Nothing Change with New ICBM

Frustrated with an antagonistic decision of United States to relist on state sponsors of terrorism, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile to the area within Japan’s exclusive economic zone in Japan Sea before Wednesday dawn. Pyongyang announced later that the missile was a new type of ICBM, including US Capital within its reach. Japan accused Kim Jong-un regime of its intimidation “with the most strong words,” which actually made no difference from previous reactions.

North Korea launched a missile from Pyongsong, a city located in the suburb of Pyongyang, to the eastward on Wednesday 3:18 a.m. According to Japanese government and South Korean military, it flew for 53 minutes and reached the point of 960 kilometers away, or 250 kilometers east from Aomori region of Japan. No damage on ships or aircrafts was reported.

A significance of the missile launch this time was that it reached 4,500 kilometers high from the surface. Minister of Defense, Itsunori Onodera, indicated that it was multistage missile and traced lofted orbit, which sought high altitude rather than distance. As distance of lofted missile is recognized as two or three times bigger than its achieved altitude, it is supposed that the missile is capable to reach ten thousand kilometers away, including mainland of US. No evidence of completing reentry capability was found.

Government-owned Korean Central Television reported that North Korea was successful in launching test of new ICBM, Hwasong 15. North Korea appealed that the missile can cover whole US mainland, reaching the final stage of missile development. “Today, we obtained the historical achievement of completing national nuclear power and missile strength,” declared Kim Jong-un.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe insisted to the reporters early in the Wednesday morning that Japan would enhance its pressure on North Korea to the maximum point, not giving in any kinds of provocation. In the telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, Abe told that Japan would not tolerate the missile launch, threatening security of both Japan and US and welcomed decision of Trump administration on state sponsors of terrorism.

Trump stressed that US could handle the situation. “Nothing changes, nothing changes,” he insisted to the reporters. While North Korea vows to have completed their missile development reaching US Capital, US President sees no change. Trump requested Chinese President Xi Jinping every effort to exercise its influence on North Korea in a telephone conversation. It was Trump’s approach to China that showed no change even after his long visit to Asia, including Beijing, earlier this month.

Data Fabrication Corrupts Japan Brand

Following Kobelco, two Japanese manufacturers announced that they fabricated the data of inspection on their products. Mitsubishi Materials Corporation revealed last week that two of their subsidiary companies had rewritten their inspection data. In the midst of broad doubt on the elite company in Japan, Toray made public the same wrongdoing of its own on Tuesday. Credibility on industrial products made in Japan was severely damaged.

Two subsidiary companies of Mitsubishi Materials were Mitsubishi Cable Industries and Mitsubishi Shindo. Mitsubishi Cable rewrote the data of rubber seal and gasket, used for automobile engine to avoid leak of oil or water, pretending to meet the demand of customer. It shipped 270 million of those products in these two and half years, even after it found that this February.

Mitsubishi Shindo, a manufacturer of copper products, fabricated the data of conductivity of coils for car parts or electronic devices. It shipped 879 metric tons of those products between last October and last month. President of Mitsubishi Materials, Akira Takeuchi, apologized the lack of legal compliance and promised early improvement. Material makers support manufacturing in its basis with delicate products unseen for the users. Chinese media reported that case as decline of Japanese spirit of artisan.

Chairman of Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, Sadayuki Sakakibara, criticized Mitsubishi Materials on its delay of announcement. “The right attitude of corporation is to announce its false doings as soon as they noticed it,” told Sakakibara in the press conference on Monday. Nevertheless, the data fabrication of Toray’s subsidiary was revealed next day. Toray was the company of which Sakakibara had been the president.

Toray Hybrid Cord, a manufacturer of reinforcement in rubber wheel of automobile, revealed that the company had been fabricating the data of its products from April 2008 to July 2016. Although the company reported its eight-year-long false practice to the president of Toray, Toray concealed it for sixteen months. Toray decided to announce it after someone revealed that on webpage earlier this month.

Material companies and their customers have a special rule that allows the manufacturer shipping products in short of customer’s requirement. Toray Hybrid Cord wrongly applied the rule to their products with self-confidence on their technology. Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, demanded industrial community preventive measures by sharing conclusion of investigation on these issues. But, fabrication of facts is sometimes seen in the community of politics. It takes time to recover the loss of Japan brand.

Voice Data on Price Negotiation

Ministry of Finance retracted its former testimony in the Diet that the Ministry had not discussed actual price of selling government-owned land property in Osaka to Moritomo Gakuen, the educational corporation run by a right-wing supporter for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Yasunori Kagoike. It was proved that the Ministry referred to ¥130 million as the minimum price of the land in the negotiation with Kagoike based on a voice data. The Ministry employed a ridiculous reasoning that it was not an offer of the price.

