Donation Scandal Weakens Administration

Scandal related to Kake Gakuen, a school corporation run by a close friend of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is spreading wider. A popular magazine, Weekly Bunshun, reported on Thursday that Deputy Secretary General of Liberal Democratic Party, Hakubun Shimomura, had received secret donation from Kake Gakuen without reporting it to the government. Shimomura is one of the closest allies of Abe, supporting Abe’s political agenda including constitutional amendment. Political advance of Abe administration looks like slowing down.

According to the report of Bunshun, Shimomura’s supporters organization called Hakuyukai received ¥2 million from Kake Gakuen. The donation was divided in two times for ¥1 million each. While Political Funds Control Act required each politician to report every donation with value of ¥200 thousand or more, Hakuyukai did not report those two donations. The donation is doubted as having been illegal.

In his press conference on Thusday, Shimomura admitted that Hakuyukai received donation amounting ¥2 million in 2013 and 2014, when he had been Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, or MEXT, in charge of selecting the place for new veterinary school. Shimomura argued that the donation was not illegal, because it was made by eleven organizations or individuals and each of them was less than ¥200 thousand. But he did not make clear about whether Kake Gakuen was included in those organizations.

As Deputy Secretary General of LDP and a lawmaker elected from Tokyo, Shimomura is in charge of the election of Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly next Sunday. In a sweeping advance of Tokyoite First led by Governor Yuriko Koike, it is a great damage for LDP candidates that another negative scandal of an LDP leader appeared a few days before the voting day. Shimomura boasted that he would file a lawsuit against Bunshun as an illegal violation of election campaign.

Consecutive scandal is spoiling political power of Abe administration. Kake scandal was the greatest issue at the last moment of the Ordinary Session of the Diet, in which the opposite parties accused Abe’s involvement in the selection of Kake Gakuen for establishing new veterinary school in Imabari, Ehime. Minister of Defense, Tomomi Inada, another close ally of Abe, made false statement in the election campaign in Tokyo, in which she asked support representing Japan Self-defense Force that political activity was strictly limited. Voices are rising from LDP that require early reshuffle of Abe Cabinet, which may affect the fortune of Abe administration.

Another Gaffe of Political Novice

This politician cannot live without making gaffes. Minister of Defense, Tomomi Inada, asked vote for a candidate with Liberal Democratic Party in the election of Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly from the standpoint of the leader of Self-defense Force. Self-defense Forces Act prohibits JSDF personnel political activity. Violating the provision, Inada declared that JSDF would support that candidate. The opposite parties demand resignation of the Minister who never learns from failures stemming from her own inability.

It was in a rally for a LDP candidate in Itabashi district on Tuesday in which Inada asked vote as the leader of SDF. “This is a candidate who has connection with Self-defense Force or Ministry of Defense,” appealed Inada, “Having said that, I beg it as Ministry of Defense, Self-defense Force, Minister of Defense and Liberal Democratic Party.” Realizing inappropriateness of her speech, she explained that she had been trying to thank support from the people there, and later she withdrew her speech.

What was wrong with her? “Members of Self-defense Forces shall not seek donation or other profit for a party or political purpose prescribed in governmental ordinance, regardless its method, be involved in those activities or make activities prescribed in governmental ordinance except exercising voting right,” describes Article 61 of Self-defense Forces Act. The article also prohibits SDF members running for election or being member of party, board of political organization, political advisor or other member of organization equivalent to them. Inada could not ask votes representing Self-defense Force for a specific canididate.

Moreover, Constitution of Japan requires public officials neutrality. “All public officials are servants of the whole community and not of any group thereof,” says Article 15 of the Constitution. It was inappropriate for a Minister of Defense to take advantage of her status for a specific political activity. Illegal activities of Inada have to be punished. Even a leader of SDF told in anonymity why Inada made that unnecessary statement in the time when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would make effort to add status of SDF to the provisions of the Constitution.

Democratic Party, Japan Communist Party, Liberal Party and Social Democratic Party made a joint announcement to require Prime Minister to discharge Inada. They also demanded convocation of the Diet for discussion on the issue. Ignoring those requests from the opposite parties, Abe ordered Inada to stay as Minister of Defense. It is questioned whether neutrality of SDF will be maintained under the leadership of that political novice.

Prodigy Renews Shogi History

The prodigy does not know how to lose. Fourteen-year-old professional shogi player, Sota Fujii, marked new record with twenty-nine consecutive wins in official games. He kept on winning from his debut game with the oldest legend last December. While shogi fans in Japan are stunned with historical achievement of young genius, Fujii realizes his sweep as simply good lucks.

Born in Seto city, Aichi, in 2002, Fujii started enjoying shogi games in a school for shogi players. After a victory in a national tournament for elementary school kids, Fujii entered Kansai Shogi Encouragement Association in 2012, which trains players to professional level. In his age of fourteen years and two months, Fujii obtained 4^th level last October, making himself the youngest pro-shogi player ever.

