New Personal Agenda

Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, took on another personal agenda, abduction issue. In a gaggle with correspondents at Official Residence of Prime Minister on Thursday evening, Abe announced that Japan and North Korea had agreed with resuming investigation of Japanese abductees in North Korea. For its compensation, Japan would lift its economic sanction against the North. So, who is going to be the winner of this deal?

The deal was something comprehensive. Not only abductees, all Japanese in the North are subjected to the research. The government of Japan had listed twelve abductees in North Korea, eight of which the North explained to have been dead and the rest not to have immigrated at all. Other than those people, Japan had registered about four hundred seventy people as specific missing citizens, possibly abducted by the North. The North’s research includes on Japanese spouses of North Korean citizens and other Japanese, which amount to over three thousand.

Abduction issue was a springboard of Abe’s political carrier. He was one of a few lawmakers who argued to take the abductees back to Japan in 1990s, when most people did not believe in such a conspiracy. After he made a case as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Prime Minister Jun-ichiro Koizumi and supported summit meeting of the two nations that led to returning five abductees to Japan, Abe stepped up as a new leader in Japanese politics. “My duty will not finish until all families of abductees embrace their children in their arms,” Abe insisted to the reporters in the gaggle.

It is unclear, however, whether the North will make sufficient investigation on it. It reported fake evidence on the abductees or did nothing for the agreement of research in the past. According to new agreement, Japan will lift its sanction policy on immigration or port entry of North Korean vessels for humanitarian purpose. While Japan has been taking hardest measures against the North, it will be the first nation which shows softer attitude to the country with development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

United States, the leader of international concerted efforts to get rid of North’s threats, is worried about benefitting Kim Jong-un administration without substantial progress. Given a lesson that Koizumi visited Pyongyang for the deal in abduction issue without realizing the nuclear program in the North, U.S. is closely watching the process of negotiation between Japan and North Korea. But one thing is obvious. It is unlikely for the North to give up its weapons program for compensation with the trade only with Japan.

Difference from Two Weeks Ago

Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, was grilled by lawmakers in his first appearance to the National Diet since he announced his intention to consider reinterpretation of the Article IX of the Constitution for making exercise of collective self-defense right possible. Exposed to detailed questions on how Japanese Self-defense Force could be more active in restriction of the Constitution, Abe extended his idea beyond the border that former administrations had been keeping. His expansionism, in addition to revisionism, is getting unpopular to the public.

Two weeks ago, Abe stressed his responsibility of protecting the Japanese on a United States vessel escaping from conflict in overseas. “With current interpretation of the Constitution, Japanese Self-defense Force cannot help your mothers and kids. I want you to think about it,” told Abe in the press conference. He also repeated that the force could not help young Japanese in peacekeeping operation in emergency of suffering from armed force.

His explanation was changed, as long as his answer in the Diet was concerned. “Even though no Japanese are on board, we need to protect U.S. vessel attacked by a third party, because Japanese and U.S. Force cannot make an evacuation plan distinguishing vessels with Japanese from those with no Japanese,” told Abe in the discussion of Budget Committee in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. A beautiful story of a political leader being a superman standing up for protecting his people has changed into a comic of a poor businessman flattering his boss with loyalty of helping him at any cost.

In addition, he turned down his implementation at the press conference that Japan would never be involved in foreign battles such as Iraq War or Gulf War. In the discussion of the committee, Abe revealed his intention to ease the restriction “It should be a talking point to make clear of the definition of integration with use of force by foreign troops,” told Abe to the questions.

Current interpretation restricts Japanese Force from removing floating mines until battle is ceased. Abe also questioned to that. “Is it right for us not to join in an international effort of removing mines floating in Hormuz Strait, despite a lot of Japanese ships need to pass?” he told. But most arguments look his story as unrealistic, because Japanese ships would not pass the strait while battles continue. Abe simply wants to join the battle anyway, even through removing mines.

Although Abe might not be warmongering person, he firmly insists on making his legacy of paving the way to reinterpret the Constitution. That is why this is called his personal agenda.

Another Imperial Family Leaving

Imperial Household Agency on Tuesday announced an engagement of Princess Noriko, second daughter of a cousin of Emperor Akihito, or the late Prince Takamado, with the eldest son of the chief priest of Izumo Grand Shrine, Kunimaro Senge. Since Izumo Shrine is widely believed as an institution of engagement of couples, the news spread to the most Japanese people as a happy romance. However, wedding of Imperial Family has complicated elements.

After Noriko and Kunimaro met for the first time seven years ago, they kept their relationship with support of both of their families. While Noriko has been working as a young Imperial member after graduating college, the engagement was made “naturally” without any words of wedding proposal from Kunimaro. According to Kunimaro, Senge family is the descendants of the second son of God Amaterasu who is believed as the origin of the Imperial Family.

