tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267061241077814002024-02-07T04:48:41.702-08:00Minoru Morita Unravels JapanThe author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Curing-Japans-America-Addiction-destroyed/dp/0974199540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231524534&sr=1-1"><strong><i>Curing Japan's America Addiction</i></strong></a> (<a href="http://www.chinmusicpress.com">Chin Music Press</a>) offers insight and commentary from Tokyo.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-22861550453276470612011-07-21T11:55:00.000-07:002011-07-21T16:45:56.711-07:00We Need to Speed up the Cleanup<span style="font-style:italic;">There's no time for delays. Get the four opposition parties' disaster waste management bill approved quickly! The Kan administration needs to accept the LDP- and Komeito-led bill.</span><br /><br />We need to speed up the cleanup. It has been more than four months since the East Japan earthquake and tsunami, yet disaster waste management is not progressing. The waste and downed trees are a hazard in this hot summer. It's not just about the stench. As the waste ferments, the temperature will rise. There's the danger of fires. We need to clean up this mess as quickly as possible, but the Kan administration has been slow to act.<br /> <br />This clean up is not about ruling or opposition parties. It's something all parties should cooperate on. The Democratic Party of Japan should accept the bill put forth by the four opposition parties, led by the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito.<br /> <br />The points of the opposition bill are: 1) The nation should act as a proxy for damaged municipalities when those municipalities request it, and 2) the country should assist in paying for processing the waste, maintaining facilities and managing the project (according to a report in the Komeito newspaper on July 10).<br /> <br />If the nation doesn't act as a proxy in this cleanup, it won't progress. With the nation's support, the cleanup could proceed promptly.<br /> <br />If the ruling and opposition parties can negotiate an agreement, a quick, thorough cleanup of debris is possible.<br /> <br />I'm counting on a courageous decision by Tatsuo Hirano, the minister in charge of disaster prevention, and Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, the senior vice minister.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Originally published in Japanese on July 13, 2011. </span>Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-34335488407465085602011-07-06T14:41:00.000-07:002011-07-06T14:44:12.568-07:00Thoughts on the Immoral Media and Their Frontmen Politicians<span style="font-style:italic;">Kan and his "me-first" mentality are being propped up by the mass media<br /><br />"Great is journalism. Is not every able editor a ruler of the world, being the persuader of it?"</span> — Thomas Carlyle<br /><br />These words from Carlyle are a eulogy to the able newspaper editor. At the same time, they also speak to the great power an able editor holds.<br /><br />In today's Japan, the mass media's influence is enormous. We can't help but admit that the media's editors are the true rulers of Japan. This is the reality. <br /><br />But Japan's editors are not proper editors. They don't strive for the highest good as Japanese journalism requests of them. That's because their sense of ethics is out of whack.<br /><br />The able editors of today's Japan demand more money and fame as well as the right to rule Japanese politics and government. They are power hungry.<br /><br />These editors have hazy morals. They use their murky sense of values to drive Japan's politics, government and economy in the direction they believe it should go. To get the results they want, Japan's most powerful editors band together. By uniting, they exert enormous power.<br /><br />In other words, Japan's politics is controlled by these editors with their murky sense of values. They sent Japanese politics into decline, introducing a bad single-seat electoral system that gives a handful of parties despotic control, while treating the large majority like children. It's the mass media that has allowed the Democratic Party of Japan trio of Ichiro Ozawa, Yukio Hatoyama and Naoto Kan to win despite not having the ability to properly run the country. The jaded media is behind Kan's current administration as well. This immoral mass media is an enemy of the people.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-7751607527368824892011-06-06T22:51:00.000-07:002011-06-06T22:58:03.508-07:00Watch out for the Loud Chorus Calling for a DPJ-LDP Coalition<span style="font-style:italic;">DPJ Chief Cabinet Secretary Okada and his ilk abet the cause by making remarks in support of a coalition assuming that Prime Minister Kan<br />will step down. It's dishonest, hypocritical politics, and it's dangerous. It is not necessary to dance to the media's tune just because they are agitated about a possible coalition.</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /><br />"If the paper boat doesn't sink today, it will sink tomorrow."</span> — Indian proverb<br /><br />A grand coalition, or a politics that doesn't lean one way or the other, is not something we should pursue. Parties should pursue cooperation with opposition parties in the Diet. A grand coalition means that one party (the governing party) and a second party (the main opposition) lean against each other, creating a system where no one takes responsibility. When one party holds political power, the second needs to use the Diet to bear witness, criticize and point out the ruling party's faults.<br /><br />When a governing party finds it necessary to take on a coalition partner, it should unite with a smaller opposition party. A grand coalition blurs the responsibilities of the government and the governing party. It also absolves the leading opposition, the Liberal Democratic Party, of any responsibility because a vote for the LDP would simply return political power to the ruling Democratic Party of Japan.