His debut match was with the oldest pro, Hifumi Kato, 77 years old in the 9^th level. While the tactics for pieces was preferable for Kato, Fujii had studied well about the pattern of previous games in which Kato had lost. Kato evaluated Fujii as having his own style in which he would not lose. “Compared to past mid-school age players, Fuji is better at making tactics,” told Kato.

In an unofficial match with Yoshiharu Habu, the champion of shogi with three titles, Fujii won with steadiness both in offence and defense. In April, he renewed the record of consecutive wins from debut match, which had been eleven. He reached the record of consecutive wins in June 21^st, which was built by Hiroshi Kamiya, on 8^th level now, in 1997. “It is a good thing for shogi community that a genius overtook a record that was marked by an ordinary person with lucks,” said Kamiya.

During the remarkable advance, Fujii kept on growing as a pro shogi player. While young players are often weak in the early stages, skilled pro players recognize that Fujii is steady from the starting, finding no weak point in his games. He actually suffered from five defeats in the 3^rd level league. “I think he keeps on getting strong everyday,” told President of Japan Shogi Federation, Yasumitsu Sato.

Everything Fujii does attracts Japanese people. The same model of a blue backpack he always uses is sold out. His fans make a long line to buy the items he uses, such as folding fan. Young people order the same menu as Fujii requests for delivery, say noodle or lunch combo, during his match, hoping good fortune. As long as Fujii accumulates wins, Japan Shogi Federation can enjoy its popularity, collecting close watch on the drama of a young boy defeating adults.

Bankruptcy of Airbag Maker

Long having failed in appropriate response to broad criticisms, Japanese car parts maker, Takata, filed bankruptcy to Tokyo Regional Court on Monday. According to Tokyo Shoko Research, the total amount of Takata’s debt was ¥1.7 trillion, marking it as the greatest bankruptcy of a manufacturer in post-war Japan. There still remain a huge number of cars, each of those is installed wrongly equipped airbag.

Established as a fabric maker in Hikone, Shiga, in 1933, Takata expanded its business in producing car parts like airbag or seat belt along with steep growth of Japanese carmakers. In 2009, there happened a car accident in United States, in which the driver was killed by explosion of airbag made by Takata. It was found that the airbag did not work correctly at collision of the car and splashed debris of metal covering the airbag with a great explosion, which was caused by heat and humidity for a long time. The victims of Takata airbag rose to eleven in U.S.

Takata was lazy in responding to those consecutive accidents of its products. In November 2015, U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posed Takata penalty of $200 billion on its negligence in necessary recalling or disclosure of information. Takata’s greatest client, Honda, announced that it would not install Takata airbag in new models, deteriorating financial balance of Takata.

Takata protested the request of carmakers to recall the airbags, arguing that the reason of the accidents had not been specified. After struggle with Takata seeking responsibility with car sales, carmakers had to “investigate” the cars with Takata airbag in all over U.S. Nevertheless, Takata finally had to accept its recall and apologized in June 2015.

Tokyo Stock Market decided to remove Takata from its list and Takata’s debenture amounting ¥30 billion turned to be defaulted. The company is going to proceed to a process of rebuilding with help of U.S. car parts maker, Key Safety Systems, that will buy whole business of Takata with ¥175 billion. The transfer of business will be done by the first quarter of 2018.

It is concerned how quickly Takata will collect dysfunctional airbags having spread to the world. Only 36% of owners of the cars with Takata airbag have responded to the recall. Even how a driver is careful, Takata airbag will explode, possibly killing him or her. The parts for replacement is still in short. Delay of recall may affect the business of carmakers. Total impact has not determined yet.

Insisting on Early Amendment

In a negative trend of politics, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tries to manage the situation by going forward. In his speech to the public in Kobe city, Abe announced his plan to submit new draft for constitutional amendment by the end of this year. It was the first time that Abe, as the President of Liberal Democratic Party, referred to actual timing of the submission. He schedules to initiate the draft for national referendum in ordinary session of the Diet next year.

In his speech, Abe stressed his determination to amend the Constitution of Japan, which he fundamentally hates. “In this memorial year of seventieth anniversary from the activation of the Constitution, I determined to take a historical step with the leadership of our party,” told Abe. Receiving firm conviction of its President, LDP is discussing a schedule of finishing the draft by September and initiative of amendment in May or June next year.

Abe referred to actual provisions that he wanted to change. On writing Self-defense Force in the Constitution, he argued to add a provision of meaning and role of Self-defense Force, while remaining the first and second section of Article 9, which described renouncing of war, no possession of force and denial of right of belligerency. He also reiterated his preference of adding a provision for free education, which could be achieved without constitutional amendment.

The Headquarters for Constitutional Amendment in LDP is considering four points: writing about Self-defense Force, free education, emergency clause for extending the term of lawmakers in the time of devastative disaster and election system including borders of electoral district along with prefectural borders. But, in the meeting of Headquarters last week, some lawmakers argued that writing Self-defense Force would contradict Section 2 of Article 9, which denied possession of force, or that the time schedule would be too short.

