Islamic Soldier from Japan

Was it based on frustration against Japan-U.S. alliance or social injustice in Japan? Tokyo Metropolitan Police questioned a student of Hokkaido University about his relationship with Islamic State, an extreme terrorist group active in Iraq and Syria. He was suspected to have planned to visit Syria and join the militants of IS. Most Japanese have been thinking that the terrorism in Middle East or Arab world would have nothing to do with the nation in the Far East. It should be a wake-up call for the pacifist nation.

Absenting his university in Sapporo for months, the student, 26, has been staying in a house of a free journalist in Tokyo. After reading a brochure on the wall of a bookshop in Akihabara, which was recruiting workers in Syria, he planned to depart Japan on Tuesday. Police blocked his plan the day before.

The suspect on the student was preparing private war, which meant attempting private war against foreign country, and conspiracy provisioned in the Criminal Law. Police searched the house of the journalist and other related places and seized passport of the student, books related to Islamic religion and personal computers. According to the journalist, the student looked like a military mania and not interested in traveling to Syria. True purpose of his departure is still unclear.

An important point is who recruited him. Although there are various activities of recruiting Islamic soldier in cyberspace, it is unusual for a brochure, which is close to classified information, to be raised on a wall of a bookstore. A person related to the bookstore revealed that the shop introduced a few people to a former professor on Islamic law. The professor has been in the area controlled by Islamic State to report what was going on there.

It is estimated that over fifteen thousand young people traveled to Middle East including Iraq and Syria and became soldiers. It is the first case that a Japanese actually tried to join that movement. United Nations passed a resolution urging every member to make preventive measures. Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told that Japan would be active in implementing the U.N. resolution for preventing terrorism.

If the government of Japan talks about its responsibility to the world, it needs to look at internal situation. “In developed country, a part of young agers are frustrated with no obvious motivation of life in free society,” elaborated a scholar in Japan. The important point is not making safe haven for terrorism in Japan by creating disappointments. Lack of social justice, coming from neo-liberal economy or insisting on personal agenda of a political leader, causes export of eccentric young terrorists.

No Safe Haven for Reactors

The death toll in the explosion of Mt. Ontakesan accumulated to fifty-one, marking the biggest number in volcanic disasters at least for past seven decades. Thirteen are still missing. The Japanese cannot pass through a tragedy without learning a lesson. The lesson they have realized after a week is that system for prediction of volcanic activity has been too weak to be effective. Some are worried about impact of volcanoes on nuclear power plants. Well, land of Japan is actually archipelago of volcanoes.

In the discussion at the House of Councillors, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stressed that safety measures on Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima, owned by Kyushu Electric Power Company, which was assumed to be the first reactors resuming from current intermission of nuclear power generation in Japan. “The safety will be secured, because it has been inspected with assumption of far greater eruption than Ontakesan,” told Abe.

KEPC asserts that the possible biggest explosion will be ten thousand times stronger than Ontakesan eruption. Even in that eruption, pyroclastic flow will not reach Sendai plant and accumulation of volcanic ashes will be less than fifteen centimeters. KEPC argues that the plant will withstand against it. However, there is a possibility of further catastrophic eruption once in ninety thousand years. Although KEPC explained that it would not happen, because the last time was thirty thousand years ago, that is a sort of religious belief like revival of Jesus Christ.

Sendai plant is located on fifty kilometers away from a well-known active volcano, Sakurajima. It will be possible that fallen ashes cut off electric wire or cause malfunction of devices such as emergency power generation. But no one knows where the ashes go, because of its dependence on direction of the wind.

Prediction of activity of volcano is far difficult. Hydrogen explosion like in Ontakesan, which is not related to the activity of underground magma, is too small to predict through geologic study. It is true that number of scholar for volcanic study is too few, which amounts to eighty in all over Japan. The study depends on laboratories in national universities, the budget for which is as small as ¥100 million annually. Scholars require a national institution for experts on volcanic study.

Not only for Sendai, Tomari Plant of Hokkaido Electric Power Company, Hamaoka Plant of Chubu Electirc Power Company or some other reactors are also recognized as valuable for volcanic activities. The most important thing for electric company is to realize that there is no safe haven in Japan.

Creating Permanent Temporary Works

One of the greatest reasons why social rift between the rich and poor got broader in Japan in the first decade of twenty first century was designated reform of labor market. Increasing irregular employment, in which workers were significantly vulnerable in terms of salary, social security and other conditions for employment. Although the administration dominated by Democratic Party of Japan tried to fix this problem, Shinzo Abe administration is resuming separation policy. The difference is whether to see from the viewpoint of employers or workers.

Temporary Staff Supply Act of 1986 determined status of temporary staffs dispatched by supplier of human resource. Its purpose was to protect the rights of workers from being kept in weak status of temporary staff. However, the law was revised to the direction of expanding employers’ discretion. The types of business to which sending temporary staff was allowed was increased from thirteen to twenty-six. The longest term for supplying temporary staff was extended from one year to three years in 1999.