<br /><br />To revive the country in the wake of the East Japan disaster, political cooperation should occur in the Diet. A grand coalition between the DPJ and the LDP would leave out smaller parties such as New Komeito. That would be a grave mistake. The politicians of the smaller parties such as Komeito work much harder than the average DPJ politician. And they clearly make greater efforts than LDP politicians. These efforts are what hones a politician. The politicians of the smaller parties have honed themselves much more than DPJ and LDP politicians. Compare them on an individual basis, and the politicians of Komeito and other smaller parties have greater capacities. There are some exceptionally capable politicians in New Komeito and the New People's Party. To exclude the capable while fusing together the incapable and arrogant is a very dangerous proposition. What we need to do right now is end the con job of Kan politics. This is our biggest obstacle. Then the DPJ and New People's Party should get behind the idea of making NPP President Shizuka Kamei a candidate for prime minister. This is where we need to start.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-20529108378628056732011-04-27T10:00:00.000-07:002011-04-27T10:03:01.414-07:00What's the Point of this Failed Premier's String of Meetings?<span style="font-style:italic;">The only reason for the revival conferences run by the rudderless, irresponsible Kan is to prolong his system of government. The biggest obstacle to rebuilding from the great quake is Kan himself. Getting together a bunch of academics who don't understand this point is not going to produce creative results. Real creativity requires a serious approach. This conference ought to be scrapped.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"The Congress dances, but it does not advance."</span> — Archduke Rainer<br /><br />Prime Minister Naoto Kan has a thing about making meetings. The latest conference to revive the nation, announced with much fanfare, is his 19th such meeting. There is even talk that he's planning to create a rebuilding headquarters. That would result in his 20th meeting. It is becoming increasingly clear that the objective of these meetings is to preserve Kan's government. There are no bureaucrats or people in positions of responsibility in these meetings. The biggest problem facing the government right now is that the administration doesn't work. Kan doesn't have the intention to get the bureaucrats moving; he just keeps shouting at them. Kan and the Democratic Party of Japan seem to have forgotten that the bureaucrats are people of pride.<br /> <br />The people are waking up to the fact that the biggest problem with the rebuilding effort after the quake is the irresponsible me-first philosophy of Prime Minister Kan. He doesn't have the vision, ideas or sense of responsibility that a political leader should have. Instead, every day he yells at the bureaucrats. Then he forms discussion groups filled with sycophantic academics who tell him what he wants to hear. When information from these discussions gets leaked to the press, he panics and denies that he said anything. And then he repeats the process. Most of the populace has the feeling that he's lying.<br /> <br />The revival conference is nothing more than a study group out to make Prime Minister Kan more popular. Academics of integrity must not join this group.<br /> <br />This is not the time for the premier to get lost in a fog of meeting-making. He needs to be brave enough to stop these useless meetings. The most effective move Kan can make to begin rebuilding from the disaster is to retire.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-82623611789169927172011-04-08T14:21:00.000-07:002011-04-08T20:22:58.682-07:00Excessive Self-Restraint Will Lead to Shrinkages, Dispiritedness<span style="font-style:italic;">If the whole country contracts, Japan will be ruined. While it is natural to want to put all our efforts into the revival of the quake- and tsunami-damaged areas, for a more long-term revival, we need to improve all of Japan. We need to energize the overall economy.</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />"Too much of a good thing is good for nothing."</span> — Ieyasu Tokugawa<br /><br />Too much of this self-imposed control sweeping the country is dangerous. Overdo it, and Japan will shrink. Tokyo is already on the verge of overdoing it. If all of Japan overdoes it, Japan will be led down the road to ruin.<br /> <br />The government needs an aggressive economic policy. But then comes the Pavlovian response: An aggressive economic policy will lead directly to a financial collapse. If the nation's debt rises, so will interest rates. If that happens, there will be a steady procession of small and midsize companies heading for bankruptcy protection. Japan's economy will falter.<br /> <br />They want to push for a tax hike. And it's not just the Finance Ministry and its scholars saying this. The majority of the politicians in the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party as well as government officials are in agreement with the Finance Ministry. And the mass media provides the echo chamber. In fact, the media is more than an echo chamber; it's leading the charge.<br /> <br />But the Finance Ministry's austerity measures, fixation on debt repayment and push to hike taxes will shrink Japan's economy in the long run, increasing financial debt. In other words, if we follow the austere policies of the Finance Ministry, Japan will fall apart.<br /> <br />The abnormal level of self-imposed control and shrinkage after the great earthquake presents a new danger. Too much of this control could send Japan to the brink. We need to change policy right away.<br /> <br />I think that without a policy that plays on Japan's strengths, there will be no revival. The government needs to change course to aggressive policies. On March 11, 2011, everything about Japan — its politics, economy, society, international position — changed. We need to acknowledge this and change direction too.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-57693717250993114132011-04-06T09:10:00.000-07:002011-04-06T14:23:00.107-07:00A Bad Prime Minister in a Bad Situation is a Formula for Disaster<span style="font-style:italic;">We need a political leader who can harness the ability of the country's civil servants to help us overcome this crisis. Prime Minister Naoto Kan is not that man. We should form a new cabinet with People's New Party leader Shizuka Kamei as the premier.</span><br /><br />We need the focus and ability of our country's civil servants more than ever.<br /> <br />Japan is facing a national crisis. Political power without crisis-management know-how is worthless. A politician like Kan, who can't motivate the bureaucrats, leaves one hundred problems and no solution.