To improve negative political situation, Abe announced that he would not limit establishing veterinary school to Kake Gakuen, which was run by his close friend. “There is no reason to limit it in Imabari city. I will approve any school with positive mind, say two or three, regardless the regional condition,” told Abe. He did not referred to a decision of Abe Cabinet in 2015, which raised four conditions for new veterinary school including new demand for veterinarian.

Unpopularity of Abe administration is caused by Kake Scandal. Election of Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly will be a hard contest for LDP. If he fails in re-boosting his administration, constitutional amendment will not be an easy agenda.

Election of LDP vs. Koike

Quadrennial election of Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly was officially announced on Friday. 259 candidates in 42 electoral districts ran for 127 seats. Media organizations focus on whether supporters of Governor Yuriko Koike will take simple majority or Liberal Democratic Party will maintain its status of the greatest group of the Assembly. The over 11 million of eligible voters will judge the politics in Tokyo on July 2^nd.

LDP raised 60 candidates to maintain its power as the biggest party in the Assembly. To replace that status, Tokyoites First, a young regional party headed by Koike, raised 50 candidates and issued 35 recommendations for the candidates with Komeito or independents. Democratic Party raised 23 candidates to accumulate new seats for regaining power.

Strange enough from the viewpoint of politics in the Diet, Komeito, a firm coalition partner of LDP, established a cooperative framework with Tokyoites First in the election, raising 23 candidates. Receiving its supporters’ broad frustration with opaque process of some important policies by former governors and LDP assembly members, Komeito canceled traditional cooperation with LDP in Tokyo. Four candidates with Living People’s Network are also included in the supporters of Koike. Japan Communist Party raised 37 candidates.

In her kick-off rally in Shibuya, Koike appealed reform of Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, which had been deteriorated with close and unclear relationship with former Governors and LDP. “How has the Assembly been? There were a lot of compliments surmising Governor’s policy,” argued Koike. LDP criticizes the broad coalition for Koike, labeling it lack of diversity. “Dual-representation works with strong governor and strong assembly,” appealed Vice-President of LDP, Masahiko Komura.

Relocation of Tsukiji Fish Market and reviewing the cost for Tokyo Olympic 2020 are two main agenda of the election. While Koike announced ambiguous plan of the relocation, Komeito promotes new market in Toyosu, while JCP requires Tsukiji Market to stay. LDP has to defend itself from sharp argument of Koike that LDP politics in a black box swell the cost for Tokyo Olympic.

The result of the election may affect future of Shinzo Abe administration. Unilateral procedure in the Diet over revised Organized Crime Punishment Act or Kake Gakuen scandal causes decline of support for LDP. If LDP loses in the election, credibility of Abe administration may be shrinking. It is possible for the schedule for constitutional amendment, if LDP is severely damaged.

Separated in Front of Victims

Okinawa commemorated the seventy-second anniversary of Battle in Okinawa on Thursday. While both leaders of government of Japan and Okinawa swore no repeating of devastation of war and maintenance of peace, they refused communicating each other in the ceremony. Deep distrust over building new United States military base separated them in front of victim’s families.

The ceremony of commemorating all the victims was held on the Hill of Mabuni, where the fiercest air raids in the battle was made by U.S. Force seventy-two years ago. In the Declaration for Peace, Governor of Okinawa, Takeshi Onaga, accused governments of Japan and U.S. of their failure in maintaining peaceful ordinary life of the people in Okinawa, who knows well about the preciousness of individual life.

Main reason is heavy burden of having huge U.S. military bases in Okinawa. “Okinawa understands necessity of security regime of Japan and U.S.,” said Onaga. “We have been requiring appropriate share of security for Japan by whole nation and reduction of excessive burden for U.S. bases on us. However, we faced tragic incidents and accidents of aircrafts, the situation which contradicted reducing burden.”

On relocation of Futenma Air Base to Henoko district, Onaga sharply criticized Japanese government. “We cannot accept it, because the government continues the construction, dismissing our opinion,” told Onaga. He declared firm conviction to continue the protest of Okinawa with its people to disturb building new base in Henoko. Onaga also required the people in Japan to realize current situation of Okinawa and reconsider security policy of Japanese government.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made his speech after the declaration of Onaga. “I pay respect for unspeakable hardship and history of suffering of Okinawan people, on which our peace has been built,” said Abe. Abe expressed his uneasiness on excessive concentration of U.S. bases in Okinawa and determination for showing actual outcome of his policy.

