Year of Reform

New year resolution of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was to carry out his reform agenda, which included economics, reconstruction from the great disaster, education, social security and rebuilding diplomacy and security policy. In the new year statement released on January 1^st, Abe promised progress in policies on those issues. His stressing point was that he received strong support in the general election of the House of Representatives last month. Newspapers are worried about too much confidence in himself.

In his statement, Abe prioritized his economic policies. “In the election campaign, I directly heard a lot of voices of the people living in local area and the owners of small or mid-size businesses. By responding those voices, I will evolve my Abenomics. With first priority on economics, I will deliver stimulus package as soon as possible, boldly promote growth policy and blow warm wind of economic resurge to every corner of Japan,” told Abe.

Next issue was history. Japan will commemorate the seventieth anniversary of ending World War II in August. He intended to announce what kind of nation would the Japanese want to achieve in the future. “Japan has been proceeding the road of liberal, democratic and peaceful nation and contributing to world peace and prosperity with deep reflection about the war. Reviewing our post-war history, I want to make this year as presenting to the world the shape of our country in eightieth, ninetieth or one hundredth anniversary,” said Abe.

In his press conference on Monday, he also emphasized the importance of delivering Abe Statement in August. He said that he would follow Murayama Statement in 1995, which expressed apology for Japan’s colonial policy in wartime, and include “reflection” in his statement. “I will right down reflection on the war, progress as peaceful state and contribution to Asia-Pacific region and the world. I will deliver unequivocal willingness to contribute to the world under the principle of positive pacifism,” he told to the press corps.

Last message was about Tokyo Olympic game in 2020. He quoted a wording of the head coach of Japanese national volleyball team in Tokyo Olympic in 1964, Hirobumi Daimatsu, which was “Where there is a will, there is a way.” “Daimatsu’s comment encouraged Japanese people in reconstruction era. There is no reason that we cannot carry on what the Japanese could do at the time,” said Abe.

As usual, that was highly nationalistic agitation, only focusing on domestic supporters. He finished his new year statement with his conviction that he would make Japan brighten in the center of the world. He was not only the person in the world who believe his country is in the center of the world. The Chinese, the Americans or even the Russians believe so, too. If he really wants to do that, he at least needs to find more friends in the world.