It has been reported that Kagoike recorded the negotiation with the officer with Kinki Local Finance Bureau of Ministry of Finance in March 2016 before its appraised value was not determined. In the discussion, Kagoike demanded the price of the land for his new elementary school, which honorary principal was first lady Akie Abe, as close to zero as possible. The officer of KLFB promised his effort to meet Kagoike’s demand but said that discounting to less than ¥130 million was not realistic, because the Ministry had paid that amount of money for removing debris found underground. Actual price of “¥130 million” was definitely referred to in the recorded dialogue.

In the discussion in Budget Committee of House of Representatives on Monday, a lawmaker with Liberal Democratic Party, Isshu Sugahara, asked whether the conversation in the voice recording was true. Chief of MoF Financial Bureau, Mitsuru Ota, admitted that dialogue as true. But Ota introduced a strange explanation that the conversation had not been about the price for selling the land, but about the notion that the price lower than the cost of removing debris had been unlikely.

Former Chief of Financial Bureau, Nobuhisa Sagawa, made a testimony in March this year that the Ministry had not offered actual price and not received Kagoike’s demand on how much price was his preferred price. But the voice data proved that Kagoike had demanded a price “as close to zero as possible” and MoF officer referred to the price not less than ¥130 million. It is a long tradition that Japanese bureaucrats introduce unique theory that would not stand outside their world, which is called Kasumigaseki Literature.

The opposite parties accused MoF. Lawmaker with Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Tomoko Abe, defined that it was a negotiation over the price of the land and offer of actual price. Another Lawmaker, Akira Nagatsuma, required Prime Minister Abe to apologize to the people. Abe reiterated general notion that the government should not invite skepticism on selling government-owned land property and protected MoF as having been doing appropriate job.

As a Matter of Unconsciousness

Mainichi Shimbun carried on Monday a story of interview to a Japanese thinker, Kojin Karatani, on the meaning of Article 9 in Constitution of Japan. While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had been hating the Article as denying status of Self-defense Force, the interview cultivated whether the Japanese people have been receiving its benefit or suffering from its restriction. Karatani defined Article 9 as a mater of unconsciousness planted by the governance of Tokugawa regime in Edo era.

Karatani indicated a fundamental contradiction in the argument of Abe. Abe proposed adding Section 3 to Article 9, which would determine the status of Self-defense Force, leaving Section 2 on renouncement of force. Karatani realized that Abe’s idea would not make any difference from traditional reinterpretation of the Article as long as Section 2 would remain. “Under the Constitution of Japan, Self-defense Force cannot wage war in overseas and collective self-defense as another version of military alliance is not allowed,” said Karatani. He required Abe to change the Article, knowing that to be impossible for Abe being afraid of defeat in the referendum.

Karatani reasoned that Abe would be defeated in the referendum, because the issue was not about consciousness, but unconsciousness. He defined unconsciousness as super-ego in the term of an Austrian neurologist, Sigmund Freud. Although Article 9 came from war experience of the Japanese people, it was not based on conscious regret on it, making it difficult to be changed through education or propaganda. “Abandoning war with outer pressure produced conscience that required further abandonment of war. In that meaning, Article 9 was the choice of the Japanese and culture of them,” Karatani elaborated.

He sees the basis of Article 9 in Tokugawa Shogunate after long Warring State Period. For samurais to carry sword was not defending themselves with weapon, but symbol of their status. “Culture of Tokugawa indeed was the precedence of Article 9,” argued Karatani. Raising introduction of conscription and invasion to Korean Peninsula after Tokugawa regime, Karatani insisted that Article 9 was unconscious regret to what the Japanese had done after Meiji Restoration.

For Karatani, Article 9 is a gift to the international society. “If a country offends Japan, presenter of the gift, it will be accused in international society. Power of gift overtakes that of military or economy,” told Karatani. He argued that Japan posed threat on North Korea by possessing Self-defense Force, which did not mean implementing Article 9. “The best way for Japan is to declare activation of Article 9 in General Assembly of United Nations,” said Karatani.

No Same Sex Partner to State Dinner

Chairman of General Council in Liberal Democratic Party, Wataru Takeshita, told in his speech to a party meeting in Gifu on Thursday that he would oppose attendance of same sex partner of state guest to State Dinner with Emperor and Empress. He explained that such attendance would not meet the tradition of Japan, not explaining exact meaning of “tradition.” This revealed obsolete conservatism in Japan that was highly intolerant to gender diversity.

Takeshita firstly referred to de facto marriage between different sexes. He quoted an example of former President of France, François Hollande, who brought his partner to State Dinner during his visit to Japan in 2013. “Imperial Household Agency was confused in how to deal with the guest, because a female partner, not wife, would take the seat along with Emperor and Empress,” said Takeshita. And then, he referred to possible case of same sex couple. “If the partner was a same sex partner, how can we deal with? It must be the problem we will face in the near future.”