In press conference, Noriko told that she had been sorry about letting Kunimaro wait for a long time until announcement of their engagement. It indicated that they were closely watching the discussion over establishment of “Female Imperial House.”

Imperial House Law requires a female imperial family to leave the house, when she is married with a common man. Her name will be deleted from the family list and housekeeping money will be stopped. Instead, she will obtain voting right in elections and duty of paying taxes.

However, there was an argument that such a rule may lead to a less functional Imperial Family. Few families may also cause elimination of the House with less productivity of the members. Despite Imperial House Law determines that the Emperor must be acceded by male family in the Imperial House, there is only one unmarried young male, Prince Sakihito in Akishino Family.

The government of Japan has discussed a possibility for female imperial families to stay in the list of the Imperial House by creating “Female Imperial House.” But Abe administration, which is selling itself as a promoter of more active role of women as represented by unique concept called “womanomics,” has yet discussed it.

The ceremony of engagement will be held in July and their wedding will be at Izumo Grand Shrine on October. The couple will start their new life in Izumo city. “Though I’m feeling sadness of leaving Imperial House a little and holding some worries on new life in Izumo, it might not be making a big difference from marriages of many women,” told Noriko. Everybody wants happy wedding for her and her house, anyway.

Fifteen Examples

To justify its attempt to reinterpret the Constitution of Japan, the administration led by Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, presented a report of fifteen examples, in which they argued they needed to consider the reinterpretation. As Abe has always been so in pushing his personal agenda, those examples are extremely trivial. Making major policy change through minor reinterpretations is usual method of bureaucrats in Japan. The coalition of a trivia-loving leader and some authoritarians in bureaucracy is bringing instability in Asia by introducing unilateral security visions.

In his first administration between 2006 and 2007, Abe raised four examples for discussing reinterpretation of the Constitution. Fifteen examples this time should be an extended version of that. They included three examples of “gray zone,” in which situation was not escalated to offense with arms, four examples for peace keeping operation by the United Nations, and eight examples for exercising collective self-defense right.

Among the fifteen, there is an example of rescuing Japanese citizens from a terrorist attack in foreign country with agreement of it. This is simply an intervention to a conflict in foreign country, which post-war Japan has never been involved in. Rescuing citizen is a typical justification of invasion, as Russian occupation of Crimea recently showed, for instance. Agreement of host nation is also obsolete reason of aggression, as America or Soviet Union used in the time of the Cold War. There still are some people in Japanese government who want to use logic of great power, unfortunately.

Another ridiculous example is protecting American vessel around Japan when homeland of the United States are attacked. “U.S. homeland was attacked by a country close to Japan with ballistic missiles loading weapons of mass destruction. Although Japan has not been attacked, U.S. began to retaliate. The enemy country has been taking antagonistic attitude to Japan, and its attack on us is possible, if we do not stop their attacks. But we cannot do it,” is the story.

That is wrong. You can do it, because it is recognized as attack on Japan and there are laws to deal with such a case already. Abe administration just wants to make a case to exercise collective self-defense to break the Constitution down.

Amazingly, the report noted a necessity of dealing with submarines hanging on in deep sea within Japan’s territory. It is not what a country is explicitly discussing as security policy. To justify his personal agenda, Abe revealed Japan’s preparation for marine operation. The more positive the administration is in discussion of trivial contingency, the harder its neighbors prepare for it.

Taking Toll of Being West

With no strange reason, taking Western side took a toll of bilateral relationship with an Eurasian giant. Russian President, Vladimir Putin, expressed his unpleasantness on Japan’s sanction against his nation as a protest against invasion to Crimea and Eastern Ukraine in his press conference with reporters in St. Petersburg. Negotiation over the Northern Territory of Japan got into confusion as it had always been.

Putin did not hide his surprise on Japan’s decision of sanction against Russia. Even though Japanese sanction had been softer than the measures of other Western countries, Putin told that he recognized it as an act of suspending the process of bilateral negotiation over peace treaty including territorial issue. “Though we have willingness for negotiation, I still don’t know whether Japan want to do it,” said Putin.

This should be realized as new pressure of Russia to Japan, the nation which embraced a great concern in future energy supply. Putin made a deal with Chinese President a few days ago to stand together against historical revisionism, which indicated controversial view of Japanese Premier, Shinzo Abe. His skepticism on bilateral negotiation with Japan showed Russia’s standpoint that it did not necessarily need to make a big compromise to Japan, as far as Russian-Chinese relationship would be moderate.