<br /> <br />To overcome the lack of energy caused by the nuclear incident and the East Japan Earthquake, politicians need to do more than pledge unity. We need political leaders who can mobilize the national and local government employees and guide them to make the most of their abilities. Prime Minister Kan isn't up to the task.<br /> <br />No system will get the bureaucrats motivated and moving. We need the leadership of people. If we don't have people in positions of power who are capable of rallying the bureaucrats, we're in trouble. '<br /> <br />But the sad truth is there are very few politicians around these days who are up to the task. Kan has already failed. The only two in the political world who can get the government employees motivated are Shizuka Kamei and Ichiro Ozawa. Both of these men need to have a central role, but Kamei, leader of the People's New Party, is most suited for the top position.<br /> <br />I have a request to make of Prime Minister Kan: quietly bow out of the government and recommend Kamei as your replacement. If you do this, we'll finally have a government that can handle crisis management. A prime minister who can't rally the bureaucracy is worthless right now. I think the Democratic Party of Japan should get behind the idea that Kamei should be entrusted with the leadership role.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-16980744096520743662011-03-25T22:00:00.000-07:002011-03-25T22:09:16.672-07:00A Word to the Government on its Great Quake Policies<span style="font-style:italic;">Thoughts of a grand coalition without sincerity create a hundred potential pitfalls and no advantages; there are no true friends in a me-first system</span><br /><br /><br />All that begins sincerely will end sincerely. Sincerity is the basis for all human action. Without it, nothing is obtainable. <br /> <br />The actions of Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chief Secretary Katsuya Okada don't seem especially sincere. What creeps out is the same "me first" philosophy we've seen before.<br /> <br />They continue to disregard the policy requests of the opposition but then request that Liberal Democratic Party President Sadakazu Tanigaki join the Cabinet. They use "sincerity" as a political strategy. Propriety is lost in favor of bad faith bargaining. The ways of Kan and Okada lack propriety. I have repeatedly urged the government to "sincerely request cooperation from those who can help," but Kan and Okada have chosen an improper strategy. And thus nothing will move forward. Their approach is poor.<br /> <br />If you're going to solicit the help of the LDP and other opposition parties, then first the Diet's proceedings must be normalized. Rethink the idea of separating the budget from other related bills and bulling through a vote, and instead aim for normalizing Diet proceedings. The ruling party must also consider the demands of the opposition.<br /> <br />In the political world, many are talking about how Kan and Okada deliberately acted in a way that would muzzle the LDP. That show's how bad they have handled things. <br /> <br />If they are really interested in creating a renewed sense of national unity and getting the cooperation of the opposition, they need to first normalize Diet proceedings and then ask properly for help. But to ignore the LDP's proposed bills on tsunami protection and ask for a "grand coalition" of cooperation is an insincere and bull-headed strategy. Insincere politics creates a hundred problems and no solutions. Using this disaster to measure one's political power is nothing short of a crime.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-9118636913342324482011-03-24T15:45:00.000-07:002011-03-24T16:28:26.501-07:00The Diet Has Work to Do<span style="font-style:italic;">First on the list: take measure of the tsunami prevention bills shelved since last year and supported by lawmakers in the LDP and New Komeito</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />"Don't hesitate to correct errors."</span> -- Confucius<br /><br /><br />How many lawmakers who refused to endorse the tsunami prevention bills tabled since last year paused to reflect on their actions once they saw the vast tragedy of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami? Many lawmakers didn't listen to Diet member Toshihiro Nikai's plea that "we should act quickly on these tsunami bills." But if any are feeling embarrassment or remorse for ignoring his plea, these are honorable politicians. <br /> <br />Supporters of the bill were Nikai (the former minister of trade and industry) and other members of the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito Party. Nikai is an expert on crisis management, considered the top authority on the subject in the political world. He is second to none in his knowledge of disasters, earthquakes and crisis management. He has also studied tsunamis. For a long time, he has been preaching the necessity of the tsunami prevention bills. <br /> <br />There is no "if" in politics, but when the bills were introduced last year, if the Democratic Party of Japan had understood the need for them, they most likely would have passed and the laws would have been part of current policy toward the giant tsunami.<br /> <br />But we can't change the past. There's no use worrying about what might have been. It's still not too late for these bills. To bring Nikai's legislation back to life, the ruling and opposition parties need to hold a joint conference right away.<br /> <br />Finally, I have some harsh words for the government and the ruling party. The Kan Cabinet is using this moment to realize its DPJ manifesto, This is no time for foolishness. Put all your energy into crisis management.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-8674972805231209222011-03-09T14:40:00.000-08:002011-03-09T14:41:43.449-08:00Kan DPJ's 'Everyone for Themselves' System Threatens to Further Isolate Japan on Global Stage<span style="font-style:italic;">As problem is aggravated, Japan may never regain its stature; DPJ members, this is no time to be asleep — we need action!