Having experienced upsurge of social frustration DPJ administration prohibited dispatching of temporary staff over three years. Firmly supported by trade unions and unequivocally represented the standpoint of workers, it declared elimination of the working poor who suffered from low-level protection for their labor.

Now, Abe administration is preparing for submitting a bill to resume dispatching temporary staff for over three years in current session of the Diet. In the discussion at Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, Abe explained that the law woulb be welcomed by temporary staffs, because the company for human resource would have to request permanent status for its temporary staffs at the end of temporary work. But, DPJ is worried about temporary staffs staying in its situation permanently.

Temporary workers, regardless dispatched by company or not, is increasing. Number of workers without official contract with the firm was nineteen million, adding four hundred and twenty thousand to the number in a year ago. Average of annual income of dispatched temporary workers last year was ¥1.67 million, a third of the average of official hired workers.

Firmly believing in trickle-down theory of macro-economy, Abe is reluctant to see Japan economy from the viewpoint of workers. He thinks that taking care of the workers is not the job for the government, but for the employers. Being aware of money poured into business had not reached to the workers, he started persuading employers to trickle-down their benefits. But what he is doing is not about free market economy in liberal democracy, but regulated economy in authoritarian democracy.

Worldwide Support for United States

The government of Japan decided to write global support for the United States in the new version of Japan-U.S. Security Guideline, which will be revised later this year or early next year. Japan has so far strictly prohibited joining military operation except it may affect Japan’s own security. To implement that principle, it legislated Peripheral Situation Act, which determined Japan’s operational ability in contingency around Japan. The attitude of Shinzo Abe administration toward new guideline looks to be an emergence of warmongering characteristic of Abe.

In 1978, Japan and U.S. exchanged first document of security guideline to deal with possible aggression from Soviet Union. Current guideline revised in 1997, that prepared for possible contingency in Korean Peninsula, determined Japan’s cooperation to U.S. in three fields; ordinary situation, contingency in Japan and peripheral situation. It enables Japan to support U.S. force in a situation of “significantly affecting Japan’s peace and security in periphery of Japan.”

New guideline, which mid-term report will be released Wednesday 8^th of this month, will determine that Japan will be going to make global support for U.S. Not only in Japan’s own contingency, but in “gray zone situation” in which the government may not be able to determine whether it can do it, Japan will support U.S. in anywhere in the world. Also exercising collective self-defense right, Japan will seamlessly prepare for any situation from the time of peace to contingency in Japan. There will not be a reason in U.S. to reject it.

Since Japan had been prohibiting itself joining military conflict in other country, it may mark a great turning point of Japanese security policy. After the end of World War II, Japan has been taking exclusively defensive policy. Japan could use its force only when Japan’s existence is seriously threatened. To limit it, the nation announced to the world that it would deal with conflicts around Japan. To assure Japan-U.S. alliance, which has been believed to be a cornerstone of Japan’s security, Abe administration removed that geographical limitation.

It is supposed that likely case of Japan’s contribution to U.S. operation is sweeping floating mines in Persian Gulf. But if Japan agrees with U.S. to make joint operation in anywhere in the world, Japan also participate in China-Taiwan conflict. This possibility will let China involved in further enforcement of military, precipitating Northeast Asia into further unstable situation. It is wiser for U.S. to decide that it will deal with the regional conflict in Asia by itself, without expecting Japan’s help.

Stalemate of Asahi Bashing

Having apologized on wrong articles about comfort woman and testimony of former director of First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, Asahi Shimbun still is the target of some people frustrated with mass communication. Excessive accusation has emerged as terrorism on professors who formerly a writer of Asahi. Critics are getting aware of danger of democracy.

In mid-September, Tezukayama Gakuin University received a letter threatening with indication of injuring students, if it would not fire a professor who covered comfort woman story when he was a writer of Asahi. The professor stepped down after the threat. Same kind of two letters arrived at Hokkai Gakuen University in May and July, requiring resignation of another professor formerly worked for Asahi. It is a clear symptom of terrorism that recipient of message and actual target is different.

Not only Asahi, conservative Sankei Shimbun accused them as terrorism in its editorial. “A series of coverage of Asahi on comfort woman issue harmed dignity and national interest of Japan and the Japanese. However, it is different from that to oppress freedom of speech with violence or pressure,” wrote the article. Yomiuri, prominent rival of Asahi, raised an argument against excessive aggression on Asahi writers and their families on internet. It warned that the word “kill” would lead to menace or “planted a bomb” might be a disturbance of businesss.

Government officeials, including Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, do not stop criticizing Asahi. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hiroshige Seko, required Asahi to explain the apology to the world. “The reports caused misunderstanding in overseas. I want Asahi to explain the details to overseas,” told Seko. Well, do not forget that it is Abe who spread misunderstandings on comfort woman issue.