Political struggle between Okinawa and Tokyo was degraded by a monologue of a high school student in the ceremony. “On the day the sky was stagnated with roar, grandmother ran sugar cane field where she played hide-and-seek the day before. On the day the island wind with melody of sanshin held iron smell, grandfather heard the cries of his friends. The day of covering mouth of a baby who cried for survive with cold hand that must have been warm the day before. Memory that must not be forgotten is surely engraved in me and us. We surely know the tear in the eyes of our grandmother in her girl’s age and the mortification of our grandfather with his fist firmly clenched when he was a boy,” said the twelfth grade student of Miyako High School, Nene Uehara. Military strategy cannot be justified in front of that young determination.

Involvement of Prime Minister

Soon after closing the ordinary session of the Diet, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, or MEXT in its own abbreviation, revealed on Tuesday that it discovered new document which indicated involvement of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the decision of allowing Kake Gakuen to establish new veterinary school. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Koichi Hagiuda, told an officer of the MEXT that Abe wanted new division to open in April 2018. Hagiuda denied the facts in the document.

The document found in a shared holder in Technical Education Division of MEXT was titled “10/21 Summary of Reference by Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hagiuda.” It was about a meeting of Hagiuda and Bureau Chief of Higher Education, Yutaka Tokiwa on October 21^st last year. Deputy Director of Technical Education Division made the document.

According to the document, Hagiuda demanded establishing new veterinary school that would be distinguished from a kind of school for veterinarian of livestock or pet. The condition for that were installing a laboratory for high-level experiment for infectious disease, greater number of professors and curricula than existing schools and studying disease of fish for Shikoku Island where fishery business was thriving.

Political pressure from Hagiuda was explicit. Hagiuda told Tokiwa that he heard from an Advisor for Prime Minister, Hiroto Izumi, as only MEXT was hesitating it, while Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries had approved it. Hagiuda was asked to hear from MEXT about what mattered with it. “Prime Minister’s Residence says it will absolutely do that,” said Hagiuda to Tokiwa.

Furthermore, Hagiuda directly referred to Prime Minister Abe. “Prime Minister set the time limit for opening new school in April 2018. The construction must be done with in twenty-four months. He wanted to decide that plan in this November,” said Hagiuda. He indicated necessity to finish the paper work for the license by March 2017 and Abe’s firm conviction to select high-level professors for educating excellent veterinarians.

Haiguda denied the facts in the document. “I did not hear that Prime Minister concretely made such an order and I did not made such an order to MEXT,” said Hagiuda in a written comment. However, new facts about involvement of Abe may damage Abe administration. In his press conference on Monday, Abe promised to be responsible for explaining the scandal. The opposite parties demand discussion in the Diet. The people are closely watching what Abe is doing next.

Governmental Project Salvaging Toshiba

On the way to rebuild its declined business, Toshiba Corporation decided on Wednesday to have negotiation for selling out its semiconductor business primarily with a unit of corporations in Japan, United States or South Korea. To protect cutting-edge technology or human resource from draining into strangers, the negotiation became national project of Japan, making Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry involved in. The project still has a risk of lawsuit filed by a U.S. business partner.

Caused by huge financial loss of Westinghouse, a U.S. giant on nuclear business bought by Toshiba, Toshiba held a great amount of debt exceeding its asset this March. If it fails in avoiding excessive debt for two consecutive accounting periods, Toshiba will be removed from the list of Tokyo Stock Market. Selling its semiconductor business out is indispensable for improving its financial balance.

Toshiba chose a group of semiconductor businesses, banks and investment funds. They include Innovation Network Corporation of Japan, a joint fund of private and government, Development Bank of Japan, Bain Capital of U.S. and SK Hynix, a major semiconductor corporation in South Korea. They offered ¥2 trillion for buying semiconductor business of Toshiba. To clear regulation of anti-trust law of related governments, SK Hynix will not be one of the investors, but offering loans.

The government of Japan recommended the bid of the group, because SK Hynix would not have power in the management. While the government was reluctant to be involved in private businesses, it changed the policy a few months ago when it realized possibility of losing highly important technology and engineers to other countries. A staff of Japanese government revealed that Prime Minister’s Official Residence ordered not to hand over those technologies to China. “We welcome this bid, which fulfills some conditions of avoiding a drain of technology or maintenance of employment,” told Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Hiroshige Seko.

Western Digital has firmly been opposing the sale of the semiconductor business. It filed a lawsuit with the Superior Court in California, seeking an injunction until its arbitration case would be heard. If the court accepts the argument of Western Digital in its hearing next month, the process of selling will be halted. INCJ and DBJ will possibly retreat from the bid, if the lawsuit is prolonged.

METI has been eager to exclude foreign corporations, including Hon Hai in Taiwan from the bid. The involvement of the Ministry caused weak governance of a group with fund business that is not familiar with management. It is still unclear whether those funds keep on investing semiconductor business, which requires great amount of further investment.

Ambiguous Plan for Fish Market

Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, officially announced on Tuesday that she decided to move Tsukiji Fish Market to new market built in Toyosu. While new market will be a comprehensive distribution base, Tsukiji is going to be a theme park for foods. Koike concluded the dispute over unclear process of choosing Toyosu, where chemical contamination was found in the soil, to be promoting original plan. However, actual plan for both markets is still not clear enough.