</span><br /><br />The "everyone for themselves" ethos of Japanese politics is gnawing away at the country. All sorts of evils spring from this same source. <br /> <br />I am sincerely anxious that most of the legislators on the Democratic Party of Japan have lost that sense of what it means to be a politician. From my vantage point, Prime Minister Naoto Kan seems only concerned with defending his own territory. Chief Secretary Katsuya Okada and Kan are cut from the same cloth, acting only in the interest of preserving their positions. The same goes for former Foreign Minister Maehara, Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano, Economics Minister Yosano and the other Cabinet members. They look as if they only care about protecting their own turf. I can't help but think that their spirits have been worn down by the "everyone for themselves" mentality that permeates the Kan administration.<br /> <br />The DPJ as a whole seems to have no vision for the future and no strategy. They just try to prolong their political lives by dodging the dissolution of the Diet and general elections. It's a serious problem.<br /> <br />Now that the budget bills have passed the lower house, the DPJ lawmakers should rise to the challenge. They should hold a joint plenary meeting of both houses of the Diet and decide whether the Cabinet should resign en masse or a general election should be called. To prolong things with no vision and no strategy is the worst option.<br /> <br />The confusion surrounding the Tokyo gubernatorial election stems from an "everyone for themselves" attitude that begins with current Governor Shintaro Ishihara. The chaos surrounding that election is caused by just about every candidate being consumed by a desire to put themselves ahead of the crowd.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-3104090718982566162011-03-02T08:31:00.001-08:002011-03-02T10:28:17.615-08:00Finance Ministry, BOJ Plans to Shrink Economy Loom Large<span style="font-style:italic;">If the populace doesn't wake up to this threat, Japan's future is in danger. The next worry is that they'll use the excuse of suddenly rising food prices to hike interest rates. It's quite likely that the small companies and mom-and-pop shops suffering under the deflationary spiral will suffer more when rates are hiked. The Finance Ministry and the central bank are walking Japan to the brink.</span><br /><br />Japan is trapped in a deflationary spiral that has left many of our fellow Japanese without jobs or struggling to stay afloat. Small businesses and mom-and-pop shops are struggling with finances every day and looking bankruptcy in the eye.<br /><br />However, the government, the Finance Ministry and the Bank of Japan ignore the lives of the Japanese people and worry only about finances. The central bank gives no thought to the welfare of the people and leaves the country on a deflationary course. The central bank ignores the importance of employment.<br /><br />While all of Japan suffers from deflation, the rest of the world is being hit by rising food prices. Countries are moving to control the price hikes. In the midst of this, there's a danger that Japan will raise interest rates. If the Bank of Japan does this, it's going to unleash some major problems. Small companies and mom-and-pop shops will be trapped in a nightmare if some prices start to creep up while their businesses are trapped in a deflationary depression. The government needs to execute policies that counter rampant deflation. If Japan can't overcome the deflationary depression, it has no future.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-74120742999216246382011-02-07T08:25:00.000-08:002011-02-07T09:08:01.544-08:00Faulty Logic<span style="font-style:italic;">Prime Minister Kan and Economic Minister Yosano say a hike in the consumption tax will be coupled by a re-examination of the social security system and tax code. They're trying to slip by with faulty logic. This sort of obvious hoodwinking of the populace is not a proper use of government authority. They should know that this insensitive major tax hike in the middle of a deflationary spiral will bring Japan's economy and its people to their knees.</span><br /><br />Prime Minister Kan is ruled by the principle that fiscal reconstruction reigns supreme. No matter what, he's scheming to raise the consumption tax, appointing one of the Economic Ministry's minions, Kaoru Yosano, as minister for fiscal affairs, and bulling ahead with this major tax hike.<br /><br />To make this happen, he has been fudging on two points:<br /><br />First, while his true aim is to execute a huge tax hike, he refers to it as a "social security" issue. A debate on social security helps to mask his plans for a major tax hike.<br /><br />Another smoke screen he sets up is that while the deflationary spiral is the most pressing issue the nation needs to overcome, he maintains that the most pressing concerns are fiscal reconstruction and social welfare. He should know that a major tax hike in the middle of a deflationary recession will bring the economy to its knees.<br /><br />Kan and Yosano are blurring reality in these two ways. The national media in Tokyo have been furthering their cause. The mass media is helping to plant these faulty seeds in the minds of the populace. It's a dangerous ploy. The Japanese government should be focused on escaping the deflationary spiral and building up the economy and employment. It needs to find jobs for its people. To do this, it should be aggressively pursuing public-works projects.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-80946170567115459182011-01-28T16:54:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:56:18.165-08:00I Protest Premier Kan's Declaration of Slavish Loyalty to the US<span style="font-style:italic;">His foreign affairs speech on Jan. 20 was a declaration of subjugation; if he is going to turn his back on his party's manifesto from the last election, he should step down and hold another vote</span><br /><br />Prime Minister Naoto Kan's foreign affairs speech on Jan. 20 in which he pledged loyalty to the US was a declaration of subjugation. There has never been a more disgraceful speech in Japan's history. It's as if Kan is asking the U.S. to save his faltering government. We didn't hear one sliver of a sense of independence or pride from Japan's political leader.<br /><br />Watching Prime Minister Kan's sad dash to subjugate the country's diplomacy to the US makes former Prime Minister Hatoyama sparkle in comparison. You want to scream, "Go, Hatoyama, Go!"