Shimizu Yuichiro, Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University   We have finally emerged from a very long tunnel. For effectively three years, people’s mobility between Japan and the rest of the world was severely restricted. The fact that goods and information suffered few disruptions is fortunate, but the field of research exchanges, which places an importance on building in-person relationships, was forced into stagnation. Of course, it was not a complete blackout. Various international conferences were held in online formats thanks to the dedicated efforts of those involved. But while those approaches maintained existing connections, they made it difficult to forge new ones for the future. We were reminded of the complex perceptions that face-to-face interactions produce, and of how having extra time during these interactions is important in the way it expands possibilities. The desire for connections seems to have increased ... ... [Read more]

  KAJITANI Kai, Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University   A specialized book has attracted a great deal of attention online in Japan since its publication in the United States. That book is Fiscal Policy Under Low Interest Rates by macroeconomist Olivier Blanchard, an eminent professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As its title suggests, the author claims that, with interest rates, or “safe interest rates” such as yields on government bonds, remaining at a very low level, sometimes below the growth rate, governments should underpin demand in economies experiencing a prolonged period of stagnation where real interest rates have fallen below their effective lower bound (ELB) by increasing the issuance of public debt and implementing aggressive fiscal policy. One reason why Blanchard’s book has generated so much interest in Japan is its positive evaluation of Abenomics, an approach exemplified by its ... ... [Read more]

  Nakayama Keiko, Senior Researcher of Toraya Archives (Toraya Bunko) Jonamagashi (Japanese-style fresh confectionery strongly associated with the tea ceremony), with their literary confectionery names such as “harugasumi” (spring haze) and “hatsumomiji” (first red autumn leaves) expressing the natural features of the season, are unique to Japan They are thought to have originated in jogashi (high –grade confectionery) which spread mostly in Kyoto in the latter half of the 17th century. Let’s look at the background of its development and the characteristics of this Japanese confection. Luxurious Sweets Made Using White Sugar Sugar, the main ingredient in sweets, was for a long time an expensive and rare item that needed to be imported since first brought from China in the Nara period (710–794). The situation didn’t change much during the Azuchi–Momoyama period (1568–1603) when Sen no Rikyu (1522–1591) established wabi-cha (Japanese tea ceremony). The ... ... [Read more]

  Ogasawara Yoshiyuki, Professor, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Taiwan’s next presidential election in 2024 will not only set Taiwan’s direction, but also have a major impact on the future of the U.S.-China conflict and the stability of East Asia. It is also a matter of great concern to Japan. In Taiwan, “skepticism,” which questions the intentions and actions of the United States, is gradually spreading. The content of “skepticism about the U.S.” differs depending on the commentator, but the common feature is that “relying on the United States will lead to a disastrous end for Taiwan.” Some say, “If we rely on the U.S., the U.S. will not act, and Taiwan will be abandoned by the U.S. in the end,” while others say, “If we do as the U.S. says, Taiwan will be used as a pawn to suppress China. In the end, ... ... [Read more]

  Momma Kazuo, Executive Economist, Mizuho Research & Technologies   Unattainable 2% inflation target On April 4, 2013, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) introduced “quantitative and qualitative monetary easing” (QQE). Appointed only a month before, Governor Kuroda Haruhiko explained the BoJ’s stance at a press conference as “monetary easing measures of an unprecedented scale.” Ever since then, the BoJ’s policy, which remains in place today, is referred to as “unprecedented monetary easing.” The unprecedented monetary easing had just one objective and that was to reach a target of 2% year-on-year growth in consumer prices (price stability target of 2 percent, hereinafter “2% inflation target”). It will soon be 10 years since introduction of the policy and the 2% inflation target has yet to be reached. Of course, Japan recently experienced inflation for the first time in 40 years, with consumer inflation rising to around 4% and so my assessment ... ... [Read more]