In the press conference on Tuesday, Koike stressed that she would protect Tsukiji and make use of Toyosu. Toyosu has accepted negative image of contamination as unfit for a market deal with fresh sea products. Koike explained that Tokyo Metropolitan Government would remove harmful rumor on Tsukiji with maintenance of safety in the soil. With enhancement of function for cooling or freezing foods, Toyosu is going to be a major center of food distribution.

A big problem is how Tsukiji is going to be after leaving the market. Wholesale shops have been reluctant to move to Toyosu, not only because the place was polluted, but the brand of Tsukiji was too prevalent to build a new brand soon. Koike decided to redevelop Tsukiji to be a park for exhibiting food culture within five years. A part of the land for Tsukiji Market will be used for a transportation basis in the time of Tokyo Olympic 2020.

In a calculation by Market Issue Project Team of Tokyo government, redevelopment of Tsukiji would spend three to seven years and ¥77.8 to ¥99.1 billion. Koike’s idea of food theme park did not have concrete plan for the cost, lacking actual concept whether the park would be profitable or not. It is still unclear how “Tsukiji Brand” can be maintained with her new plan.

It is estimated that Toyosu new market will produce ¥9.2 billion of annual deficit. There is no plan for repaying ¥600 billion of debt made for building Toyosu. Tokyo government has paid ¥5 billion of compensation for the fish shops with the delay of moving from Tsukiji to Toyosu. The schedule can further be delayed for environmental assessment in Toyosu, which requires about eight months.

The decision was affected by political consideration over coming election of Tokyo Metropolitan Congress. To achieve support from Komeito and Japan Communist Party to her new party called Tokyo Residence First, Koike maintained original plan of moving to Toyosu for Komeito and introduced redevelopment of Tsukiji for JCP. But, it is still unclear whether the decision will construct a framework for containing Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo.

Steep Down of Popularity

After unilateral procedure in the ordinary session of Diet by Shinzo Abe administration, supporting rate of Abe Cabinet steeply dropped in the polls operated by media organizations last weekend. The main reason was Abe’s attitude of escaping from his responsibility for explaining his involvement in the choice of Kake Gakuen, an educational corporation run by one of his closest friends, for the establishment of new veterinary faculty. The passage of the bill for introducing conspiracy crime in legal system also caused unpopularity of Abe. Decline of public support may affect political agenda including constitutional amendment.

In the poll operated by Kyodo News Agency on Saturday and Sunday, supporting rate of Abe Cabinet was 44.9%, declining by 10.5 points from last poll in May. 43.1% answered that they did not support Abe, rising by 8.8 points. 73.8% was unsatisfied with the explanation of Abe administration that executive policy had not been distorted in choosing Kake Gakuen for new veterinary faculty. 67.7% answered that it had not been good for the leading parties to have skipped voting on the bill of Revised Organized Crime Punishment Law with punishment of conspiracy crime in Committee of Judicially Affairs in House of Councillors.

In the poll by Asahi Shimbun, supporting rate of Abe Cabinet dropped from 47% in May to 41%. 65% realized the unilateral procedure of the leading parties on conspiracy crime was not good and 66% did not think the explanation on Kake Gakuen was enough.  Even 47% of the supporters of Liberal Democratic Party was unsatisfied with Abe’s explanation that he had not been involved in the decision.

Supporting rate for Abe Cabinet was lower in the poll by Mainichi Shimbun, which marked 36%. 74% was not satisfied with the explanation on Kake Gakuen and 59% required further verification on this issue after closing the ordinary session of the Diet. 47% opposed Revised Organization Crime Punishment Law and 69% thought the discussion had not been thoroughly done. It was the first time in Mainichi Poll that supporting rate of Abe Cabinet dropped by 10%.

The leading parties were worried about steep decline of Abe administration. Opposition against changing Article 9 marked 36%, exceeding 27 of approval, in Mainichi poll. LDP leaders are getting not confident in the success of national referendum for constitutional amendment, which Abe hopes to be done by 2020. Komeito is careful of slowdown in the election campaign for Tokyo Metropolitan Congress.

Closing without Thorough Review

The National Diet closed its ordinary session of this year on Sunday. The leading parties, Liberal Democratic and Komeito, refrained from extending the term to avoid Diet schedule affecting coming election of Tokyo Metropolitan Congress, which would be voted on July 2^nd. Losing necessary time for discussion, some highly important bills were passed with unilateral power of majority and no thorough review. As its result, despotic dominance of Shinzo Abe administration on Japanese politics looks like enhanced.

Article 52 of Constitution of Japan determines that an ordinary session shall be convoked once per year. The Diet Law rules that the term of an ordinary session is one hundred and fifty days and the term cannot be extended more than once. The ordinary session of this year started on January 20^th and the 150^th day of the session was June 18. The Diet members could extend the term for once, if they needed.