<br /> <br />Isn't the prime minister supposed to make efforts to boost our national spirits? Prime Minister Kan's recent actions seem like an imitation of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. In fact, Kan may even outdo Koizumi in his sycophantic stance toward the U.S.<br /> <br />To the lawmakers in the Democratic Party of Japan, I have this to say: Can you face up to Prime Minister Kan's betrayal?Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-54280906663963242712011-01-18T21:57:00.000-08:002011-01-18T21:59:36.329-08:00The Mortal Sin of the New Kan Cabinet<span style="font-style:italic;">The lack of generational change results in a move backward to a cabinet of "me first" types <br /></span><br /><br />Why didn't Prime Minister Kan select any of the excellent young politicians this time? His new cabinet is filled with "me first" types. This new group is completely made up of egoists who've been clamoring for a certain position and who think only of themselves.<br /><br />The Democratic Party of Japan has some Diet members who may not have served very long but have some dynamism to them. While these young people should have been selected and put to work, Kan avoided appointing any of them, with the exception of new Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano. But even Edano ran from responsibility after serving as DPJ secretary general during the party's most recent upper house election defeat.<br /><br />The DPJ has very capable and diligent representatives in the lower house such as Osamu Fujimura, the acting secretary general, and Megumu Tsuji. The best way to revive Japan politically is to turn over the reins of power to this younger generation. Kan turned his back on that generation while remodeling his cabinet, and, frankly, that stinks.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-75650600932685392242011-01-16T12:31:00.000-08:002011-01-16T12:37:20.553-08:00Morita: Kan's new cabinet could be 'over at any moment'From the Mainichi Shimbun comes <a href="http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110115p2g00m0dm009000c.html">this report </a>on Prime Minister Naoto Kan's new cabinet. Pundits, including Mr. Morita, are underwhelmed.<br /><br />Kan seems likely to press for a higher consumption tax rate -- something the Japanese voters don't want for obvious reasons but the US government does. It's yet another example of the Japanese government ignoring the voters and doing the bidding of Washington DC.Bruce Rutledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00132742984762653122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-55085711824963684152011-01-16T12:27:00.000-08:002011-01-16T12:29:50.440-08:00Premier Kan's 'Heisei Opening' is Nonsense<span style="font-style:italic;">The Transpacific Partnership is essentially a US-Japan issue that makes permanent a system where the US dominates Japan's economy and sucks away the Japanese people's wealth; to bring more light on this, let's have the people of Japan debate the TPP<br /></span><br /><br />Prime Minister Naoto Kan has been pontificating about how the Transpacific Partnership represents the third opening after the Meiji Opening and the Occupation after World War II. Of course, this is ridiculous.<br /><br />Japan is subservient to the US when it comes to not only diplomacy and the military, but economic matters as well. Japan is a vassal state of the US. It's essentially an American colony. Japan's government leaders, bureaucrats, economists, the mass media and the academia can't face this uncomfortable truth, so they continue to tell lies about how Japan is an independent country.<br /><br />For Japan, the TPP is a bilateral issue with the US. The Kan government is clearly more willing to serve as lackeys to the US than even the Liberal Democratic Party governments were. The Kan government does whatever the US government asks without conditions. It's a government that can't say no. The TPP presents an international framework to further strengthen the US hold on Japan. Let's debate the TPP. I have been saying this because I want to have a discussion about the true essence of this "partnership." The Kan government is so sycophantic toward the US that it's as if the Koizumi government has been reborn. Kan's politics is just the return of Koizumi politics. Kan's Democratic Party of Japan has transformed into Koizumi's LDP. We can't afford to forget what this government is truly made of.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-56496121239011352222011-01-10T02:14:00.000-08:002011-01-10T10:17:37.346-08:00What Should We Do in 2011?<span style="font-style:italic;">We need to carry out a drastic conversion of economic policy to revive the economy, taking measures to escape the deflationary spiral and realize full employment</span><br /><br />What should the Japanese people do in 2011? With humble hearts we must look reality straight in the eye and fix the mistakes of the past. <br /> <br />What's important on the political front? Economic revival. We need to forge a new path, leaving behind the government's mistaken economic policies and adopting new policies that work. The Japanese economy is on the brink of collapse due to those mistaken economic policies. The economy has weakened and shrunk. The economy is not only at a standstill, it is declining. Unemployment is still a serious issue. The people's livelihoods have steadily declined. Corporate bankruptcies continue apace. Large and midsize manufacturers continue their moves overseas. The regional economies remain impoverished. The nation's smallest businesses are still suffering. To escape this situation, we need to revive the economy and put it back on the path of growth by enacting policies that will help us achieve that goal. The most effective step to invigorate the economy is to launch public-works projects with the aim of enlivening the regional economies.<br /><br />The Kan Cabinet's decision to cut public works is a big mistake. The budget draft on the agenda of the 2011 regular Diet session needs to be altered. If we continue to cut public works, the regional economies will continue to dwell in poverty. We have to fix this. We need to enact economic policies that are centered around a large expansion of public works.