Taking the opportunity of gender argument, Asahi Shimbun made a report about how Japanese government had been treating state guest in the dinner. Asahi found that former Ambassador of Denmark to Japan, A. Carsten Damsgaard, could not bring his same sex partner to official events in Imperial House, to which different sex spouse could attend, during his term from 2011 to 2015.

According to Asahi report, Ministry for Foreign Affairs has a rule that same sex partner of Ambassador has been recognized as a family of diplomat in accordance with Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. But Japan has not determined legal status of same sex marriage or partnership. So, a same sex partner of diplomat is not recognized as a spouse but treated as paralleled with a child at the age of 23 or younger. The Ministry does not invite such a partner to official event of the ministry or Reception for Cerebrating Emperor’s Birthday, to which different sex spouse can attend.

Asahi reported broad criticisms against Takeshita. Chairman of Policy Committee in Japan Communist Party, Akira Kasai, questioned Takeshita’s sense on human rights. President of Komeito, the coalition partner of LDP, Natsuo Yakaguchi, told that it was excessive when he considered institutions or customs of other countries. Takeshita told the reporters that he regretted his speech and thought that he should not say that.

But LDP did not join the criticisms. While LDP made a draft of legislation for promotion of understanding gender issues, the discussion for that has not made progress. It is only Japan that does not guarantee same sex partner among developed countries in Group of Seven.

New Abdication Day Considered

Shinzo Abe administration considers setting the day of abdication for current Emperor Akihito at the end of April 2019 and starting new era next day, May 1^st. The reason is highly political: because nation-wide local elections are scheduled in April. While it supposed to set the date at the end of March, Abe administration realized that the time would be in an enthusiasm not for having new Emperor, but election campaign. The administration, mainly supported by conservative powers, tries to promote the ceremony with dignity for Emperor system.

Discussion on the abdication day had been made with two options: at the end of 2018 and at the end of March 2019 when a fiscal year of 2018 will end. Emperor Akihito indicated that the 30^th year of Heisei era, or 2018, would be a sort of period in considering the timing of abdication. Change of era at the end of a year would be recognized as causing less confusion in Japanese society. However, Imperial Household Agency protested the scheduling, because yearend and new-year days would have a lot of ceremony in the Imperial House, including 30^th anniversary of fall of Emperor of Showa, Hirohito, on January 7^th.

So, abdication at the end of March became the likeliest plan. But, quadrennial nation-wide local elections are planned in two weekends in April 2019. Late March and early April is in the middle of election campaign in many cities and towns all over Japan. Abe administration thought that it would not be appropriate for the people cerebrating new era, being disturbed by loud cries of candidates from speakers set on the top of campaign cars. Abe insisted on “calm environment” for the abdication to show his respect for Emperor.

Those considerations do not ensure the correctness of abdication at the end of April. If the schedule of abdication is fixed with that date, the 31^st year of Heisei will be for four months and the rest of the year will be another era. A baby born in April 2019 will be categorized in Heisei ager and another in May 2019 will be in new ager. May 1^st is in the middle of Golden Week, when the people are in vacation or travel abroad. There is no guarantee that political struggle will be ceased in the time, anyway.

Abe administration decided to have Imperial Household Council on December 1^st, in which the members discuss the date of abdication. Abe is going to make Cabinet decision of abdication day on December 5^th. They need to determine the name of new era with advice from the experts on Imperial history. New name is expected to be decided before the end of next year. There is not much time for consideration.

Sumo Trouble in Mongolian Wrestlers

Mongolian Sumo wrestlers are in trouble for these weeks. One of the Sumo champions, or Yokozuna, Harumafuji, was reported to the police with suspicion of injuring younger wrestler, Takanoiwa, when he was drunk in a party of Mongolian wrestlers in Tottori last month. Both wrestlers are absent in the Kyushu tournament now. There seems to be an internal struggle in Japan Sumo Association between the conservatives and radical reformers.

The party was set with some teachers of Tottori Johoku High School, which some of Mongolian Sumo wrestlers, including Takanoiwa, had graduated. After first party was finished, the wrestlers went to a social club to have more drinks. While the reason is still not determined, Harumafuji got very angry at Takanoiwa and hit Takanoiwa forty or fifty times in the room. According to the gossip news reports, Harumafuji got mad at Takanoiwa keeping on handling his smart phone, ignoring Harumafuji’s rebuke for his ordinary disrespectful attitude to his superiors.

The incident was opened to the public during two-week Kyushu tournament. Harumafuji admitted the fact of violence on Takanoiwa with apology to him, JSA and fans. Harumafuji was absent from the tournament since then. Yokozuna Hakuho, who witnessed the violence of Harumafuji, commented to the reporters that Harumafuji did not employ any weapon, while some reports indicated hitting with a beer bottle.

