Ultimatum on Nuclear Recycle

Nuclear Regulation Authority on Friday recommended Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Hiroshi Hase, replace the operational body of the Fast Breeder Reactor named Monju in Fukui. In short, Japan Atomic Energy Agency was labeled as incompetent in the development of technology for nuclear fuel recycle. It may lead to dismantlement of a project, which once a great hope for nuclear village in Japan.

The recommendation strongly questioned qualification of JAEA as an operational body of Monju. “Time has passed without any achievement after the accident of sodium leakage in 1995, in spite of various effort for security,” told the recommendation. NRA was frustrated with JAEA, having no achievement to take regulative measures, and the Ministry, failing in losing control on it.

NRA explained why JAEA had to leave. The authority issued two orders to take security measures in December 2012 and May 2013. Nevertheless, JAEA has not been in a situation for reconfirming the result of required measures. “We cannot suppose,” said the recommendation, “that one unable to take appropriate and firm security measures during the reactors are not in operation will be able to do that in the time of operation.” NRA dismissed JAEA’s viability as an operator of nuclear power plant.

NRA also denounced the Ministry in charge of science and technology. “Although the authority have been urging the Ministry to appropriately oversee JAEA, no effort was rewarded in terms of making actual improvement in the activities of the agency,” said the recommendation. Having said that, NRA required the Ministry to determine the alternative operating body and make a fundamental review on the facility for nuclear power generation called Monju within a half year.

When passing over the recommendation, Chairman of NRA, Shun-ichi Tanaka, told Hase that it would not be easy to find an alternative body. Although Hase asked advice from the authority, Tanaka did not reply and finished the dialogue in only three minutes. JAEA has been lazy as if it were ignoring the requirements from the regulatory body of national government.

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, dealing with nuclear power generation, does not care about the crisis of nuclear fuel recycling project, showing no interest in finding an alternative operating body of Monju. Fast breeder reactor, capable of generating more fissile material than it consumes, has been a hopeful technology for the nuclear village in Japan. But, they seem to be awaking from the dream.

Democratic Victory in the Last Frontier

As days pass from the voting for general election, regime change in Myanmar is getting realistic. National League for Democracy, led by charismatic woman leader Aung San Suu Kyi, announced on Thursday that it secured 400 seats out of 664 in the congress, which made the birth of new democratic administration likely. Japan has to explore new relationship with the last frontier in Asian economy.

To the land-sliding victory of NLD, incumbent President, Thein Sein, already admitted the defeat of leading Union Solidarity and Development Party and congratulated Suu Kyi. Thein Sein promised smooth transition of administrative power. Foreign nations are recognizing new democratic administration. President of United States made a phone call to Suu Kyi to cerebrate her victory. “President Thein Sein should be proud of this historical turning point. Bold reform by the President addressed the future of Myanmar,” Obama told Thein Sein, according to a news report in Japan.

25% of all seats, 166, are occupied by the military. The election was held for the rest of 498 seats. According to official announcement, NLD occupied 291 out of 359 fixed seats, taking 80% share of voted seats. Military-led USDP won as few as 33 seats.

Myanmar Congress has bicameral system. The President will be elected from three candidates, candidates of people’s representatives of each house and of the military of both houses. But, a person who has foreign family cannot make presidency in legal provision in Myanmar. Suu Kyi is not eligible for the president, because she has a son with nationality of United Kingdom.

Suu Kyi is ambitions to be a supreme power in Myanmar, overwhelming new coming President. “I will decide everything as the leader of the party. The President has no power,” told Suu Kyi as soon as the voting was finished. Although result of the election was supported long democratic movement led by Suu Kyi, her bold remark caused criticism to new despotism. “Suu Kyi is saying that she wanted to amend the constitution made by old military regime,” told an officer of NLD.

Japan also is concerning the future of Myanmar. It has been said that Suu Kyi does not have good impression on Japan, because Japan has been supporting military administration with development aid, while the Western nations were taking sanctions. Although Japanese government invited Suu Kyi to Japan and met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, its effect on bilateral relation is not clear. In the situation that Myanmar is approaching China expecting great economic progress, reinforcement of Japan-U.S. alliance may cause further distance from emerging regime in Myanmar.

To Stop Administrative Extravagant

Administrative Reform Promotion Council, headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, had an open meeting for verification of Administrative Project Review on Wednesday. The council recommended Japan Atomic Energy Agency to consider future options, including disuse of a ship for transporting used nuclear fuel, which had mostly been unused these years. In the meeting, a number of administrative extravagances were exposed to criticisms.

JAEA built in 2006 a ship named Kaiei-maru to transport used nuclear fuel produced from an advanced thermal reactor, Fugen, which ceased its operation in 2003 and had been left to be dismantled. Although Japanese government poured ¥10 billion to the ship so far, it operated for transportation only four times. The ship has not used, since November 2011.