Weekly Gendai magazine introduced a number of voices of foreign countries. It indicated that Asahi bashing had been led by Abe and the aggression on freedom speech was similar to the time of Nazi Germany. Gendai quoted a comment of Tokyo correspondent, Martin Fackler, that “Wrong article does not deny the problem of comfort woman. I see a distance between consistent accusers of Asahi and the world.”

Media is getting aware of upsurge of criticisms not only on Asahi, but on media as a whole. On its background, there is a view that media has already been on the side of establishment. It is not rare in Japanese society that a newspaper writer gets a job in a university after retiring. As long as those criticisms come up from social separation, Abe’s agenda to reestablish old establishment is ongoing with victimization of freedom of speech.

Contradiction in Energy Policy

Energy policy in Japan is facing a great contradiction. After the disaster in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant three years ago, reducing dependency on nuclear energy has been the top issue for Japan’s future. Renewable energy must be expanded as much as possible. However, power companies reject flowing renewable energy in their supply network, in spite of legislation requires them to accept it. Reluctance of old establishments in energy community is disturbing energy reform in Japan.

The reason of rejecting renewable energy is electricity will be overflow in supply network, if the power company accepts all amount the electricity each producer generates. Major power companies explain that the overflow causes breaking down of supply system, or even major blackouts. “Yeah, it’s ok for us to stop nuclear reactors and introduce unstable solar, geothermal or whatever. But it may cause broad blackout in big cities, which leads to great loss in economic term.” It is the way how power company threatens the people.

Regulative policy of the government caused too much supply of electricity. Government of Japan introduced feed in tariff system in 2012, which forced power companies to buy all electricity produced by registered suppliers of renewable energy; solar, wind, minor hydraulic, geothermal and biomass. Under the cause of increasing share of the renewable, the government loosened the regulation for registration without a principle. Putting aside their efforts fallen short of, bureaucrats attribute their ineffective policy to politics between Democratic Party of Japan and Liberal Democratic Party.

The government, both in terms of bureaucracy and politics, is also responsible not developing greater system for electricity supply network. Capacity of current system is limited for sharing electricity between regional power companies. Amazingly enough, frequency of electricity is different between east and west of Japan, making accommodation difficult.

If the government seriously seeks higher share of renewable energy, it needs to quickly develop infrastructure for the future. But what it is doing now is helping Tokyo Electric Power Company decontaminate land in Fukushima to make people erase the memory of the disaster as soon as possible. Closely connected with traditional interest of major power companies, the government is obviously reluctant to support new business in renewable energy.

Co-president of Japan Restoration Party, Kenji Eda, addressed in his question to Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, in current session of the House of Representatives, that “Bureaucracy discourages private sectors with regulative governance.” It is obvious that Abe and LDP cannot break that old system.

Time for Change

The lawmakers of the National Diet started routine discussion over policies of Shinzo Abe administration on Tuesday. Representatives of opposite parties accused Abe’s economic policy as inappropriate. Abe defended his job as effective for creating further growth. However, actual economy shows low progress in his agenda. Abe has to realize that it is the time for change.

President of Democratic Party of Japan, Banri Kaieda, raised an argument on “womanomics” of Abe. “One big problem is low wage of women. Average wage of women is as low as seven tenth of that of men. Seven out of ten unofficially-hired workers are women. One out of two single mothers are living under the poverty line. Suffered from low-wage mothers, poverty rate of children in Japan is 16.3% in 2012, marking the worst in developed countries,” told Kaieda.

Co-president of Japan Restoration Party, Kenji Eda, unequivocally criticized Abe’s policy choice, telling that further rise of consumption tax rate would definitely trigger the failure of Abenomics. “Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs loses everything,” warned Eda. He insisted that alternative financial resource could be brought by cutting cost of government both of national and regional.

Abe explained his effort to support mid and small business with subsidy for companies suffering from cheap yen. He also insisted that he would urge employers to trickle down their benefit to the workers in trilateral negotiating table by government, employer and trade union.

However, commodity price is constantly rising. From October 1^st, Starbucks Japan raised the price of latte, because of high price of dairy products. Skymark Airline raised travel fee of most domestic lines, suffering from high price of gasoline. A franchise of Chinese restaurant, O-show, raised price on most dishes on the menu. Cheap yen absolutely cast shadows on actual economy.

As far as following his words, Abe does not care at all. He insisted on his policies as safety net for small businesses and low-income families, which were not so serious compared with former DPJ administration. He showed no sign of changing his policy for encouraging building infrastructure. Attributing to price hike of fossil fuel, Abe administration has been justifying resumption of nuclear reactors in power plants.

However, it is unlikely for employers to release their benefit for the workers. Investing big business will be resulted in concentration of wealth and increasing poverty. Direct care for low-wage workers will be needed, if he sincerely review his policies.