One mystery is why the group owner of Takanohana-beya, retired Yokozuna Takanohana, reported the incident to the police before noticing it to JSA. While it was likely for Takanohana to be afraid of concealing the incident from public eyes, this kind of issue had to be reported to JSA first. Takanohana was defeated in the election of JSA Chairman two years ago. It is supposed that the relationship between current Chairman Hakkaku, retired Yokozuna Hokutoumi, and Takanohana has been bad since the election.

While Takanohana has been keeping silence to the reporters, Takanoiwa began to tell the story to his close acquaintances. One supporter of Takanoiwa received telephone call from Takanoiwa, in which Takanoiwa defended himself as being hit by Harumafuji with no specific reason. Gossip news are divided in two: one is accusing Takanohana of his silent protest against current JSA Board and another is praise for Takanohana of his firm attitude of reforming JSA, which keeps obsolete rules for governance. Most Sumo fans in Mongol are supporting Harumafuji in this issue. But it does not look like escalating to the extent of diplomatic issue between Japan and Mongol so far.

Authority Concludes It As Inappropriate

Board of Audit of Japan submitted a report to the Diet on Wednesday about selling government-owned land to an educational corporation close to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Moritomo Gakuen. The report did not find sufficient cause for the government to discount the price by about ¥800 million, raising doubts on the handling of Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism. It is inevitable that Moritomo scandal is ignited again.

When the land was sold to Moritomo Gakuen in June 2016, its appraisal value was determined to be ¥965 million. After Moritomo claimed that there was a certain amount of debris underground, MoF reduced the price by ¥820 million for the cost of removing the debris and sold it with the price of ¥134 million. It was highly unusual 85% discount of government-owned property without disclosure of sales price immediately.

BoA made its original estimation of the removal of underground debris. The Board concluded that the cost for removal was cheaper by 30% to 70% than that MLIT had estimated, criticizing the estimate as lacking careful research. BOA also found that MoF’s reasoning for special deal for Moritomo with late payment was baseless. There was no case except Morimoto in selling of government-owned property with special deal of late payment between 2012 and 2016.

First Lady Akie Abe was the honorable principal of the school, which Moritomo Gakuen tried to establish on the discounted land. No one can help doubting that the bureaucrats of Ministries might have offered a good deal preferable to a school closely related to their supreme boss. Prime Minister Abe has been saying that he would thoroughly explain the scandal. As the top leader of the exceptive branch, Abe is responsible for ordering his bureaucrats opening all the information. But, the bureaucrats have destroyed related documents to erase the process of Moritomo scandal.

The opposite parties argue that the scandal is proved to be true. Secretary General of Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Tetsuro Fukuyama, asserted that the argument of the opposite parties was approved to be correct by BoA report. “With no official record kept, it is obvious that the selling of land property was made without clear process,” said Fukuyama in internal meeting of the party. Party of Hope and Democratic Party agreed on inviting then Director-General of Financial Bureau, Nobuhisa Sagawa, to the Diet for a testimony.

It is likely that some leaders in Liberal Democratic Party will urge further explanation of Abe administration. Chairman of LDP Policy Research Council, Fumio Kishida, demanded the government detailed answer to the question the people embraced. With decline of political power of Abe, Moritomo Scandal disturbs his agenda.

Supporting Re-designation of Terrorism Sponsor

United States President Donald Trump declared on Monday the re-designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Although the listing enables US posing further sanctions on Kim Jong-un regime, it is likely that North Korea is raising tension with nuclear and missile development. Ignoring possible negative consequence of that sanction, Japanese government welcomed the decision of Trump.

Indicating the assassination of Kim’s elder brother in Malaysia or death of an American student who was detained in North Korea for over a year and returned to US with brain damage, Trump accused North Korea as supporting international terrorism. “This designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on North Korea and related persons and supports our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the murderous regime,” told Trump in his Cabinet meeting.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe immediately welcomed Trump’s decision and expressed firm support for it. “This is unprecedentedly significant and immediate threat,” said Abe in the discussion in House of Representatives on Tuesday. “It is possible that North Korea had been successful in minimizing the warhead to carry their nuclear weapons with missiles.” Abe must be happy with the decision, because Japanese government has been requesting it for years.

Yomiuri Shimbun raised a headline for an editorial, “Prepare for New Provocation.” The paper approved Trump’s decision, including abduction of Japanese citizens in another terrorism by North Korea. Nikkei Shimbun also evaluated the re-designation as appropriate, arguing that the decision was rather too late. “International society has to be get together to put stronger pressure,” insisted the editorial.

Even Mainichi Shimbun regarded Trump’s decision as a basis for containing the threat. “Although there is an argument that development of nuclear and missile may not be an act of supporting terrorism, North’s illegal nuclear development cannot be separated from terrorism, as long as Islamic extremists are approaching nuclear technology,” contemplated Mainichi in its editorial.

