We must never repeat the horrors of war again,” said Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo at Pearl Harbor, echoing U.S. President Barack Obama several months earlier at his historic visit to Hiroshima. These visits were celebrated on both sides, and mark a noticeable change in Japan-US relations. Indeed, for decades after World War II, the United States and Japan forged a remarkable reconciliation but avoided discussing the war. But in these recent bilateral visits, the two governments have begun to address the past. The visits provide a model of historical reconciliation for former enemies that are committed to cooperation. The needs of the present above the needs of the past Remembering war is a fraught enterprise because former enemies often have a vast gap in their perceptions. Countries do not see themselves as an aggressor in the war, but rather view their own actions ... ... [Read more]

Originally set up in 1980, what has the Alzheimer’s Association Japan (AAJ) actually been doing since then? What are its views? And what does it want now? Let us explore those questions as we take a look at the future of social security. Changing the world of dementia The history of AAJ also tells the story of changing the world of dementia. The beginnings of AAJ in Kyoto Towards the end of the 1970s, a group led by Dr. Hayakawa Kazuteru at Horikawa Hospital in Kyoto began to hold get-togethers for the families caring for persons with dementia (PWD). In November 1979, AAJ President Takami Kunio shared his impressions of taking part in those get-togethers for the first time. “There were around 12 families in attendance. One after another, they spoke about the condition of the senile people in their lives, the dedication of ... ... [Read more]

  Nine” is an auspicious number favored by North Korean leaders. It is also the highest number in Oicho-Kabu, a game played with hanafuda floral playing cards that is also popular on the Korean peninsula. Kim Jong-Il’s birthday fell on February 16, and the constituent numbers, 2 + 1 + 6, also add up to nine. February 7, when a long-range ballistic missile was launched, April 23rd when a submarine-based ballistic missile was launched and May 31 when the Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile was launched were all dates that add up to nine. Then, at 9:00 a.m. on September 9 (9:30 a.m. Japan time), North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test at the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site in Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province. Generating a magnitude 5.0 seismic shock, the size of the explosion was the equivalent of 12-13 kilotons of TNT. This was ... ... [Read more]

  The Chinese “Maritime Militia” has become the topic of discussion following reports of their appearance in the waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands, but this image doesn’t mesh with reality. Of greater concern for Japan should be the alarming actions of the real navy in the area.   This is harassment, directed at Japan. That’s because the Communist Party is angry at Japan for acting as America’s puppet to hinder China on the South China Sea issue. If anything, this action comes too late,” said a Chinese diplomatic official. “Now with issues related to the Senkaku Islands, China is only worried about what action the United States may take.” Why China Expressed Gratitude to Japan Amid an Anti-Japanese Mood Around 1:30 p.m. on August 5, a single Chinese finishing vessel entered the territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands. This was followed by the entry ... ... [Read more]

< Key Points > There are some countries with lower birthrates than Japan, such as South Korea and Thailand. Family-related expenditure is extremely low in Japan. It is significant that the government has set a goal for the birthrate. The number of births in 2015 was estimated at 1,008,000, which was the first increase in five years. For the first time since World War II, however, the number of deaths exceeded 1,300,000, which resulted in a natural population decline for the ninth consecutive year. Although it showed an increase, the number of births is still as many as around 200,000 fewer than 20 years ago, when the current college students were born. The trend of the declining birthrate has not improved, and it is anticipated that the population decline will accelerate further in the future. An accurate figure for the total population of Japan ... ... [Read more]