Putin’s negative attitude will significantly affect diplomacy of Abe. As he said in his policy speech to the Diet in January, which expressed his eagerness to build a partnership with Russia, Abe recognized this bilateral relationship as one of a few hopeful diplomacies with major powers. Although both countries have been accumulating talks on official levels, Putin’s visit to Japan may be cancelled, if this skepticism will be lying between the two leaders.

There is no sign of improvement between them, as situation in Ukraine has no preferable progress for Russia. Following a victory of a pro-European candidate in presidential election, Ukraine seems to be more leaning on Western side. It is likely for Russia to take more negative attitude against new Ukrainian administration, possibly pushing Japan into taking further distance from Russia.

It has basically been inappropriate to have independent diplomacy with Russia under the nuclear umbrella of the United States. This naïve leader believed that moderate personal relationship with Russian President would work for a breakthrough in that difficult negotiation. Before providing with concerns to neighbor countries, including Russia, by promoting personal right wing agenda as seen, for example, in reinterpreting the pacifist constitution, Abe needs to take on realistic diplomacy to build a constructive relationship.

On the Blink of Air Battle

Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that fighter jets of Chinese Military Force approached aircrafts of Japanese Self-defense Force to the extent of a near midair collision inside Japan’s air defense identification zone in East China Sea. The area was within the ADIZ that China had newly set last year. In addition in South China Sea, China is also challenging status quo in East China Sea.

It was around 11 a.m. of Saturday when two Chinese fighter jets Su27 approached a picture data collector, OP3C, of Japanese Marine Self-defense Force and then they reached electronic measuring aircraft, YS11EB, of Japanese Air Self-defense Force around noon. They approached from the rear of Japanese aircrafts and one of them reached as close as 170 feet of OP3C and 100 feet of YS11EB. Japanese aircrafts were watching joint military exercise by China and Russia around the area.

Minister of Defense, Itsunori Onodera, released a comment accusing China’s activity as “dangerous move that might cause unintended accident.” The government of Japan protested China through Chinese Embassy in Tokyo. China’s official response to it has not reported.

Although Chinese aircrafts did not invaded territory of Japan, there had been no such happening as this close approach to Japan’s aircraft after China set its ADIZ last year. The area was hundreds of miles north of Senkaku Islands and close to wells of natural gas, over which Japan and China disputes their interests. It could be understand that China made an attempt of intimidation for securing its interest, which would be paralleled with collision with Vietnam over Paracel Islands in South China Sea.

When Chinese military vessel radiated strike control radar on Japanese destroyer in January last year, there was an argument that the Chinese navy had not recognized the meaning of doing that. After international accusation over collision with Vietnam around Paracel Islands, Chinese intimidation could no longer be explained as a mater of innocence.

Two days before the near miss by Chinese fighter jets, there was a deadly explosion in Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous District. China’s internal tension over ethnic opposition is getting higher. If the government of China is trying to shift its people’s eyes from internal frustration to external potential threats, it will be inviting serious consequences on its own security. Although China agreed with Russia to deal with American pressure, Russia will not take strategy completely preferable to China as long as they share too much extended border. China’s unilateral activities in West Pacific will only alienate itself.

Evacuation Leaving Danger

Most Japanese thought a captain who escaped from his sinking ship, leaving high school students on board, as a symbol of low safety standard and moral in South Korea. The worse happened in Japan, however. Asahi Shimbun exclusively reported that most workers of Tokyo Electric Power Company evacuated from First Fukushima Nuclear Plant, against director’s order to stay, in emergency of fatal accident three years ago. That was revealed as a description in a memo of interview to the director who died after the accident.

The Governmental Investigation Committee of Fukushima Nuclear Accident interviewed to Masao Yoshida, who was the Director of First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant at the time of the accident, for thirteen times from July to November in 2011. That undisclosed record is as long as twenty-nine hours and sixteen minutes, and kept in Cabinet Office. Since Yoshida died in cancer of esophagus last year, the record contains high value as a few voices of people who dealt with the accident.

In the series of accident, the first, third and fourth buildings, containing nuclear reactors were blown out. But it was the second reactor that caused evacuation of the workers. In the morning of March 15^th, four days after the plant lost control over the reactors, when Yoshida heard sound of explosion from the second reactor and found pressure of suppression control room became zero. The workers realized a possibility of fatal exposition to radioactive materials.

Against the order of Yoshida to stay in safer place inside the plant, six hundred and fifty workers out of all seven hundred twenty moved to Second Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant located ten kilometers away from the First plant. Someone in the workers asked bus drivers to go to the Second plant. Some moved with their personal cars. Group managers who were responsible for commanding at the accident were included in those evacuees.