Only Asahi Shimbun raised its skepticism with a headline of “No Progress Only with Antagonism.” Attributing the decision to reckless behavior of North Korea, though, Asahi focused on current change of attitude of Kim regime. “Although the pressure against nuclear development has to be strengthened, it is nothing but a method for leading to dialogue,” argued Asahi’s editorial. Knowing that further sanction has its certain limit, Asahi reminded the readers of democratic solution as the only way to solution.

Separated Stance of Opposite

Questioning to the policy speech of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe started in the Plenary Meeting of House of Representatives on Monday. This is the opportunity for the opposite parties have been waiting for a long time. However, after bitter separation of Democratic Party and establishment of new parties, the opposite leaders took their time for explaining what they exactly were. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated his political agenda.

President of Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Yukio Edano, strictly opposed Abe’s argument of adding a provision of determining status of Self-defense Force to Constitution of Japan. Edano demanded abolishment of New Security Legislation Abe administration activated last year as deviating from constitutional principle of Exclusively Defense-oriented Policy. “Leaving a situation that contradicts constitutionalism, we cannot discuss constitutional amendment appropriately. Talk about it in compliance with existing constitution. This is a correct argument,” insisted Edano.

Party of Hope did not take firm standpoint on constitution. President Yuichiro Tamaki expressed basic uneasiness to Abe’s argument. “It is not honest to argue the status of Self-defense Force without discussing sphere or condition of self-defense right,” told Tamaki, making no sense. Most leaders of party of Hope approve Abe’s argument of changing Article 9 of Constitution. But, if Tamaki takes that policy, some lawmakers will leave the party. The most dishonest thing, anyway, is that the party follows security policy of Abe administration, overturning their campaign promise of defeating Abe.

Abe was not bothered by those questions. He repeated basic notion that constitutional amendment would be taken initiative by the Diet and decided by national referendum. “Exclusively Defense-oriented Policy is a basic policy of our defense and we will maintain it. Facing severe security situation around our country, I will deal with those difficult issues,” told Abe.

The most uneasy question for Abe was raised by his colleague, Chairman of Policy Research Council of Liberal Democratic Party, Fumio Kishida. Although the opposite leaders did not referred to Moritomo and Kake scandal so much, Kishida demanded Abe further explanation on it, refusing settlement of that political agenda. “As long as the people embrace doubts, it is extremely important for you to sincerely explain about it,” told Kishida. That reflected fundamental concern of LDP lawmakers about declining public support for their party. “I have been accumulating sincere explanation and I will not change that recognition,” said Abe.

Party Founder Leaves

A populist leader who led anti-Abe campaign in elections suddenly stepped down. President of Party of Hope and Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, announced her resignation last week, insisting on her desire to focus on handling local politics in Tokyo. When she took the seat less than two months ago, Koike hoped to be the national leader by defeating incumbent Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the election. Realizing the idea as unrealistic, Koike escaped from her responsibility of rebuilding the party up for the cause.

As president of a local party, Tokyoite First, Koike achieved a sweeping victory in the election of Tokyo Metropolitan Congress in July, damaging local organization of Liberal Democratic Party. Encouraged by local victory, Koike embarked on organizing her colleagues to establish national party. When she ran for Tokyo Governor last summer, LDP raised another candidate contending against Koike. After the gubernatorial election, Koike took a stance of anti-LDP and Anti-Abe administration. Final goal for Koike was to defeat Abe administration and take the seat of Prime Minister.

A miscalculation was that Abe dissolved House of Representatives too early for Koike to establish new national party for the election. Although Party of Hope, led by some colleagues in its early stage, tried to collect young and fresh candidates in all over Japan, it was apparently in short to defeat LDP. Then, Koike accepted an offer from then President of Democratic Party, Seiji Maehara, to raise all DP candidates from Party of Hope. After accepting the offer, Koike made a fatal mistake of referring to exclusion of leftist lawmakers in DP, which caused fractural campaign of the opposite parties.

Koike told that she would keep on supporting the party in a certain way. But, she had not been a supporter, but the founding leader of the party. It is likely that she was disappointed to impossibility of the party to defeat Abe administration and frustrated with the situation of the party hijacked by former DP lawmakers. As seen in the resignation of Mayor of Osaka, Toru Hashimoto, a populist leader can suddenly lose fundamental interest in politics, when he or she loses hope, leaving the enthusiastic supporters behind.

Lawmaker in House of Representatives, Yuichiro Tamaki, succeeded Koike as president of the party. While he chose lawmakers close to Koike for new board members, it is likely that the party can be suffering from another separation. Liberal lawmakers indicate leaving the party, not satisfied with the selection of board members. What former DP lawmakers imported was endless antagonism among the colleagues.

Decline of Support from Party

After sweeping victory in the last election of House of Representatives, political power of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which had once seemed to be invincible, looks like declining. Young leaders in Liberal Democratic Party are frustrated with unilateral leadership of Abe administration, controlled by Abe’s close allies and bureaucrats. Power balance between Abe Cabinet and the leading party is changing.