Why did they decide not to extend? It was obviously because Komeito was strongly reluctant to do that. Mostly supported by a denomination of Buddhism, Soka Gakkai, Komeito needs to win in as many districts as possible, because Tokyo is the holy place for Soka Gakkai, where its founding leader, Daisaku Ikeda, was born in. The election of Tokyo Metropolitan Congress will be officially announced on June 23^rd. Komeito did not like the extension of the Diet term to affect their campaign in Tokyo.

The basic strategy not to extend the term hastened Abe administration to pass the bills. In the discussion over Revised Organized Crime Punishment Act, which introduced the concept of conspiracy crime, Abe and his administrative staffs reiterated an explanation that the law needed for success of Tokyo Olympic in 2020. Although the opposite parties repeatedly asked why the government needed power to punish all the people who would look like plotting organized crime, Minister of Justice, Katsutoshi Kaneda, failed to reason it. The bill was passed with unilateral procedure of the leading parties.

Abe kept on escaping from explaining his relationship with two educational corporations, Moritomo Gakuen and Kake Gakuen, both of which had private relationship with Abe. Minister of Defense, Tomomi Inada, escaped from elaborating on concealing diary of Self-defense Force in United Nations peace-keeping operation in South Sudan. Turning his back to the obligation of respecting the Constitution of Japan, Abe revealed his intention of amending the Constitution by 2020. Those issues still needs to be discussed whether they are really indispensable for democracy in Japan.

Collision with Private Vessel

Under raised alert level against consecutive intimidation from North Korea, United States Navy vessel had an accident in a dense sea transportation around Japan. U.S.S. Fitzgerald, an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer with the communication system of Aegis, collided with a Filipino freighter ACX Crystal at 20 kilometers southeast of Irou Cape of Izu Peninsula. Having broken its starboard, U.S.S. Fitzgerald is missing seven crews. Japanese Coast Guard is searching them for rescue.

According to 3^rd Regional Coast Guard Headquarters and 7^th Fleet of U.S. Navy, ACX Crystal reported the headquarters the crush with a U.S. Navy vessel on 2:25 a.m. on Saturday. The freighter owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha, or NYK Line, was on its way from Port of Nagoya to Tokyo, loading a number of containers and twenty Filipino crews. The homeport of U.S.S. Fitzgerald is Yokosuka, where the headquarters of 7^th Fleet is. While it was not announced where it was going to, U.S.S. Fitzgerald returned to Yokosuka after the accident.

In terms of size, ACX Crystal was far bigger than U.S.S. Fitzgerald. While U.S.S. Fitzgerald has 154 meters length and 8,315 gross tonnages, ACX Crystal has 222 meters and 29,060 tonnages. It is confirmed that ACX Crystal has a damage on the port around bow and the starboard of U.S.S. Fitzgerald was severely broken by the collision. Three crews including Captain Bryce Benson were injured and sent to a Navy hospital of 7^th Fleet in Yokosuka for medical care.

In the Act of Preventing Collision at Sea legislated in Japan, it is an obligation for the ship that sees another ship on its right side to avoid collision, when both ships are crossing their courses each other. Japan Coast Guard is focusing on whether both ships were carefully watching the sea traffic at the time. However, the primary jurisdiction is on the side of United States under Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.

It is supposed that U.S.S. Fitzgerald was collided from the behind of its right side. But, it is likely that U.S.S. Fitzgerald was responsible for avoiding collision, because it was seeing ACX Crystal on its right side. “As long as seeing the damage of its body, it is possible that U.S.S. Fitzgerald had to prevent the collision,” told a lawyer with rich experience in maritime lawsuits, “but the freighter also needed to slow down or stop.”

Japanese media has been curious about Aegis vessels, since it received hard protest when it was introduced in Maritime Self-defense Force, because high-tech communication system means further integration of JSDF to U.S. military operation. An expert of military equipment argued that even an Aegis vessel would be vulnerable for collision from its side. Some media was interested in the damage on radar system installed in the destroyer.

No Answer to Scandal

In the last discussion over a scandal of selecting Kake Gakuen for establishing new veterinary faculty, Minister for Regional Revitalization, Kozo Yamamoto, denied reference of his staffs on Abe’s involvement in the scandal. While there had appeared the documents from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology that indicated political intervention of Prime Minister’s Official Residence, Abe administration looked like terminating the research on false relationship between Prime Minister and his old friend. Public question on reliability of politics is left behind, receiving no answer.

MEXT revealed nineteen documents which indicated political pressure from Cabinet Office on Thursday. Cabinet Office reluctantly began to investigate internal records about the meetings with MEXT staffs and announced its result on Friday. Yamamoto, in charge of the issue, told that he found four documents out of the nineteen, which included statements of Minister Yamamoto in some meetings. However, Yamamoto insisted that he did not confirmed any document which indicated reference of Cabinet Office staff to “intention of Prime Minister” or “the highest level of Prime Minister’s Official Residence.”