All workers must have recognized that Japan was on the verge of failure, if total breakdown of the plant had caused vast evacuation in the capital of Japan. Evacuees returned to the First plant six hours later, but the second reactor exhaled white gas and fire occurred in the fourth rector during their evacuation. They cannot escape from accusation of abandoning their duties.

The interview report must be disclosed. Although the government is reluctant to it, activities of workers in the plant have a great significance in determining what really happened there. It is a matter of modesty to history.

Decision against Night Practice

Yokohama Regional Court on Wednesday made an epoch making decision, affecting a number of lawsuits against noises from airbases. It admitted negative impact on health and psychological pain of residents around Atsugi Air Base stemmed from noise of fighter jet practices, and ordered Ministry of Defense to stop night practice between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. While the decision can reduce only 0.4% of all practices, it for the first time stepped into denial of actual practice, not only compensation for sufferings.

The decision realized that demand of stopping practices would stood as a lawsuit against government, because the action could be recognized as execution of governmental power. Then it found the execution had serious impact on lives of the residents around. “Accusers has been suffering from sleeplessness, disturbance on conversation, telephone talks, TV watching, reading and study, and from psychological pain of uneasiness for health by noises of practices,” told the decision. It also ordered the government to pay ¥7 billion for compensation.

The judgment, however, denied ruling power of Japanese government over operation of United States Air Force using Astugi Base. But it had avoided stopping practices of U.S. Air Force, which had been causing most of noises in Atsugi. It still is difficult for the residents to overcome the Status of Forces Agreement, which determined Japan’s duty for stationing of U.S. Forces.

For accusers against noises from other bases, the decision was worth encouraging. Other lawsuits include Kadena and Futenma Air Base in Okinawa, Yokota in Tokyo, Iwakuni in Yamaguchi, and Komatsu in Ishikawa. Most of them are related to operations of U.S. Force. While it could not necessarily be leading to stopping practices of U.S. Force, the decision should work as a pressure to strictly abide by practice plan to reduce the impact.

This can be recognized as current tendency of judicial decisions that acknowledge people’s right to escape from sufferings caused by executive power. Accepting criticisms about weak judicial power against executive branch, new legislature in 2004 acknowledged a right to stop governmental execution, when it would cause significant harm on people’s life.

Ministry of Defense was just surprised. Minister of Defense, Itsunori Onodera, released a comment that regretted not being heard the ministry’s opinion and criticized the decision as unacceptable. Some in Abe administration are worried about an impact on Prime Minister’s appeal of contribution of Self-defense Force for Japan’s safety. Others even recognize the decision against Japanese Self-defense Force as sacrifice of U.S. Force. Joint operation between Japan and U.S. Force may be having difficult time.

Judicial Intervention in Nukes Argument

The judicial branch of Japanese government at last intervened in argument over resumption of halted nuclear reactors in power generation plants. Fukui Regional Court acknowledged insufficiency of safety measures against earthquakes in Oi Nuclear Power Plant and ordered Kansai Electric Power Company not to resume those reactors. KEPCO announced it would appeal to higher court. Although it was not a final decision, the judgment has a great significance as the first authorization by the government on viability of the argument against resumptions of nuclear reactors.

The sentence firstly put the highest value on “right of personality” based on right of life. Then it focused on possibility of causing actual danger paralleled with the accident in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant three years ago, rather than compliance with new safety standards adopted in last summer.

On that conceptual basis, the decision dismissed the estimation of impact on the reactors in Oi when a major earthquake would happen. While KEPCO had set the basis for quake acceleration at 700 Gal, the court denied credibility of that estimation and indicated possibility of reaching 1260 Gal, which the company submitted as a impossible tipping point of meltdown in reactor. It also cast a skepticism on firmness of the building in which a number of used nuclear fuel rods were stocked.

To the delights of protestors against current nuclear policy, the decision fiercely criticized KEPCO’s attitude highly leaning on economic profitability. “Although KEPCO assert that nuclear power generation leads to stable supply of electric power, it is not legally tolerable for KEPCO to join and make a decision in a discussion that compares the right related to many lives and cost of electricity,” said the decision. It defined national wealth as life based on rich soil, and lost of national wealth as making it unrecoverable.

The executive branch, which had already been running to resumption of nuclear reactors, ignored it. Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, simply responded, saying “It is right to resume reactors based on objective assessment about safety.” However, there was no objection from executive branch against the concept that resumption of nuclear reactors would violate human rights. A week ago, Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, argued that Japan needed to send its troops to protect human rights of Japanese people. Now, he is criticized as offending human rights by resuming nuclear reactors.

In Japan, similar lawsuits were raised anywhere nuclear power plants exist. It is worth watching whether other courts will follow the viewpoint of human rights of people living around nuclear power plants. If Japan keeps on saying that it has the world highest standard for nuclear power generation, the government will need to pay attention to those people.