  Ichikawa Koji, Architectural historian, Assistant Professor, Tohoku University Beyond Borders: Architects Transcending Borders To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China, Shenzhen’s cultural complex “Shenzhen Sea World Culture and Arts Center” hosted an exhibition of contemporary Japanese architecture titled “Beyond Borders: Architectures of Japan” (dates: 5 November 2022–19 February 2023). Let’s begin by talking about this exhibition. This exhibition, co-organized by the Japan Foundation and the Design Society in Shenzhen, is, as the title suggests, focused on Japanese architects’ “works that transcend national borders.” The exhibition consists of two main parts. The first includes models and installations by Maki Fumihiko and Isozaki Arata, who have been active since the 1960s, as well as Ando Tadao, Ito Toyo, Ban Shigeru, Kuma Kengo, Ishigami Junya, and Fujimoto Sou, eight architects active all around the world. Then there is ... ... [Read more]

  While many emerging and developing countries have criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they are also unhappy with the sanctions-based diplomacy being led by the United States and Europe. Gathering international opinion, including that of developing countries, and finding a better way forward is the original role of the United Nations. There is no way that such a UN could be dysfunctional. Now is the time for Japan to lead United Nations Security Council reform.   Kitaoka Shinichi, Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo The Russian invasion of Ukraine which began on February 24, 2022 is the worst violation of international law since World War II. Unsurprisingly, on March 2, 2022 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a draft resolution demanding that Russia immediately end its military operations in Ukraine with an overwhelming majority of 141 in favor, five against and 35 abstentions (and 12 ... ... [Read more]

  Oba Mie, Professor, Kanagawa University Inclusive Diplomacy The “Global South” is a term often used to refer to developing and emerging countries primarily in Asia and Africa, and the expanding influence of this Global South in the international community is attracting attention. The ten countries that make up ASEAN are a part of the Global South. According to World Bank statistics, today the combined GDP of these ten countries is nearing 70% of Japan’s GDP (US$3,343.3 billion) and their combined population was five times that of Japan (673.33 million) as of 2021. Moreover with Indonesia holding the G20 Presidency and Thailand presiding over APEC in 2022, the presence of Southeast Asia in major international and regional meetings has been impressive. With strategic competition between the US and China heating up, prominent discourse suggests that Southeast Asia is becoming a tactical hotbed. Indeed, it ... ... [Read more]

  Hamaguchi Keiichiro, Research Director General, the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training   In recent years, the question “Why are Japanese wages not rising?” has become a hot topic. Five years have already passed since a book with the very title Hitodebusoku nanoni naze chingin ga agara nai no ka (Why Haven’t Wages Been Raised Even With a Labor Shortage?) (Genda Yuji ed., 2017) came out. The analysis from various economic perspectives developed there may seem like it makes sense, but it really doesn’t sound right. In the past, during the period of high economic growth, Japanese wages rose sharply, spurred on by the “income-doubling plan.” Prices also rose, but wage growth was even larger. When did that change? Let’s look back at history. The oil crisis success backfired The first change came with the wage suppression in the spring wage negotiations ... ... [Read more]

  What is the essence of Inamori Kazuo’s Management Philosophy? Prof. Nonaka Ikujiro, a global authority in organizational management and a research advisor at the Ritsumeikan Inamori Philosophy Research Center, shares his perspective.   Nonaka Ikujiro, Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University A manager who recognized the importance of “empathy” Japan’s knowledge power used to be unsurpassed in the world. However, it has become sluggish, especially in the last 30 years. I believe that the key to its revival lies in a “humanizing strategy,” meaning a “humanity-centric” strategy based on empathy, and this was something brilliantly put into practice in the management philosophy of Inamori Kazuo (1932–2022), who regrettably passed away on August 24, 2022. One typical theory of strategy is Michael Porter’s theory of competitive strategy. The method starts by analyzing the structure of the market to compose corporate strategy. This scientific and analytical strategy ... ... [Read more]