The result absolutely contradicted the findings in MEXT. The documents from MEXT also indicated involvement of Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Koichi Hagiuda, in choosing Kake by presenting specific conditions. In the discussion in Budget Committee of House of Councillors on Friday, Hagiuda denied his order for the selection. Cabinet Office explained that the e-mail about Hagiuda’s involvement was sent without reconfirmation of the facts.

It is possible that Abe thought that Kake scandal would not lead to the collapse of his administration, because he would be able to escape his responsibility by attributing all the facts to voluntary decision of Ministry staffs. As expected, Cabinet Office completely denied Prime Minister’s political involvement in the issue. Realizing no fatal damage on his administration, Abe immediately apologized the delay of handling the scandal in the Diet discussion.

Newspapers critical to Abe seemed to have known it. It is a significant achievement, however, that the scandal caused deterioration of public image on Abe. Supporting rate of Abe Cabinet actually declined after the scandal was reported. If the power of Abe administration is eroded, it will affect his political agenda, including constitutional amendment. That may be enough for the opposite powers.

From The Highest Level of Prime Minister’s Residence

Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Hirokazu Matsuno, announced on Thursday that he found the documents that indicated political pressure from Cabinet Office to MEXT to choose Kake Kaguen, run by an old friend of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, for establishing new veterinary faculty in Imabari, Ehime. Matsuno apologized on his insufficiency of investigation last month, in which he could not find the document. The documents indicates that the staff of Cabinet Office told MEXT staffs intention of Abe or “top level of Prime Minister’s Official Residence” to choose Kake Gakuen.

Matsuno announced last month that he could not find those documents after investigation in MEXT. But the investigation was made in only a few days after the scandal was revealed with the leak of former Vice-Minister of MEXT. Matsuno explained that he searched nineteen documents related to meeting with senior staff of Cabinet Office and found fourteen of them. They were in shred folders in a section, which were not touched in previous investigation.

It was found that a Vice-Director of Technical Education Division kept a document of answer from Cabinet Office on the issue. “On the schedule of establishment, this is the time of taking processes for “soonest deregulation” after registering a special district for Imabari city, and I heard this was the intention of Prime Minister,” described the document. In the document about a meeting with an officer of Cabinet Office, Yutaka Fujiwara, on September 26^th last year, MEXT received a request of making the shortest schedule for the opening of the faculty in April, 2018, as a message from “the highest level of Prime Minister’s Official Residence.”

The documents also revealed the involvement of Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Koichi Hagiuda, in choosing Kake Gakuen for new veterinary faculty. In an e-mail from Cabinet Office to MEXT on November 1^st last year, Fujiwara indicated an order from Hagiuda to rewrite a sentence about the conditions for new faculty, which would exclude other schools from the candidacy. It means that the scandal is not only about bureaucrats who care about political intervention of Prime Minister’s Office, but a politician who is close to Abe and has power of supervising bureaucrats.

Newspapers focus on next investigation in Cabinet Office, which would be announced on Friday. While Fujiwara has been denying his involvement in putting pressure exploiting political power, the Vice-Director of MEXT Technical Education Division recognized the issue as having reached the level of Prime Minister. It is highly possible that the choice of Kake was made in accordance with preference of Prime Minister.

Conspiracy Crime Passes

After prolonged mid-night maneuvers, House of Councillors passed the bill of revised Organized Crime Punishment Law, which included provisions for punishing conspiracy crime. Shinzo Abe administration took advantage of overwhelming majority in the Houses for reinforcing governmental power over freedom of thought. The leading parties and their minor supporters gave Abe a blank check without considering how the law would be affecting people’s lives. Monarchy dominates politics in Japan.

The opposite parties protested against the bill, arguing that the government would punish innocent people with suspect of plotting organized crime. Abe administration reiterated explanation that punishment on organized crime was needed for deterring terrorism especially for Tokyo Olympic 2020. However, the examples of organized crimes included minor illegal activities such as picking fungi in the forest or collecting soil, which could intentionally be recognized as accumulating financial resources for terrorism.

As reaching the end of current session of the Diet, which would be next Sunday, Abe administration gave up building consensus with the opposite parties and decided to use power of majority. It was possible to extend the session, if they had needed it. But, Abe did not like to do that, because the extension will give the opposite parties time for accusing Abe administration of concealing inappropriate relationship between Prime Minister and his friend, the president of an educational corporation called Kake Gakuen.

With unusually high obedience to Abe administration, the leading parties used a tricky procedure in the Diet. While a bill would thoroughly discussed in the committee before the showdown in Plenary Sittings, the leading parties passed the bill of conspiracy crime not with conclusion of Committee on Judicial Affairs but intermediate report of discussion. After receiving the intermediate report, House of Councillors passed the bill in the Plenary Sittings in Thursday Morning.

