FROM THE EDITOR (IWAO Sumiko)

CHRONOLOGY (September – October 2003)

GENERAL ELECTION 2003

Koizumi’s Win: A Mandate for Change? (KABASHIMA Ikuo)

In the November 2003 lower house election, the ruling coalition headed by Prime Minister Koizumi was returned to power with a solid majority. It was the first general election in Japan in which all the major parties issued manifestoes setting forth the policies they intended to implement. Koizumi was just reelected president of the Liberal Democratic Party in September, and under him the LDP has been changing significantly; in particular, the power of the factions has waned dramatically. (Japan Echo original)

The DPJ’s Prescription for an Economic Revival (KAN Naoto)

The head of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan sets forth his party’s economic policy platform going into the November election. Kan decries the existing system of government dominated by the bureaucracy and pounds the Ministry of Finance for its inability to rescue the Japanese economy from its current impasse. He urges policies to tap seniors’ will to consume and to develop Japan into an intellectual superpower. (Ronza, October 2003)

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL? (NARIAI Osamu)

At Last an End to Deflation (TANAKA Naoki)

It finally seems that the prolonged decline in asset prices is ending. Companies are investing more actively in new equipment, and well-targeted tax breaks are encouraging them to undertake experimental research. As prices stop falling, the monetary authorities will regain some room for policy maneuver; the era of zero interest will likely soon be over. (Ekonomisuto, September 16, 2003)

Yen vs. Yuan: Japan and China Face Off

A series in the daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun discusses the rising pressure for revaluation of the Chinese yuan, reminiscent of similar pressure for yen revaluation in the 1980s, and reports some episodes highlighting the growing economic ties between Japan and China, including moves by local governments in Japan to tap the potential created by China’s rapid development. (Nihon Keizai Shimbun, September 8, 10, 12 and 14, 2003)

Time for an East Asian Economic Zone (TANIGUCHI Makoto)

Countries in Europe and the Americas have made major strides toward regional free trade, but up to now East Asia has lagged in this respect. Recently support for the creation of an East Asian economic zone has been mounting in China, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. Japan should be actively involved in this endeavor and should not hold back out of excessive concern for American feelings or reluctance to liberalize its own agricultural sector. (Sekai, October 2003)

JAPAN AND THE UN

Keep Pushing for Reform of the UN Security Council (SATOH Yukio)

The UN Security Council is still dominated by the five victorious powers of World War II, who hold permanent seats and wield veto power. A panel within the UN has been considering enlargement and reform of the body, but it has made little progress. Japan should continue to lead the reform drive and should also push for prompt deletion of the anachronistic “enemy state” clauses from the UN Charter. (Chûô Kôrôn, October 2003)

NITOBE INAZÔ: A MAN FOR TODAY’S JAPAN (KOJIMA Akira)

Remembering a Great Educator and Pacifist (MINATO Akiko)

Nitobe Inazô’s face has been on Japan’s 5,000-yen note since 1984, but not many Japanese know about this man’s many accomplishments. Born on the eve of Japan’s opening to the West in the mid-1800s, he mastered English and served as a bridge across the Pacific. Together with his American wife, he worked within Japan to promote education for women and the disadvantaged, and he valiantly struggled to promote peace and international understanding, driven by a Christian spirit of sacrifice. Today’s Japan sorely needs people like him. (Japan Echo original)

Who Was Nitobe Inazô? (John HOWES)

When he died in 1933, Nitobe was the best-known Japanese outside of Japan. On top of his fame as author of Bushido, he had distinguished himself as an under secretary general of the League of Nations in the early 1920s and later as head of the Japanese branch of the Institute of Pacific Relations. But his life ended with a vain attempt to gain support for the Japan’s invasion of China. Though he was little remembered after World War II, Nitobe’s contributions lived on through the work of his students, many of whom were instrumental in creating Japan’s postwar institutions. (Japan Echo original)

An Excerpt from Nitobe’s Bushido

Written in English and originally published in 1900, Nitobe’s Bushido: The Soul of Japan became the all-time most popular introductory work on Japan. In this excerpt he addresses the position of women in society, referring to the Japanese tradition and his own Christian beliefs.

EROS IN AN AGING SOCIETY

Love and Sex in Middle Age (EBISAKA Takeshi, TAKAGI Nobuko)

The term “middle-aged” is loaded with negative connotations. Ebisaka thanks novelist Takagi for portraying middle-aged people in romantic relationships. Takagi rues the Japanese view of obasan (aunties) as asexual beings, in contrast to the French madame. Romance, she says, offers a window into a different world. And Ebisaka observes that a love affair with a young person pushes the older partner to change and develop new interests. (Ronza, July 2003)

Quality of Life Equals Quality of Love (KOBAYASHI Teruyuki)

To the surprise and sometimes dismay of caregivers, many seniors are sexually active even in nursing homes. Some institutions adopt a benevolent view of such activity, but others forbid sex. Romance and sex among the elderly unfortunately still tend to be treated as taboo subjects, even though society is tolerant of salacious material about sex aimed at young people. Romantic interests can contribute greatly to seniors’ physical and mental vigor. (Ronza, July 2003)

EDO PERSPECTIVES

Development of the Geisha Tradition (TANAKA Yûko)

The word geisha literally means “an accomplished person.” In the eighteenth century it came to be used to refer to entertainers skilled in singing, playing the shamisen, and dancing. These women, were fashion leaders in Edo, and they were distinct from the courtesans (yûjo) of the Yoshiwara pleasure district. But today few girls are willing and able to undergo the rigorous training, beginning at around age 10, necessary to become guardians of this Japanese tradition. (Japan Echo original)