Kaiei-maru had been moored for 342 days in the Port of Muroran, Hokkaido, last fiscal year. It actually left the port for only four times to have maintenance. Although it has only been the ship for the purpose in Japan, Kaiei-maru lost its raison d’être as Fugen was in the process of dismantlement and new fast-breeder reactor, Monju, had been hopeless. “We cannot spend money for a project unexplainable to the people,” told Minister in Charge of Administrative Reform, Taro Kono, in the meeting on Wednesday.

Projects related to nuclear energy became direct targets in the review. Subsidy for building new nuclear power generation plant in Oma, Aomori, by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry was also criticized as inefficient. The plant has been recognized as being to be the first facility in the world to use mixed oxide fuel in every reactor. While METI has spent ¥29 billion to support its technological development since 1996, only 4% of the money from national budget was actually used. The council required the operating body, J Power, to return the money unspent.

However, the review is not a project that determines the fate of administrative projects, which method was once employed in the administration of Democratic Party of Japan. Ministries will voluntarily decide which project should be continued or killed. While Kono has been regarded as a prominent reformer in Liberal Democratic Party, it is unclear whether he can suppress resistance from bureaucracy for continuing past projects.

Abe administration has not been so positive in administrative reform. For his political agenda, including advanced military capability, Abe has been appropriating a great amount of money from national budget. It is not Kono, but Prime Minister, who has to be the reformist leader for saving tax money.

Pro-baseball Betrayers

The Commissioner of Nippon Professional Baseball, Katsuhiko Kumazaki, made a decision to permanently disqualify three pitchers affiliated to Yomiuri Giants on Tuesday. They were suspected as committing gambling over baseball games, which should be accused to be inappropriate as professional baseball players. This is the first case for NPB to be involved in major gambling case since 1969, when match-fixing by the players with Nishitetsu Lions, or Black Fog Incident, shook the pro-baseball leagues.

Three players involved in gambling were Satoshi Fukuda, Shoki Kasahara and Ryuya Matsumoto. Giants announced last month that Fukuda had involved in gambling over high-school baseball championship this year and some games of Giants. Later, it was revealed that the relationship between Fukuda and a private gambler was introduced by Kasahara. Kasahara and Matsumoto committed gambling over ten or more pro-baseball games last year. The Contract of NPB prohibits pro-baseball players commit any gambling.

Permanent disqualification is the heaviest penalty following permanent expulsion. As long as evidence of match-fixing was not found from three players, the commissioner chose the second-worst penalty. NPB also vested penalty on Giants of ¥10 million for its failure in controlling its players. Although Giants, as the first professional baseball team in Japan, had been a central figure of popularity to baseball, credibility not on the team but on the pro-baseball as a whole may collapse with the scandal.

One important point is whether the gambling was about three players and a private gambler. It is common that illegal mafia has been involved in baseball gambling behind the scenes. Gambling is generally one of the major incomes for yakuza organization. In 2010, a number of sumo wrestlers and coaches were exposed as committing match-fixing and baseball gambling, which was presented by some members of Japanese mafia. It is doubted that baseball league might also have close relationship with criminal organizations.

NPB has to expose all facts about the gambling scandal. Although pro-baseball is recognized in a context of business, it is also a matter of education for kids or popular amusement prevalent in the society. If the players had been committing match-fixing, it should be a betrayer to the public. Gambling is generally a crime in Japanese laws. Some other players with Giants are suspected as being involved in other gambling cases. Police or prosecutors office have to reveal true story inside professional baseball leagues.

Confusion in Job Application

Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, announced on Monday that its member companies would start job application for graduating college students on June next year. Its policy of delaying job interview until August to preserve the seniors enough time to complete study in college will be changed in a year. Inflexible application system in Japanese labor market is bringing confusion in job searching of students.

In the period of post-war high economic growth, major corporations in Japan were enthusiastic in hiring brilliant human resource. In 1953, colleges and business federations agreed on starting job application for students, who would graduate next year, in every October. After long period of competition over young labor, Japan Federation of Employer’s Association abolished the agreement and started job application in April. In 2011, after merging with JFEA, Keidanren determined that job seminars would be allowed in every December for the juniors and interviewing would be starting in April, the very beginning of the year of senior.

But, the fourth year in college is the time for concluding study. Students might not be concentrated in making bachelor thesis, if he had to be busy in searching post-graduation job. Seeing the system to cause deterioration of academic achievement of Japanese students, Keidanren made a guideline to delay the job seminars to March and interviews to August, starting in 2014.

It did not work, because non-Keidanren companies continued early application in April. Some of the member companies also defied the guideline. In the moderate recovery of Japanese economy, employers are becoming positive in obtaining hopeful young labor.

Students are confused by quick change of the policy. If job application starts in June, it will affect examination in June and students cannot attend classes from April.

