products based on mistaken data of order, when he was a freshman of Kobelco. “Although I was afraid of being fired, it did not happen,” described Abe. Some people realized that the indulgent culture of the company has been remaining from that time.

Helicopter Fell Down Again

Having received consistent protest against flying dangerous aircraft from the residents, United States Force again dropped a helicopter on the land of Okinawa. Ministry of Defense announced that a large helicopter, CH53, of US Force touched down on a private grass field in Takae District of Higashi Village, Okinawa, Wednesday evening. While no one injured in the incident, the helicopter went on in flames and exploded. The people in Okinawa renewed their anger against US Force and the government of Japan.

Minister of Defense, Itsunori Onodera, explained that CH53 belonging to US Marine Corps went on in flames when it touched down. US Marine released information that there occurred a fire in the helicopter and it made emergency touch down. The exploded helicopter burned the grass of private pasture. The owner was frustrated with the accident being unable to harvest the grasses.

The place of the accident is close to Northern Training Area of US Force in Okinawa. US government agreed on returning over one half of the training area to Japan with a condition of building six helipads in the rest of the area. US Force started using two of new helipad in February 2015 and other two in this July. Helicopters or controversial tilt-rotor aircraft, MV22 Osprey, are frequently flying over the area.

There is Takae Elementary School two kilometers away from the point of the accident. Governor of Okinawa, Takeshi Onaga, expressed his resentment against frequent accident by US Force in Okinawa. An Osprey belonging to Futenma Marine Airbase exploded when it tried to make emergency touch down on the water offshore Nago City last December. “This is caused by existence of military base. We strongly demand stopping the flying of the same type of aircraft until thorough review and disclosure of information will be done,” said Onaga.

CH53 caused broad protest in Okinawa, when it fell down on Okinawa International College, located next to Futenma Airbase in 2004. Residents in Takae were surprised by frequent accidents of US aircraft. “I was shocked when I realized the accident of helicopter, because there was strong wind blowing,” said one resident. Another resident told it to have been inevitable, because US Force was making dangerous training. They are worried that it may strike them someday.

Ministry of Defense requested US Force detailed review of the accident and preventing measures. However, Japan-US Status of Force Agreement does not give Japan a right for first-hand investigation. While some opposite parties raises review of SOFA in their campaign policy, equality in status cannot be achieved soon.