<br /> <br />The top priority of the government when it comes to economic policy is to get us out of this deflationary spiral. We have to stop the neoliberal structural reforms that are bringing Japan to its knees. An addiction to fiscal reform is dangerous. Anti-industrial welfare policies are also dangerous. The Kan administration is spellbound by neoliberal reforms and anti-industrial welfare policies. We need to get out of this situation starting now.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-37501426423923381622010-12-28T16:05:00.001-08:002011-01-16T12:27:08.514-08:00DPJ's Unprincipled Alliances Mean No Fixed Policies<span style="font-style:italic;">Yesterday, Kan cozied up to the Social Democrats; today it will be the Sunrise Party; the Kan government goes here and there to build a coalition</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"A reed swayed by the wind." </span> — Jesus in the New Testament<br /><br />The chaos within the Kan government and the Democratic Party of Japan is enough to make you want to look the other way. Yesterday, the party made eyes at the Social Democrats, and if it is rebuffed, it plans to move on to the Sunrise Party. What is going on? The Social Democratic Party defends Article 9 of the Constitution. The Kan government has formed a coalition with this party. If that doesn't work out, it plans to turn to the Sunrise Party, whose de facto leader is right wing hawk and Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, an advocate for constitutional reform. The Kan government doesn't know whether to turn left or right. What exactly is the principle behind this government and the DPJ? Is it all about numbers? They'll go anywhere and do anything to acquire two-thirds of the House of Representatives. It's repulsive, really.<br /> <br />What Prime Minister Naoto Kan should do is return the government to the people. He needs the courage to dissolve the lower house and hold a general election.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-4072777643897680872010-12-22T10:32:00.000-08:002010-12-22T10:36:45.907-08:00What in the Heck is the Kan Cabinet Doing?<span style="font-style:italic;">As the danger of war on the Korean Peninsula increases, the ruling party has become obsessed with trivial matters. Is this really the time for Kan and Ozawa to meet? It's too stupid for words.</span><br /><br />I really want to know what the Kan Cabinet is up to. Its actions are just too ridiculous. <br /> <br />The idiocy of Prime Minister Kan, Chief Secretary Okada and Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku is unsurpassed. Just as the tension rises over a possible second Korean War, they are immersing themselves in trivial intra-party matters. The actions of Kan and Okada make me want to scream!<br /> <br />The problems of Ichiro Ozawa are matters for the justice administration to handle now. The problems of the Political Ethics Hearing Committee have become inconsequential. The other parties have been amazed at the foolishness of the Kan Cabinet.<br /> <br />When Ozawa was chief secretary and embroiled in the "politics and cash" problems, Kan, Okada and Sengoku never said a word. They were silent. They just followed Ozawa's lead. It wasn't until the Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution decided to prosecute Ozawa and he lost his leadership role and his political power that his invitation to the Diet became an issue. This is just too unfair.<br /> <br />The whole country is amazed at the foolishness of Prime Minister Kan and Chief Secretary Okada. It seems to the voters that these two figured an anti-Ozawa stance would help boost their support ratings. But this is a serious issue. To prop up their own popularity, they would turn on their ally and use his unpopularity as leverage. They are treating the public like simpletons, looking down on the average citizen.<br /> <br />Ozawa's trial will begin in 2011. The Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution will entrust the courts to make a judgment in the case. The invitation to testify at the Diet should have happened before the committee decided to pursue the case against Ozawa. But at the time, the politicians feared Ozawa's power and stayed silent. Kan, Okada and Sengoku waited until Ozawa started to weaken to raise their voices. It's quite unfair. Kan, Okada and Sengoku should be made responsible for their actions. Ozawa's political power is waning. Once the court case starts, many of his "allies" will distance themselves. It sickens me to watch Kan and others use Ozawa to prop up the cabinet's popularity. This should stop!<br /> <br />I have something to say to Ozawa: Isn't the job of a senior politician to negate one's self and think about the future of one's supporters?Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-49985865505694098682010-12-15T09:14:00.000-08:002010-12-15T09:16:29.241-08:00The Future Crisis for Japan's Tourism Industry<span style="font-style:italic;">What is threatening the industry? Visitors from China are important for Japan; they should be welcomed warmly</span><br /><br />Why has the number of tourists from China plummeted? Because of an incident I relate below that has spread across the Chinese Internet. The Chinese have come to see Japan as a dangerous place.<br /><br />The news is a little old, but asahi.com ran a headline on Sept. 29, 2010, that said, "Bus of Chinese Tourists Surrounded by Propaganda Trucks." Here's some of the article:<br /><br /><blockquote>More than 10 right-wing propaganda trucks gathered around a bus carrying Chinese tourists on Sept. 29 at around 4pm on a road in front of the Fukuoka City Hall in the city's Chuo district. A commotion ensued for about 20 minutes as the trucks would not move out of the bus's way. More than 10 men came out of the trucks to kick and punch the bus and yell at the Chinese to "Come out of there!" The police came and helped the bus pass through without anyone suffering any injuries. <br /> <br />The location of the commotion was the center of downtown Fukuoka, where many foreign visitors gather to shop, according to the city. The people on the bus were returning to their cruise ship, which was docked in Hakata Port. The tour had attracted about 1,300 tourists, the majority of whom were Chinese.