It is usual for an administration to have an extraordinary session to discuss supplementary budget for economic stimulation or other issues every fall. Abe did not want to have the session this fall, because negative impact of discussion on Moritomo and Kake scandal seemed to be bigger than positive element of promoting his political agenda. So, he supposed to close the Special Session after the election, which is required by the Constitution to elect or reelect Prime Minister, in a few days as usual.

They were senior leaders in LDP who proposed saving certain period of time for discussing political issues including Abe’s scandal, not to be doubted as escaping from the issues the people were interested in. There is a fundamental skepticism on Abe’s leadership in the party. Main reason of the victory in the election was not popularity of Abe, but failure of the opposite parties to form integrated power. Weakness of LDP was actually proved in the election of Tokyo Metropolitan Congress this summer, in which LDP experienced bitter defeat against a new party called Tokyoite First.

Young leaders in LDP began to raise their voices. Chairman of Health, Labor and Welfare Division in LDP Policy Research Council, Gaku Hashimoto, a son of former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, straightforwardly criticized the party platform for the last election that had been made against the decision of his division. “This division is needless, if our party would pick a policy that we concluded to oppose,” said Hashimoto after the election.

A son of another Japanese Prime Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, was disappointed to Abe’s negotiation with Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, for financial support for the policy of education for free over the head of LDP. “LDP has heard or discussed nothing. If the things are going like that, LDP will be needless,” said Koizumi. What those young leaders are saying is not that LDP is needless, but the leadership of Abe is needless.

One of the candidates for the successor of Abe, Fumio Kishida, Chairman of LDP Policy Research Council, protested to a staff of Abe on the governmental decision on Human Resources Development before the discussion in the party. Chairman of LDP General Council, Wataru Takeshita, encouraged former Minister of Derense Shigeru Ishiba running for LDP presidential election next year. Dynamism in LDP is changing as Abe’s popularity is declining.

Reluctant Policy Speech

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday made his policy speech in the Special Session of the Diet convoked after the election of House of Representatives. What he had appealed in the election campaign was continuity of his administration. He actually made no change in the list of Ministers of Abe Cabinet after the election. That is why there was nothing new in his policy speech, weakening political momentum of Abe administration.

Asahi Shimbun reported that Abe’s policy speech contained about 3,500 letters, the second shortest one in these 30 years following Prime Minister Jun-ichiro Koizumi’s speech right after general election with his Postal Service Reform Dissolution in 2005. There was no attractive quotation of famous words by old figures or historical episode, which had been usual in Prime Minister’s policy speech to the Diet.

The speech was titled as “Activation of Policies for Cultivating Future.” “Situation of North Korea with rising tension and acceleration of aged society with low birth. Now, our country faces many problems, precipitating it into a national crisis,” Abe began his speech with recognition of crisis, ignoring a survey by Cabinet Office in which 8 Japanese people out of 10 realized their country was in good security.

Abe then introduced himself to continue his administration as a result of last election of House of Representatives. “Activate your policies with stable political basis was the voices of the people expressed in the election,” boasted Abe, even though his Liberal Democratic Party could achieve less than a half of all general votes in spite of getting overwhelming majority of all the seats in the House.

Although he raised North Korean issue after the preface, newspapers did not miss his ambition for constitutional amendment. Abe proposed constructive discussion for the future beyond the aisle. “In the effort of sharing wisdom and leading to a conclusion, I believe that we can promote the discussion on constitutional amendment,” told Abe without stepping forward from what he had been saying. To justify his policy of raising consumption tax rate in 2019, Abe stressed importance of education for free, taking advantage of additional fiscal budget produced by the tax increase.

Abe did not want to deliver his policy speech in this session. It is usual for the opposite parties to ask questions on Prime Minister’s policy speech. When he accepted the questions, it would be inevitable to be asked about Moritomo and Kake scandal, which had caused the decline of public support for Abe administration in the first half of this year. Having noticed the decline of Abe’s political power, the leaders of LDP accept the request of the opposite party to test Abe’s survivability.

Amendment Discussion Resumes

A month after a sweeping victory in the election of House of Representatives, Liberal Democratic Party restarted internal discussion for constitutional amendment on Thursday. Encouraged by keeping two-third majority of the supporters in the House, the leading party hopes to take initiative of the amendment in the ordinary session next year. However, the argument in LDP has not converged in terms of which provision should be changed. It is nothing more than amendment for amendment.

LDP raised four points for the amendment in their campaign platform: writing down the status of Self-defense Force, adding emergency clause for major disaster, education for free and electoral district along with prefectural border in House of Councillors. The members of Headquarters for Promotion of Constitutional Amendment discussed how to change the provisions for new electoral districts.

