FROM THE EDITOR (IWAO Sumiko)

CHRONOLOGY (July – August 2006)

JAPAN’S WAR DEAD AND YASUKUNI SHRINE (TAKASHINA Shûji)

A Talk with the Foreign Minister (ASÔ Tarô, WATANABE Shôichi)

Foreign perceptions of Yasukuni Shrine continue to be clouded by basic misperceptions, such as the notion that the remains of class A war criminals and others are entombed there. Also, though many Westerners think Japan must be similar to China, the two countries differ in many significant ways, one being that Shintô shrines like Yasukuni have no counterpart in China. Over the centuries the Japanese have worked to preserve their unique civilization, maintaining an appropriate level of tension in relations with their big neighbor. (Voice, August 2006)

Honoring the War Dead (YOSANO Kaoru)

Visiting Yasukuni Shrine is now fraught with political implications. The proper way for the state to honor the war dead is through the officially sponsored memorial ceremony held on August 15 every year. It would be appropriate to construct a special facility for this ceremony, perhaps at the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery. (Chûô Kôron, August 2006)

CHANGES IN THE WORKING WORLD (KONDÔ Motohiro)

End of the Road for the Seniority System (JÔ Shigeyuki)

Few of the people now working as nonregular employees will be able to transfer into regular, full-time positions with proper benefits, since age-based pay scales make it easier for a company to hire younger full-timers. Henceforth Japanese employers are almost certain to move to a more Western-style system, with pay tied to performance. The challenge will be for employers to retain the positive aspects of the seniority-based system as they make this shift. (Chûô Kôron, August 2006)

Better Work for Women (MIYAMOTO Michiko)

Improvements in the professional standing of working women are still lagging in Japan, and meanwhile many families are unable to maintain a lifestyle free from economic worry while relying on only the husband’s income. Japan must make a fundamental transition to a social structure suited to double-income households. The most effective way to achieve this is to utilize female workers by boldly pushing forward a program to diversify working patterns so they reflect the natural progression of women’s lives. (Chûô Kôron, August 2006)

My Agenda: Innovate Japan (MITARAI Fujio)

The new chairman of Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) believes that in order for resource-poor Japan to continue to prosper, it must undertake another major set of reforms involving the economy, society, and even the national way of thinking. Those with ability should have good opportunities to advance rapidly. Those who fail should have the chance to try again. Those who find themselves disadvantaged should be properly protected, and all should be able to live their senior years without fear. (Bungei Shunjû, August 2006)

FOREIGN POLICY

Seoul Opens Its Arms to North Korea (IZUMI Hajime)

When North Korea launched a series of missiles into the Sea of Japan on July 5, provoking shock and outrage in Japan, the South Korean government’s criticism of Pyongyang was muted. President Roh Moo-hyun is eager to resume North-South summit meetings, and he is keeping up the “sunshine policy” of his predecessor, Kim Dae-jung, toward the North. South Korea may even go so far as to acquiesce in the North’s possession of nuclear weapons. (Chûô Kôron, July 2006)

A Dangerous Loss of Diplomatic Realism (WATANABE Hirotaka)

Arguments that Japan must never back down in its disputes with China and North Korea are based on an inflated sense of Japan’s power. Realism requires recognizing the limits to what Japan can do and working within them. Japan must demonstrate that it possesses international discernment based on a global perspective. Its decision to support the war in Iraq was based on expediency rather than discernment. (Chûô Kôron, July 2006)

THE KOIZUMI RECORD

A Five-Year Economic Report Card (NARIAI Osamu)

Will Koizumi’s Reforms Endure? (Gerald CURTIS, MAKIHARA Izuru, ÔTA Hiroko)

Prime Minister Koizumi has not hesitated to violate the conventions of Japanese politics, but it remains to be seen whether he has permanently transformed the policymaking system. Having threatened to destroy the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, he has actually saved it. And there is a strong chance that his successor will return to the approach of close consultation with the ruling party. (Ronza, August 2006)

JAPANESE COOL

The Limits of Soft Power (OGOURA Kazuo)

The concept of “soft power” has been distorted and misused, and it may end up being no more than a hollow catchphrase. If it has any benefit, it comes not from its use by the state but from the power of people engaged in cultural or other activities to cultivate a common awareness and enrich the international community as a whole. The term “soft power” should be used only in this sense. (Wochi Kochi, June/July 2006)

1955: A PIVOTAL YEAR

Japan and the Cold War (TACHIBANA Takashi)

Concluding a two-part article, the author reviews the militancy of Japan’s Communists in the years up to 1955, when the party suddenly changed course. The same year saw the emergence of the “1955 setup,” under which the Liberal Democrats ruled and the Socialists led the opposition, which continued to some extent for 50 years thereafter. (Bungei Shunjû, May 2006)

KEYS TO THE JAPANESE MIND

Understanding Mononoke over the Ages (TANAKA Takako)

ESSAY

In Memoriam: Seki Yoshihiko (HASEGAWA Kazutoshi)