<br /> <br />The propaganda trucks barred the bus from passing, lining up one after the other. Right-wingers yelled through megaphones that "the Senkaku Islands are Japanese territory" and other slogans. The men approached the bus, hooting and hollering. The Fukuoka prefectural police reported that on this day in 1972 Japanese-Chinese relations normalized. About 50 right-wing organizations throughout Kyushu, totaling about 160 men and about 60 propaganda trucks, descended on the Chinese consulate in Fukuoka City to protest China's stance in the Senkaku Islands collision. Part of the group started making trouble with the Chinese tourists as they passed by the city hall.<br /> <br />A 22-year-old engineering student from Shanghai who was visiting Japan for the first time with two of his friends was perplexed by the situation. "We're just travelers. We haven't done anything wrong," he said.<br /></blockquote><br /> <br />This news made it back to China and has been spread far and wide over the Internet. Many Chinese know of this incident. The Chinese people are starting to see Japan as a dangerous place. This is why there are fewer Chinese tourists coming here. Japan's travel industry is on the verge of crisis because of the extreme actions of Japan's right-wing groups. If this sort of thing continues, the theory that Japan can rebuild based on becoming a sightseeing destination is a dream beyond a dream.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-65081719744046832202010-11-30T23:14:00.001-08:002010-11-30T23:18:17.003-08:00Korean Peninsula Crisis Demands Our Utmost Attention<span style="font-style:italic;">We must make our best efforts to avoid war; a bipartisan deal is needed</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"An unjust peace is better than a just war."</span> - Cicero<br /><br />We must quell the crisis on the Korean Peninsula. We should make every effort to do so.<br /><br />When the crisis erupted on Nov. 23, I was traveling. While I was in Shingu, Wakayama, I got a call from Tokyo Shimbun's breaking news department (I'd like to thank that reporter for calling me). My comments were included as part of a special report that ran on page 22 of the Nov. 24 morning edition (the article was accurate, which was why I want to thank the reporter). Here is an excerpt:<br /><br /><blockquote><br /> <br /> Political commentator Minoru Morita said, "The South and North are in a very precarious position that should not be thought of lightly. Japan, a geographic neighbor, needs to show some leadership on this issue. Japan should work with the six-member commission, which includes China, the U.S. and Russia, to bring about a solution to North Korea's nuclear problem."<br /><br />But Prime Minister Kan seems to have disregarded diplomacy. The problem lies first with the Foreign Ministry. The Democratic Party of Japan's stance "has left the diplomats with no motivation. It's all wait and see. They aren't working at all," Morita says. "The official residence doesn't function, and the Cabinet creaks as if it's hollow. They have no administrative ability. It's a state of emergency and all they do is look serious."<br /><br />So what needs to happen to change this situation? "We have a chance to unite under a bipartisan system," Morita says. Former foreign ministers should be added to the government's diplomatic team. "First assemble a meeting of party leaders. Prime Minister Kan must request the cooperation of members of the Liberal Democratic Party and other parties. Then they should work to get the Foreign Ministry moving. If the crisis on the Korean Peninsula escalates, Japan would be greatly affected. We can't just be spectators. We must have correspondence that breaks out of past frameworks."<br /><br /></blockquote><br /> <br />The crisis on the Korean Peninsula should not be minimized. Japan should make every effort to preserve the peace. We should mobilize all our networks, get all the affected countries moving and return Northeast Asia to peace. Having a domestic meeting of all political party leaders is a good start. But the way they are doing things now is not good. Kan needs to sit down one-on-one with LDP chief Tanigaki and have a heartfelt conversation. Peace must be brought about by bipartisanship.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-7651489509543950902010-11-24T20:42:00.001-08:002010-11-30T23:16:01.685-08:00DPJ's 'Sorting Out' Process is Incoherent<span style="font-style:italic;">The so-called "sorting out" is nothing more than a political performance to gain favor with voters; the major media needs to critically assess this program they've been promoting, and the politicians, academics and celebrities pushing this misguided policy need to do some soul-searching.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Pride must have a fall."</span> — William Shakespeare<br /><br />The conceit and arrogance of the camp backing the sorting-out process is flagrant. Their egos have been inflated by Tokyo's major media outlets. This whole plan to sort out the waste from the budget has come from the combined efforts of the Finance Ministry and the media. But the overwhelming arrogance of the politicians, academics and celebrities backing the idea has made the public lose trust in the plan.<br /><br />Lately, the talk has been incoherent. The Kan administration sets fires just to put them out. <br /><br />The major media outlets are responsible for the reckless promotion of this idea. The media should look critically at this incoherent policy they've been trumpeting. The newsroom executives who bowed down to this policy ought to apologize to the people and resign. The media is becoming increasingly arrogant. It must stop playing politics.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-28178883994999022232010-11-10T11:35:00.001-08:002010-11-14T20:57:40.491-08:00Ozawa Can't Run from Congressional Testimony<span style="font-style:italic;">This political leader has a responsibility both politically and morally; the Diet is the nation's ultimate authority, so avoiding testimony there would strip Ozawa of any right to continue as a representative; he should resign!</span><br /><br /><br />Ichiro Ozawa should not be allowed to escape from testifying in the Diet. He bears great responsibility as a long-serving political representative. A political leader such as Ozawa has more than a legal responsibility to do the right thing -- he can't shirk his political and moral responsibilities either.<br /><br />Ozawa should go to the Diet and testify about the problems he faces. If he runs, he abdicates his responsibilities as a Diet representative. Ozawa is a leading politician. He needs to set an example. If he can't do this, he should end his political career and resign from the Diet.