Sino-Russo Alliance

Obsessive revisionism held by Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, appeared to be encouraging Sino-Russo alliance. In a meeting in Shanghai, Presidents of China and Russia, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, agreed on having joint memorial ceremony for victory in World War II next year. They shared recognitions that they would oppose manipulation of history and destruction of post-war international order. Although the agreement should be one of the attempts to counter Western values, Abe’s eccentric political agenda was proved to be a soft target for their coalition.

The meeting was held before the opening of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), which is a framework for peace and security by twenty-four nations in Asia. Both leaders realized next year as the seventieth anniversary of victory in anti-fascism war and Chinese people’s anti-Japan war. “We must not repeat tragedy of brutal invasion with fascism and militarism,” told Xi.

Abe’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine last December spread broad skepticism to not only China and other Asian nations, but to the United States and Europe. By positioning Abe’s revisionism as a diffusion of militarism and by connecting that militarism with fascism, China invited Russia into a joint effort to denounce Japan. Suffered from pressure from U.S. and Europe over intervention to Ukraine crisis, Russia accepted it as a measure of diplomatic reinforcement against U.S. and Europe.

On the same day, both countries started joint military exercise off the coast of Shanghai. Destroyers, cruisers loading missiles and submarines participated in the demonstration. They will also have joint practice for identification of aircrafts and air defense using their brand-new fighter jets. Embracing some difficulties over negative impact of Russian intervention in Ukraine and China’s technological maneuvers on fighter jets, the two big powers in Asia are preparing for U.S. rebalancing to Asia.

For China and Russia, Japan became one of the convenient targets in their Asia-Pacific strategy. Japan’s militarism occupies central position of China’s accusation toward Japan. Although Putin maintains moderate relationship with Abe, he sees Japan as a customer for their energy, the position which China can replace. By appealing Japan’s arrogance in history interpretation, they expect to make U.S.-Japan alliance less workable.

Alliance over history interpretation may divide the world in two. Traditional division has been between winners and losers, and then, democracy and totalitarianism. Now, China and Russia are taking advantage of separation between winners and losers within democracy group. Here is a question: What are you going to do for reunification of democracies?

Consequence of Greedy Business

A living legend of popular music, Paul McCartney, abruptly cancelled all concerts in Tokyo. According to announcement of the event office, it was due to bad condition of his health. Hundreds of thousands of ticket holders were deeply disappointed by the news. Few days after the shock, the public began to doubt what happened to him.

Few hours before the opening of his first stage in this Japan tour on Saturday, fans around National Stadium in Tokyo equally raised big “WHAT!” on the announcement of cancelation disseminated through webpage on their smart phones. It was highly unusual that such a great musician cancel his concert when fans were already waiting him in stand and arena. Some ticket holders who came to Tokyo from local cities by air or trains needed to get back home without listening sweet love songs from a inductee of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The event office released statement of McCartney, in which he apologized to Japanese fans and thanking for their support. It once announced that the concert was postponed to next Monday and cost of tickets would be refunded, then it stopped refunding until further policy for the concert schedule would be finally determined. However, McCartney also canceled Sunday concert and alternative Monday concert. He decided to cancel all concert schedules on Tuesday.

One tweeter, who asserted to have gotten info from his friends related to the event, was harshly attacked by a bunch of tweeters, after he uploaded his speculative story that Paul canceled the concert because of drinking too much in disappointment of delay of his wife’s arrival. Although it might be a ridiculous and irresponsible gaffe, announced diagnosis, viral inflammation, was actually too abstract to persuade skeptical fans.

No one would be able to escape from imagining money issue. Estimated amount lost by those cancelations can be amounting tens of million dollars. There may be lawsuits from event office against Paul McCartney demanding compensation. Although it might be a minor accident for McCartney’s life, that great financial loss has fatal meaning for the event office.

This Japan tour was set after McCartney obtained a great success in previous tour last fgall, which endorsed his name value enough to make big business. He and event office supposedly sought another big profit in Japan this month. It is called “seeking another eel in water under a willow tree” in an old saying in Japan. An arena seat ticket of next concert on Wednesday in Nihon Budokan, a venue sometime called Madison Square Garden in Tokyo, was sold at a price of ¥100,000, or $1,000. Greediness of the rock star and event office has no difference each other.

Truth of Fukushima

A controversial comic strip in a weekly magazine concluded one series story titled “Truth of Fukushima” on the issue published on Monday. Oishinbo, a gourmet comic which questioned national policy related to the accident in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, will have a break until next series. The editor of the magazine expressed sincere acknowledgement, using pages of the issue, on his responsibility for giving broad uneasiness to many. The dispute over Oishimbo, however, did not contribute to solving fundamental problem in Fukushima.