  Ichihara Maiko, Professor, Hitotsubashi University Repression and resistance Freedom on the Internet has declined for the twelfth year in a row. This was reported in Freedom House’s annual “Freedom on the Net” (FOTN) statistics released in October 2022.[1] Twelve years ago, in 2010, the potential of the Internet was at its strongest. That year, a young vegetable seller self-immolated in Tunisia, with his message being shared via Facebook and calls for demonstrations spreading throughout Tunisia, eventually overthrowing the dictatorship of Ben Ali and coming to be known as the Jasmine Revolution. The movement spread throughout the Arab world, dubbed the “Arab Spring.” Larry Jay Diamond, an expert on democracy, called the Internet “liberation technology” that enables mobilization for freedom.[2] Twelve years have passed since then, and now there is an awareness that the Internet also has a “repression technology” dimension.[3] As AI-based face ... ... [Read more]

  Itabashi Takumi (Professor at the University of Tokyo) vs Mimaki Seiko (Associate Professor at Doshisha University) The United States is inward-looking again ―It’s been more than half a year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Amid uncertainty about how and when this war will end, the crisis of the “liberal international order” has been hotly discussed throughout this time. Today, we will ask how we ought to view the world after the invasion of Ukraine from the perspectives of the United States and Europe.   Itabashi Takumi: For Europe, the war in Ukraine is inevitably “our problem.” European countries certainly sent troops to civil wars in Afghanistan and Libya before, but for many that was just events on the “opposite shore.” However, they have no choice but to take in the Russian invasion of Ukraine as concerned parties. What about the US on the other ... ... [Read more]

  Yoshida Jun, Professor, Kyoto University Impressions of the Self-Defense Forces To begin with, please take a look at the list in Table. This list shows the top ten works most commonly mentioned in response to the question “If there are any novels, manga, anime, movies, or dramas [omit] that have greatly influenced your impressions and opinions about Japan’s defense system and the Self-Defense Forces (SDFs), please list them — as many as you like.” The Study Group on Military Culture, which is made up of sociological and historical researchers, conducted an “Awareness Survey on Self-Defense Forces” in January and February 2021 and received responses from approximately 2,000 people across Japan (Study Group on  Military Culture, “Report on How Japanese Society Views Self-Defense Forces ‘Awareness Survey on Self-Defense Forces’” (Seikyusha, 2021)). Table 1 shows some of these responses. The fact that Umizaru (Sea monkeys), ... ... [Read more]

  Hayakawa Hideo, Senior Fellow, Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research   Some three years ago, much of the developed world had joined Japan, succumbing to Japanification, a term used to describe a combination of low growth, low inflation, and low interest rates. However, the COVID pandemic completely transformed the global economic landscape. Now, the biggest economic challenge facing the world is rising inflation, and central banks around the world are rushing to tighten monetary policy to quell inflation, with the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) leading the charge. Japan has also seen growing discontent with the rising cost of living, as consumer inflation (the rate of increase in the consumer price index [CPI]) hit 3 percent for the first time in three decades and the yen weakened dramatically. Calls for the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to raise interest rates are also not uncommon.    However, the important ... ... [Read more]

  Southeast Asian countries have dealt with the major powers through loose cooperation. There is much Japan could learn from ASEAN’s pragmatism.   Suzuki Sanae, Associate Professor, University of Tokyo A history of freedom in foreign and security policy and standoffs Amid ongoing US-China tensions, the stance of ASEAN member countries towards the United States, China, and other extra regional countries appears to differ, with divisions and standoffs among ASEAN members being pointed out. However, from a historical perspective, several factors need to be borne in mind.  First, ASEAN was never a military alliance to begin with and does not prevent its member countries from formulating their own foreign and security policies in line with their own national interests. If anything, such a large degree of freedom has allowed for loose cooperation and collaboration. At one time in the 1970s, Malaysia proposed the neutralization ... ... [Read more]