Article 47 determines that electoral districts of both Houses shall be fixed by law. LDP argues adding a sentence for electing at least one lawmaker from each prefecture to the Article. They also consider adding a description of making prefecture basic unit of electoral district to Article 92, which determines organization and operations of local public entities.

It is still unclear why constitutional amendment is needed for setting electoral district based on prefecture as a unit. It is possible for lawmakers to achieve it by changing laws and they have actually been doing that. A discussion that they cannot do that without constitutional amendment is a naïve incompetence or intensive negligence of Japanese democracy. Or it may be a grudge against a decision of Supreme Court that recommended removing prefectural borderline to ensure equality of one vote.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pretends not to be interested in constitutional amendment after the election, leaving the discussion to LDP lawmakers. Coalition partner of LDP, Komeito, is very careful about early procedure of the discussion, being afraid of losing support for the party that could partly seen in the last election. Namely, electoral district along with prefectural border is not popular in Komeito or the opposite parties.

The opposite leader, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, dismisses all of four points of amendment raised by LDP. “It will be alright if it is good change, but if it is bad, we will firmly oppose,” said CDPJ President Yukio Edano. The party definitely opposes determining the status of SDF, arguing that it would approve unconstitutional interpretation of exercising collective self-defense right. Party of Hope and Japan Restoration Party are basically the supporters of LDP, though with some minor difference, in the discussion of constitutional amendment.

Defying Responsibility of Explanation

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised detailed explanation on Kake Gakuen scandal, which he was doubted to have been involved in the governmental process of selection for establishing new veterinary school in the college run by his old friend. To implement that promise, Liberal Democratic Party accepted challenge of the opposite party to have discussion in a committee in House of Representatives on Tuesday. The government protected Abe without reasonable logic. LDP defended its President by spending their questioning time for accusing the opposite parties and news media.

The discussion was focused on four conditions set by the government to approve the application of Kake Gakuen to establish new veterinary school. They were detailed planning for raising veterinarians different from existing education, additional demand for veterinarian in the categories such as life science, difficulty of being dealt by existing veterinary schools in Japan, and consideration on recent demand for veterinarian. They were listed in Japan Rejuvenation Strategy in 2015.

The opposite parties asked whether the application of Kake Gakuen met those conditions. In the discussion of Council for College Establishment and Educational Corporation, an advisory body of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, or MEXT, it was indicated that the demand of veterinarian was not cleared. The opposite lawmakers argued that Kake Gakuen was selected without fulfilling the four conditions.

The answer of MEXT was basically irresponsible. “I would not deliver any comment on the discussion in the council,” told Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office, Yasumasa Nagasaka. “It was a conclusion of the council after the discussion based on a notion that the selection was properly made,” said Minister of MEXT, Yoshimasa Hayashi. There was no responsible answer from the government whether the selection had fulfilled necessary conditions.

Abe administration took advantage of overwhelming majority in the Diet for defending itself from accusation on the scandal by reducing opportunity of question for the opposite parties. While LDP introduced a rule in the committees that the share of question time between the opposite and the leading as 8 and 2, Abe administration changed it into 2 and 1 not to give the opposites enough time to accuse Abe. An LDP lawmaker, Hiroyuki Yoshiie, spent his time for accusing news media as repeating arbitral reporting and the opposite parties as criticism not on evidence but on conclusion. He did not ask how the selection process was going on, because he had been one of the staffs involved in the selection. This is the scandal that Abe has to overcome even with game changing.

Trump Went Back Home

Having enjoyed golf play with his partner fell back into a bunker, shrimp from disputed Takeshima Island and boasting his granddaughter’s singing of Chinese song, President of the United States Donald Trump left Asia on Tuesday. Insisting on unilateral interest of America in international trade, US looked like leaving aside its traditional standpoint of value-based diplomacy, which was democracy or human rights. Trump’s first visit to Asia indicated diminishing American presence in the region along with emergence of China.

Nikkei Shimbun raised a headline of “Poor Resonance on America First” for an article of reviewing Trump’s visit to Asia. The article criticized the attitude of Trump putting the first priority on internal logic of US, quoting his words from the speech about comprehensive strategy toward Asia on Sunday in which he rejected major agreement against US sovereignty. Nikkei interpreted Trump’s argument to be defying international effort to establish multilateral trade rules and seeking trade convenient to US interest.

The article also introduced a comment of a spokesman of Philippine, “While he had been supposed to say something on the statement of ASEAN on the issue of North Korea or South China Sea, there was no comment. It was all about trade.” Trump offered Vietnamese Head of State US role as an arbitrator in the issue of South China Sea, retreating from the status of one of the parties involved in. He did not referred to human rights in the meeting with highly authoritarian President of Philippine Rodrigo Duterte. “Could not be seen the figure of super power leader whose words on principles shared by Western developed countries generated centripetal force,” the article concluded.