All those problems stem from long-time employment system in Japan. In this country, a typical successful life is brought by getting job immediately after college graduation, continuing the job until he gets old and retiring with congratulation of his colleagues. Every newly graduated employee is recognized as hopeful for being the president. Job market in Japan has very low liquidity, which may cause lack of adjustability when labor mismatch occurred.

To revitalize Japanese economy, flexible job market is indispensable. Business entities need to refrain from picking young labor too early. They also need to be open for exchanging human resource between companies. Devoting one’s life to one job is a concept of bureaucrats, who are proud of being servants of a state, not people.

Warning on Intervention in Broadcasting

One TV program is focused on as an example of governmental intervention in freedom of expression. Broadcasting Ethics & Program Improvement Organization (BPO), an independent panel for examining TV programs and reflecting opinions of the viewers, criticized Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, Sanae Takaichi, and Liberal Democratic Party of their excessive pressure on Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK). This is an effusion of public concern on current oppressive administration.

BPO examined an NHK program called Close Up Gendai, which has been a thirty-minute reporting program with journalistic viewpoints. In May last year, the program reported fraud cases by a monk who escaped individual financial debt by changing official name into religious name. Criticisms rose up on some scenes of the documentary that might be fabrication of the story and one man stepped forward, revealing that he was asked to play a role as a conspirator.

BPO embarked on the investigation this May. It concluded that there was a crucial violation against broadcasting ethics in the program in terms of appearance of the man without sufficient research on his identity. But, BPO denied fabrication by the reporter to the extent of ordering the man to pretend to be a conspirator. BPO fundamentally dismissed the criticisms on fabrication.

The focusing point was another facts related to the case. Takaichi rebuked NHK of its attitude for reporting this April. In June, lawmakers of LDP denounced NHK in a meeting, in which one man proposed reducing income of advertising to punish mass communication. BPO recognized those facts as pressure on broadcasting and criticized Takaichi and LDP of its intervention in TV programs based on Broadcasting Act that required neutrality. Realizing the provisions as ethical standards for broadcasters, BPO urged NHK to preserve fortitude against pressures.

Oppressive tendency has been seen in Shinzo Abe administration. Last November, LDP summoned private broadcasters to maintain “neutrality” in the programs. For Abe administration, neutrality is not criticizing the administration. In this April, one lawmaker of LDP referred to a possibility of exercising political decision to stop broadcasting. Conclusion of BPO was apparent opposition to those oppressive activities.

Close Up Gendai is supposed to replace its main caster in next spring. It has been ordinary action for the government to expect changing personality of a program. NHK also changed the main caster of night news program this spring. To show resilience against political pressure, not only the broadcasters but viewers need to be acknowledged to the interventions in the programs they watch.

Smile for Separate Ways

Resulting in a simple reconfirmation of old principle, though, it was undoubtedly a historical meeting. President of People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping and President of Republic of China, Ma Yingjeou met in Singapore on Saturday. It was the fist time for both leaders to have a meeting, since China had been separated in 1949. Xi and Ma reconfirmed the Consensus 1992, which recognized that both Taiwan and continental China belonged to “one China.” They knew, however, that they were going separate ways.

At the beginning of the meeting, both leaders exchanged message for peace between the coasts. “We opened new historical page. History will register today,” told Xi, stressing historical significance of the meeting. “Both coasts declared message for our determination to concrete peace in Taiwan Strait and promoting regional peace to the world,” replied Ma. Both leaders called each other with title of honor.

After decades of adversary, Ma embarked on improving relationship with PRC. Xi recognized that the key element was maintaining of the Consensus 1992 by Ma and common political basis of opposing the independence of Taiwan. Some understood that this abrupt summit meeting was Ma’s legacy making before expiration of his term next May. There remains a strong opinion against one China principle in Taiwan, anyway.

Xi knew well about those public sentiments. “We are willing to make relationship with any political party or organization, regardless assertions in the past, if it keeps meaning of the Consensus 1992,” told Xi, keeping new possible leader of ROC, Tsai Ingwen, in his mind. But, it is obvious that one China means integration of Taiwan within continental China, which is hardly acceptable for ROC.

With embracing different goals, both leaders worked for practical achievement of the historical meeting. Ma required Xi removing missiles deployed on the coast facing Taiwan. Xi answered that the missiles were not aiming the Taiwanese people. Both leaders agreed on establishing a hotline at the minister level.

Xi must have believed that establishing moderate relationship with ROC could work for denying access of United States to continental Chinese coast. Based on the policy of reconstruction of the great China, Xi wants to contain Taiwan within the influential power of PRC. Cooperating with Japan or other allies, U.S. will oppose any action of annexation of Taiwan. In a distant structure between two approaching governments of China and Japan-U.S. alliance, it is possible that problems in the relationship of Japan and China will be more deteriorated, possibly in a manner that PRC and ROC joins in the claim for Senkaku Islands.