Criticism over the story was mainly about two points: description of bleeding from nose of a food journalist who visited the broken plant was exaggerated and recommendation of leaving Fukushima was inappropriate. It was true that the scene of bleeding nose might bring misunderstanding as if it was related to exposure to radioactive materials. It should be recognized as a lack of deliberation about impact on sufferers of the accident. Recommendation of leaving contaminated land was a reflection of author’s underestimation of significance of leaving hometown for the residents.

Having said those short hands, the story raised important talking points on Fukushima issue. There actually are a number of people who are uncomfortable for their health after spending three years or more inside high radiation area. Accusers against the comic insisted that the relation between the accident and disease had not been determined, and exaggeration would bring unnecessarily negative impact on people. That argument intensively ignored the fact that no one had determined that radioactive material would never affect human health. That does not remove anxiety of people.

Negative impact on products from Fukushima will not be eliminated by accusing Oishinbo. National and local government criticized the story as disturbing efforts of farmers, ranchers, and related people to sell their products to other area in Japan or to the world. But it is the job of those governments to reduce the impact they had made, rather than the impact Oishimbo made. In terms of responsibility for negative rumor, Tokyo Electric Power Company and national government owe far greater one than the comic does.

The food journalist concluded in the story that protecting Fukushima meant protecting Japan. “If the accident does not cease but escalate, not only Fukushima but Japan will be destroyed,” he said. Regardless whether the people need to leave home permanently, that elaboration on the nature of the problem is correct. That is the truth of Fukushima.

Unpopularity on Personal Agenda

A poll showed unpopularity on a personal agenda of Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe. National poll operated by Kyodo News Agency on Saturday and Sunday revealed nearly a half people opposed Japan to exercise collective self-defense, while less than four out of ten supported it. The negative opinion increased after Abe announced his willingness to unleash Japan from the restraint. People are getting aware of nature of the issue set by a basically warmongering leader.

Kyodo poll found 48.1% of responders opposed exercising collective self-defense right, while 39.0% supported it. On vesting that right on Japan Self-defense Force by reinterpreting, not amending, the Article IX of the Constitution of Japan, 51.3% answered they were against it, and 34.5% were supporting. The ratio of responders who thought Abe did not have to insist on making his decision by this fall amounted 79.3%. Supporting right for Abe Cabinet was 54.7%, declining by 5.1% from the survey one month ago.

Those numbers meant that the prime minister failed in dialogue with the public. Abe looked serious in persuading the public behind TV camera in his press conference on Thursday. He drew two panels that tried to explain how it was important to rescue Japanese people on United States vessel or to help foreign colleagues in a peace-keeping operation conducted by the United Nations.

However, he made the same mistake as he had done in his first term. He was derided by the public of both Japan and U.S. in contemplating “true fact” of comfort women in World War II. On forcibility of Japanese Imperial Army to take the women into slavery, Abe denied it in “broad meanings,” while admitting it in “narrow meanings.” With that dualism, he attempted to dismiss major direct responsibility of the Government of Japan by admitting minor indirect involvement. That attitude invited broad criticisms. For the public of Japan and U.S., comfort women issue was something happened under control of Japanese military anyway, regardless broad or narrow meanings.

That kind of trivial reasoning came back again. People held serious questions on his theory. In which situation would Japanese people board on a U.S. vessel? Why Japan cannot protect that vessel, or foreign PKO colleagues, under current interpretation of the Constitution? Why do we have to allow Self-defense Force being able to go everywhere in the world to make it happen?

Abe made no answer to them, while reiterating security for Japanese people. That was possibly because he had an unspeakable answer or nothing. If he had one, it should be “Because I wanna do that for my legacy.” That is no longer a democracy, Prime Minister.

Putting Northeast Asia Uncertainty

Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, held a press conference to announce his intention to reinterpret the Constitution of Japan for exercising collective self-defense right on Thursday. His explanation on how Japan needed to do that was nothing making sense. It simply was a declaration that he would deal with Senkaku issue not by coast guard, but by military, a policy shift which might be changing nature of the problem.

Abe used a number of ifs. “If a United States vessel sending the Japanese home who escaped from conflict in a foreign country were attacked, Japanese Self-defense Force will not be able to help the vessel. It is current interpretation of the Constitution,” told Abe. He was saying that it was because he wanted reinterpretation. No, help our fellow citizens, please, Prime Minister. Do not waste your time in interpreting constitution.

His explanation had not taken root. There is an argument that protecting Japanese passenger should be individual self-defense that the Constitution allows. Even if the government prohibits that, it can change its interpretation. It should be a minor change rather than the decision of having a force in 1950s.