In the article of anonymous discussion by the writers, Nikkei quoted words of a diplomatic source that dubbed Trump as “a small business dude,” who was delighted with warm welcome by host nations. One writer remembered China’s evaluation of Trump as a man easy to deal with, looking down on him as tamable with practical benefit. As a matter of fact, Trump ignored expectation of the countries in Southeast Asia to take initiative to deter unilateral advance of China in the region.

Former Japanese Ambassador to US, Ryozo Kato, analyzed in an article of Yomiuri Shimbun that Japan was United Kingdom in Asia for US and China was Soviet Union. “Although Soviet Union preferred to military, China is a big power both in economy and military. It was a behavior of emperor for Xi Jinping to invite Trump to Forbidden City. While Trump would not approve Xi’s value, it was possible for him to be impressed on that governance,” told Kato. Trump might have gotten back home with fundamental misunderstandings about China.

Frozen Wall Unfinished

Tokyo Electric Power Company, the owner of broken First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, announced that construction of the underground frozen wall around the plant was finished. While TEPCO argues that certain amount of the flow of underground water is blocked by the wall, some experts doubt that effect. What exactly was that expensive great wall of ice for?

With an endorsement from the government of Japan on the policy, TEPCO started the construction of the wall one year and seven months ago. The cost was estimated to be ¥34.5 billion, which would be procured from national budget. While the wall was installed around the plant for 1.5 kilometers long by August, except 7 meters on the hillside, TEPCO announced that the wall was completed this month, because they confirmed that the last part of 7 meters was stably frozen.

The frozen wall project is to install 1568 piles with 30 meters length in underground around the plant and freeze the soil by injecting cold liquid at -30°C into each pile. The frozen soil is supposed to build a wall in underground to block the stream of water flowing into the site, where highly contaminated water remains. Increase of contaminated water causes a problem of decontamination. Chairman of TEPCO, Takashi Kawashima, carelessly referred to a possibility of dumping the contaminated water into the sea.

Before the project started, there was a flow of natural water amounting 400 tons a day into the site. TEPCO reconfirmed that the flow was reduced as low as 100 tons in October. The power company argued that the effect of frozen wall was obvious. However, the original estimation of the effect was as low as tens of tons a day. The result has not reached the target.

TEPCO has also built 40 wells called sub-drain that enables drawing underground water. Or it paved the surface of the plant site to avoid penetration of rainwater into the soil. Some members of Nuclear Regulation Authority suppose that the effect of frozen wall can be limited, requiring further verification of the effect.

The frozen wall project started for appealing that the contaminated water produced in broken nuclear power plant could completely be under control. However, new contaminated water is still produced everyday. Although the project worked for an argument that they would not stand still doing nothing, the actual solution has not been found. It costs ¥1 billion a year to maintain the wall. How long TEPCO or the government can keep on saying that they are doing something on it?

Taming Japan

Embracing different reasons, both leaders of Japan and People’s Republic of China expressed their willingness to improve deteriorated bilateral relationship in a meeting in Danang, Vietnam, on Saturday. To the proposal of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his visit to China in an appropriate timing and request of early visit to Japan, Xi Jinping showed his intention to take account of high-level mutual visits. They agreed on cooperation to urge North Korea policy change from nuclear and missile development.

Hoping to hold trilateral leaders’ talk, including South Korea, in Japan before the end of this year, Abe requested Xi to send Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang to Japan. “There will be no true stability of Japan-China relation without stability in East China Sea,” told Abe. Both governments are going to discuss activation of Japan-China Maritime and Air Communication Mechanism, which is a system for preventing accidental collision of military ships or aircrafts. It was not reasonable for Abe not to express frustration with constant violation of Japanese territory around Senkaku Islands by Chinese official ships.

Surprisingly enough, Abe welcomed China’s effort to implement United Nations resolutions on nuclear and missile development of North Korea. The reason why North Korea has been refraining from further intimidation these weeks is not because China’s sanction is crucial, but because the North faces a sort of stalemate. They also agreed on discussing how they would be able to contribute to regional stability and prosperity, including China’s modern imperialistic advance to the West with a cause of infrastructural development, One Belt One Road. Did it mean Japan’s participation to Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank in the future?

Yomiuri Shimbun analyzed that Abe wanted to improve the bilateral relationship which had been lagging behind among those with major nations. He sees possibility of the improvement for a momentum of further growth of Japanese economy. There are major corporations in Japan that recognize Belt and Road Initiative as a big business opportunity. Accepting Abe’s approach to China’s world strategy, Xi showed big smile to Abe for the first time in their relationship.

Basically, Xi is most interested in the big game with United States, proposing division of influential sphere in Pacific Ocean in two. After successful deal to deter US from involvement in the disputes in Asia with huge amount of investment to US business, Xi looked to be confident of taking hegemony in the region. He knows well about the fact that taming Japan leads to not giving US a cause of countering China.