FROM THE EDITOR (IWAO Sumiko)

CHRONOLOGY (November – December 2003)

JAPAN DISPATCHES THE SDF TO IRAQ (WATANABE Hirotaka)

A Broader Context for Tokyo’s Foreign Policy (WATANABE Hirotaka)

Japan was among the first countries to express support for the US-led war in Iraq. Unfortunately, though, it failed to play an active role in diplomatic efforts to avoid the war. It must now fulfill its commitment to send the Self-Defense Forces to help out with the postwar reconstruction of Iraq. But for the long term Japan must strengthen its diplomacy so as to broaden its options as a US ally. (Chûô Kôron, November 2003)

The Peril of a US–North Korea Nonaggression Pact (NISHIHARA Masashi)

In order to get Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program, some policymakers in Washington seem ready to consider concluding a nonaggression pact between the United States and North Korea. But this would have a serious effect on security in Northeast Asia. It would strengthen the tendency for South Korea to distance itself from the United States, and it might weaken the effectiveness of the US nuclear umbrella over Japan. (Chûô Kôron, November 2003)

POSITIVE PERSPECTIVES ON JAPANESE BUSINESS (NARIAI Osamu)

A Twenty-first-Century Strategy for Japanese Manufacturing (FUJIMOTO Takahiro)

The problem with discussions of Japanese manufacturing is the inadequacy of traditional industrial categories in pinpointing the areas of strength. Classification by product architecture offers a better guide. Japanese industry should concentrate on those fields where it enjoys a comparative architectural advantage, namely, the manufacturing of products whose functions require the painstaking integration of many components. (Bungei Shunjû, November 2003)

The Company in Postindustrial Capitalism (1) (IWAI Katsuhito, MIURA Masashi)

Japanese-style management, which makes good use of organization-specific human assets, was well suited to late industrial capitalism, where profits were to be made from mass production using large and expensive machines, but it has come to the end of its historical mission. Under postindustrial capitalism, companies can hope for profits only by differentiating themselves from their rivals. (Daikôkai, No. 48 [2003])

ELECTION RECAP

Prospects for a Two-Party System in Japan (KABASHIMA Ikuo, SUGAWARA Taku)

The November 2003 lower house election left the ruling coalition headed by the Liberal Democratic Party with a substantial majority. The opposition Democratic Party of Japan is not yet a match for the LDP in terms of simple two-party rivalry. But the LDP’s hold on power is not very solid. It has become heavily dependent on support from its coalition partner, the New Kômeitô. (Chûô Kôron, January 2004)

TOKYO TODAY: OLD WINE IN NEW BOTTLES (Takashina Shûji)

Tokyo’s New “Island Universes” (SUZUKI Hiroyuki)

Tokyo is in the midst of a redevelopment boom. Projects centering on super-high-rise office buildings have been going up all over the city, creating a set of “island universes,” high-rise oases amidst the overall chaos. Though Tokyo is changing, it remains quite distinct from more orderly Western cities like New York and Paris. And at least some of the new developments are establishing distinctive identities for themselves. (Chûô Kôron, August 2003)

The Transformation of Marunouchi (FUKAZAWA Takeshi, interviewed by ITÔ Motoshige)

The Marunouchi district, a prime location between Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace at the heart of the city, has long been Japan’s premier business office district. Its recent metamorphosis, epitomized by the opening of the new Marunouchi Building in 2002, has added trendy restaurants and specialty retailers to the mix, attracting throngs of nonbusiness visitors on both weekdays and weekends. Close cooperation between the public and private sectors has smoothed the redevelopment process. (Voice, September 2003)

EDUCATION

Back to Basics in Elementary Schooling (FUJIWARA Masahiko)

School education in Japan is in ruins. The first step to rebuilding it is to abandon the notion of respect for children’s individuality. The only way to teach children and develop their perseverance is by trampling on their freedom. Elementary schools need to hammer in the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. (Shokun, December 2003)

EDO PERSPECTIVES

Edo, the Original Ecocity (JINNAI Hidenobu)

Edo, the antecedent of today’s Tokyo, grew into a major city after it became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603. The rapid development was guided by a master plan, but unlike European cities that followed geometric patterns, Edo followed a design that strongly reflected the topography and natural conditions of its site. It had an extensive system of natural and artificial waterways serving as arteries for distribution. And it developed a remarkably efficient system of recycling, with human waste providing fertilizer for the farms that fed the city. (Japan Echo original)