Hidden intention of Abe was to have a breakthrough in the argument of exercising collective self-defense right with some examples related to actual life of the people, even though those examples were something very unlikely. For him, the benefit of that breakthrough was Japan could be having greater deterrence against China. He believed that U.S. would help Japan more seriously in Senkaku, when Japan announced further contribution to the bilateral alliance.

It was deadly wrong. As long as Japan does not show its determination to protect Senkaku by itself, U.S. will not help Japan, because it is a matter of U.S. national interest. Japan cannot have any deterrence against China by itself. It is individual self-defense Abe should discuss now, not collective self-defense. Protecting Senkaku cannot be achieved by discussion of self-defense. If he were serious in defense policy, he needs to start bilateral talk with China immediately.

Unfortunately, this narrow-minded leader does not give up his right-wing political agenda. Knowing a message from China that demanded Abe not to visit Yasukuni Shrine again, Abe does not promise it. By taking that position, he is deteriorating the relationship with China, planting the nation negative images on China, and encouraging people to stand up. His handling of politics is leading this country on a wrong course. If he had a card of collective self-defense right, it will put a great uncertainty on security in Northeast Asia. As shown in nationalizing Senkaku two years ago, U.S. ignores this problem.

Eccentric Conclusion by Strange Scholars

Spending over seven years, former bureaucrats, scholars and a businessman released their conclusion on reinterpretation of the Constitution of Japan. What they realized right after the release was their big boss, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was not satisfied with their effort. A significant part of their report was dismissed by Abe in his press conference three hours after submitting the report to the Premier. All the members were discharged from their duty. Life goes on, you guys.

The final report was submitted by Meeting on Reestablishing Legal Basis of Security. Its chairman, Shunji Yanai, was Japanese Ambassador to the United States at the time of September Eleven Attack in 2001 and coordinated Japan’s support for U.S. War on Terrorism at its very beginning. His deputy, Shin-ichi Kitaoka, is a political scientist and was former Deputy Permanent Representative to U.N. All nine members of the meeting were appointed by Abe and upheld Abe’s idea on necessity of reinterpretation.

Therefore, their conclusion had been apparent from the beginning, which was “Although Japan has not been exercising its right of collective self-defense, it should make it possible in the future.” Actually, the final report said that Article IX of the Constitution did not prohibit exercising it. It unequivocally recommended to reinterpret the Constitution.

However, the reasoning was incredibly simple as a document through theoretical deliberation by security experts. The government of Japan decided few years after the end of the World War II that it could have minimum ability of defending itself and having self-defense force would be allowed. The experts relied on the decision for their reasoning. In short, they said that the Constitution does not prohibit exercising the right of collective self-defense and the government can change its policy, because it did that for establishing Self-defense Force.

Exercising collective self-defense right means that Japan will participate in a war in foreign countries. Firmly fixed interpretation of the Constitution for decades has been that would go beyond the threshold of “minimum” and could not be tolerated. The conclusion of the experts was not something acceptable for Abe’s coalition partner, New Komeito, which professed itself a pacifist party. Abe dismissed the report with political reason.

The members of the Meeting were mainly scholars, who would have been categorized as minorities. Most professors on constitution study are negative on exercising collective self-defense right not only because of interpretation of the provisions, but because traditional interpretation has a legacy to the world. Unfortunately, those scholars will not be able to change their position to the protective for the Constitution forever.

Dismantling Agricultural Pressure Group

The administration led by Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, embarked on dismantling the biggest agricultural pressure group in Japan. Deregulation Conference of Cabinet Office delivered proposals for reforming Japan Agricultural Cooperatives. It argued that the organization should be reformed into a companies to revitalize its productivity. While JA has been the main protester against high-level free trade framework called Trans-Pacific Partnership, the administration looked like beginning to remove an obstruction for the deal.

Established with Agricultural Cooperatives Act in 1947, JA has been representing post-war regime of production system of agriculture, which replaced old-type tenant agriculture. For independent farmers, JA has been organizing them for improving productivity, collective sales of their products and better quality of life. With growth of agricultural production, JA expanded its job not only to agricultural instruction, but to financing paralleled with private banks or to running supermarkets. In many rural towns and villages in Japan, JA has been a center of community for the residents.

With growing needs of free trade, the government of Japan can no longer maintain firm protection for the organization. Farmers are getting ambitious to sell their products out of JA distribution system to meet various demands of consumers. A rice farmer for sake brewery, for instance, can produce more being free from JA policy concentrating to rice for eating.

The conference proposed abolishment of Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, which organized all cooperatives in Japan. It recommended to make central organization for collection and distribution of products reformed into a corporation. JA Bank became an objection for merging with a government related bank for agriculture and forestry. Through that complete privatization, the government looks to revitalize each private producer including major agricultural companies.