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">For more on this story, click <a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101104a3.html">here.</a></span>Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-22524886854893043532010-11-03T11:31:00.000-07:002010-11-03T11:35:13.366-07:00Major Crimes against the State<span style="font-style:italic;">It's a major crime against the state to use the power of the prosecutor's office to inflict human rights violations; the public prosecutors who did this need to be severely punished.</span><br /> <br />Many defendants have come forward to say that the public prosecutor's office used a secret interrogation room to threaten and inflict mock-executions and torture on the defendants until they signed on to the stories made up by the prosecutors. This is a major state crime. But the prosecutors who presided over these inhuman acts go largely unaccused of any misdeeds. We can't overlook this.<br /><br />While the Osaka District Public Prosecutor's Office was shaken to the core when word of the evidence-tampering scandal involving Tsunehiko Maeda of the special investigation unit surfaced, the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office has practically succeeded in making it a case for the Osaka office alone to work out. The mass media has helped by circling the wagons.<br /><br />But the whole country knows that Maeda is just the tip of the iceberg. An overhaul of the whole prosecutor's system is necessary. At the very least, we need to take a scalpel to the current status quo, where the special investigations division of the public prosecutor's office has the right of arrest and the right of prosecution at the same time. In fact, the office's power is untethered.<br /> <br />The Diet should enact laws that make investigations transparent. The Diet should pass a resolution that to overcome human rights violations, transparency laws should govern investigations. The Maeda incident will not be resolved if it is framed as an Osaka prosecutor's problem. A complete overhaul of the Public Prosecutor's Office is needed.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-34335346701094830642010-10-27T09:00:00.001-07:002010-10-27T15:52:59.867-07:00Why is Foreign Minister Maehara Repeatedly Roiling Japan-China Relations?<span style="font-style:italic;">What does Prime Minister Kan think? And why won't the DPJ say anything about this foreign minister's provocations? What will we do when the Japan that has lived by its peace Constitution loses the peace? Isn't it the foreign minister's job to worry about the environment of Japanese working in China?</span><br /><br />Why is Japanese Foreign Minister Maehara continuously using violent language in regards to the Chinese people and government? Why did Prime Minister Kan entrust the foreign ministry to this violent man? And why aren't Kan and Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku warning Maehara?<br /><br />The Oct. 22 morning edition of the <span style="font-style:italic;">Tokyo Shimbun</span> ran the headline "China Criticizes Foreign Minister Maehara" with the subhead of "A summit meeting is up to Japan." I've excerpted a rather long section here:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />Beijing (By Minoru Ikeda) -- Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Hu Zhengyue said on Oct. 21 that "the verbal attacks on China continue day after day" in reference to a comment by Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara that a Japan-China summit "didn't need to be rushed."<br /> <br />Hu also said that the possibility of a Japan-China summit alongside the ASEAN meeting in Hanoi at the end of the month "depended on having the appropriate conditions and atmosphere." The next move was up to Japan, he said. Referring to Maehara's most recent comment, he said, "The China-Japan relationship needs both sides to work toward improvement. So why is there no rush? Why is he stirring things up around the China-Japan relationship and trying to harm it? Did the Chinese leadership say something to set him off? We only said that we wanted to aim for close communication."<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Prime Minister Kan, why are you so forgiving of Foreign Minister Maehara as he continues his verbal violence? What do you think about the fact that the words of your foreign minister are putting the expat Japanese working in China in more danger? The more he continues his extremely provocative comments, the more anti-Japanese sentiment will rise in China and the more a boycott of Japanese goods will spread. The troubles of Japanese working in China will deepen. Even considering all this, will you let this man of profound personal anti-Chinese sentiments continue his provocations? If he wants to live by his anti-Chinese ideology, then ask for his resignation first.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626706124107781400.post-30325288000364966672010-10-19T22:37:00.000-07:002010-10-19T22:39:16.995-07:00Peace is Our Priority<span style="font-style:italic;">Peaceful coexistence among nations is maintained through agreements to not interfere in others' internal affairs</span><br /> <br />"Peace is the ideal. It goes without saying that peace is difficult, unstable and under threat." -- Hermann Hesse<br /><br />Japan must not participate in the collective "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down" trend. It can't get caught up in China bashing. It shouldn't join the ranks of those who look for a Nobel Prize by lambasting China. <br /> <br />To defend peace these days, we need to approve of peaceful coexistence among countries with different political systems. We must agree to refrain from meddling in each others' internal affairs.<br /> <br />Within Japan's media and political world, the diplomacy of Koizumi and Abe is making a comeback.I can't think of a more idiotic approach. <br /> <br />Remarkably, there are those within Japan today who advocate a Chinese containment policy. Japan should not attempt such a dangerous thing.<br /> <br />To look into the mistakes China has made, we need time and calm. We should remember the words of Pythagoras: "Anger begins with folly and ends in repentance." We can't be moved by our emotions alone.Minoru Moritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380586453298762478noreply@blogger.com