This unusual procedure in the Diet will be a bad precedent in terms of undermining check and balance between the powers of government. The leading parties allowed the government having a power to punish hidden thought of the individuals, abandoning opportunities to realize true intention of the government. “There is a tendency in Japan that the people hope surveillance or protection of the government,” told a Professor of Tokyo University of Science, Kang Sang-jung. “A concept that the people are the main actor of the state can never settle in Japan.” Just embarrassing.

Board Members Not Guilty

Are board members of a railway company responsible for a severe train accident? The Supreme Court decided that they were not guilty. The Court dismissed an appeal of a designated lawyer acting as prosecutor, who sought responsibility of President or other board members of West Japan Railway Company, JR West, in the derailment in Amagasaki, Hyogo, in 2005, causing 107 of deaths and 562 of injuries. It found that it was impossible for the board members to recognize danger of the railroad.

In the morning of April 25th, 2005, seven-car train on JR Fukuchiyama Line could not pass a curved railroad between the stations of Tsukaguchi and Amagasaki, because of its excessive speed. The train was derailed and crushed on a building aside. The accident was regarded as caused by false governance of the company with severe punishment for mistake of motorman or dense schedule of the trains. Two former Chairmen and a former President of JR West were indicted on a charge of professional negligence resulting deaths and injuries.

The point of decision was whether the board members could foresee the danger of the railroad. The appeal argued that they could have realized the danger and had to have installed automatic train stop system on the train. Supreme Court found that they had a few chances to realize the danger in specific point of railroad, because it was a responsibility of Chief of Railroad Headquarters of JR West. The Chief was indicted in 2009 and was found not guilty in 2012.

It was the first case that a mandatory indictment from Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution was dismissed. Kobe Local Prosecutors Office did not indict the ex-chairmen and ex-president in 2009 with insufficient suspicion. But, CIP decided mandatory indictment, urged by deep regret of the families of a number of victims. However, Kobe Local Court and Osaka High Court decided them not guilty.

The families cannot realize that this is the end of the case. “It is so miserable with finding no responsibility of anyone in such a tragic accident as with over a hundred of deaths and five hundreds of injury,” told a mother of young female victim. While the plaintiffs recognized the difficulty of accusing the board members, the families hoped Supreme Court to make a decision understandable for ordinary people who lost their loved ones.

JR West issued a comment that they recognized heavy responsibility, regardless the result of the trial. Two defendants issued statements with sincere regret. Another one told to the reporters that his regret would not be removed, even though the decision dismissed his responsibility. It is demanded that JR West establish firm system of train safety not to repeat that tragedy.

Fall of an Okinawan Star

Newspapers in Japan carried the news of decease of an Okinawan on Tuesday. Former Governor of Okinawa Masahide Ota, who protested both governments of Japan and United States for Okinawan cause, died of respiratory failure and pneumonia at 92 on Monday. Receiving broad anger of the people against a rape on a little girl by U.S. military personnel, Ota rejected cooperation with those governments. Current protests of Okinawa can be said as started when Ota was the governor.

Born in 1925 in Kume Island, Ota was a smart student in school. When he was studying in Normal School in Okinawa, Imperial Army recruited him as a member of young men’s infantry named Iron Blood Company Working for Emperor. During the Battle of Okinawa, he repeatedly witnessed Japanese Army soldiers ousting Okinawan refugees in the trenches with the guns pointing them. “The biggest lesson of Battle of Okinawa is that military at war never protects ordinary people,” later told Ota.

After the war, Ota proceeded to Waseda University in Tokyo and studied journalism in Syracuse University. After the years of Professor of Ryukyu University, Ota won in the gubernatorial election of Okinawa in 1990. In September 1995, three soldiers with U.S. Marine Corp or Navy raped a little girl in Okinawa in her age of 12. Ignited decades-long resentment of the people in Okinawa against U.S. Force exploded. “Okinawa has always been obstructed by U.S. military base,” said Ota in the major rally to protest U.S. Force.

Ota rejected signing a document for allowing national government coercive use of private land for U.S. Force. Backed by firm anger of the people against unilateral rule of U.S. Force, he required reduction of U.S. bases in Okinawa and review of U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement. His firm protest drew an agreement of both governments to return Futenma Air Base to Japan in 1996.

His hope for peace can see in his policy of builiding the memorial in Itoman city, called Basis of Peace, on which the names of victims in Battle of Okinawa is engraved. Current Governor of Okinawa, Takeshi Onaga, praised Ota as devoted himself to policies for peace. “He survived the hell and watched the hell of politics, but still embraced deep sentiment for his classmates died in the war,” told former member of House of Councillors, Tokushin Yamauchi.

Leaders of Shinzo Abe administration could not ignore the fall of a great figure in Okinawa. “He worked hard on the issue of U.S. military bases or development in Okinawa” told Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga. The achievement of Ota definitely met national interest of Japan.