Against this deregulation plan, JA strongly opposed telling it as highly problematic. The biggest problem for the administration is that farmers are one of the biggest supporters for Liberal Democratic Party. In the circumstances of cutting resources for agricultural policy, the farmers are getting skeptic for the party. Related legislators are furious on its unilateral effort to breaking agricultural system down.

On the other hand, there actually are a number of farmers who want to be free from JA system. If the organization seeks its survivability, it needs to find a way to release ambitious farmers from their restriction and make more efforts to cut excessive cost.

Japan As Spy Breeder

A story about former spy for Central Intelligence Agency was simultaneously published in a number of countries including Japan on Wednesday. It revealed that Edward Snowden, former CIA spy who is in asylum after publicized secret activities of the spy organization, stayed in Japan for training as a spy. The government of Japan is ignoring what the story says in a don’t-ask-don’t-tell way. Having dubbed as “spy haven,” Japan is crucially vulnerable for protecting information.

The book is No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State written by Glenn Greenwald. A new story for the Japanese was that Snowden was deployed to Japan between 2009 and 2011 as a worker for a major U.S. computer maker. As a cyber agent for National Security Agency, he had intensive training for intruding into computer systems of military or private organization of foreign countries. In short, Japan bred that brilliant spy agent who shook the world.

NSA planted infectious virus to over fifty thousand computers of a number of countries to oversee computer screen and key manipulation. In 2010, the agency set eavesdropping on some delegations, including Japan, to the United Nations, in order to obtain attitudes on the resolution for sanction against Iran in Security Council. To the delegation of Japan, multiple methods including computer hacking were used for stealing information.

The government of Japan has not responded new facts on the book so far. On wiretapping on Japanese Embassy to U.S. appeared last June, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told that the government had required U.S. of confirmation about facts. But no sign for an answer to him was reported. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has kept the bilateral dialogue on the issue to be secret. It is likely that Japan has not accused U.S., because deficit of being provided with less information form U.S. may be greater than benefit of knowing truth on U.S. intelligence activities.

Even how Japan is eager to access to U.S. intelligence, the book reveals that Japan has been ranked in the second group on countries U.S. credits. While NSA included United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in Group A for comprehensive cooperation, Japan was categorized in Group B for limited cooperation as well as Germany, Greece, Italy and South Korea.

The government of Japan has been following U.S. efforts for security issues to deal with its own security. In this regard, sharing information with U.S. is crucial for Japan. However, unleashed eavesdropping harms sovereignty of a nation. Japan has to release a statement that unprincipled collection of information will disrupt an important alliance.

Nuclear Disease?

One story of weekly cartoon magazine spread broad concern about the impact of radioactive materials produced in broken First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. In the story, a newspaper writer bleeds from nose after visiting the plant. Governor of Fukushima and other political leaders accused the description of its possibility of providing misunderstandings to the public. The author argued that the description was based on deliberated research in Fukushima. All we need is truth.

The cartoon titled “Oishinbo” is decades-long series of cartoon story in which a newspaper writer explores great taste of foods and food culture. While it contributed people’s acknowledgement on foods and prevalence of food entertainment including a TV show “Iron Chef,” it sometimes invited arguments by raising problems related to foods.

In recent stories, Oishinbo took attention to its readers on Fukushima problem. Former mayor of Futaba village, on which the nuclear plant located, appeared in the story and warned that nose bleeding stemmed from exposure to radioactive materials. An assistant professor with University of Fukushima told that making Fukushima livable by broad decontamination was impossible. Those comments were introduced in the context of thinking about foods produced in Fukushima.

Governor of Fukushima, Yohei Sato, released a statement that he had an image that it might encourage harmful rumor. “I deeply regret about the story appeared when the people in Fukushima is getting support from all over Japan for its their reconstruction efforts,” told Sato. Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, dismissed a comment, insisting on importance of delivering accurate information based on scientific knowledge. But it is responsibility of the government to provide with correct information.

Although the cartoon may erode credibility of foods from Fukushima, the point they should argue is not the impact of the story, but what is going on in Fukushima. A former assistant professor with University of Gifu, who appeared in the story as a chief of laboratory, told Tokyo Shimbun that the facts in the story were all true. He confirmed that people in Fukushima claimed symptoms such as sudden bleeding from nose, consecutive cough or feeling tired. There is no official announcement that those symptoms are, or are not, related to the nuclear accident.

Both central and regional governments are highly nervous on radioactive impacts on human body, because it leads to a great amount of compensation. It is not a matter of money. It is about existence of this nation. In this regard, the national government needs to make utmost efforts for grabbing the true consequences of the nuclear accident and let the people know.