Akane Tomoko (Judge, International Criminal Court) and Philipp Osten (Professor, Keio University) An Arrest Warrant for Putin ――Russia’s military actions in Ukraine are still continuing, with widespread killing of civilians and destruction of infrastructure. Judge Akane, you were one of the judges involved in the decision at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Can you tell us about what is currently going on with the investigation?   Akane Tomoko: All of this is unfolding as we speak, with plausible risks for the victims’ safety and the investigations, and as a Judge, being an impartial actor, some things are difficult to discuss. What I can confirm is that, following a request by the ICC Prosecutor who was investigating the situation, the three Judges of Pre-Trial Chamber II, to which I belong, ... ... [Read more]

  Fukushima Natsuko, Executive Editor, Tokyo Art Beat   An editor of Tokyo Art Beat speaks to the people in charge about the rediscovery of female artists and gender balance in the collection. The exhibition “Women and Abstraction” was realized by a team of six people A small exhibition “Women and Abstraction” (September 20 to December 3, 2023) is currently being held at Gallery 4, which displays the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (MOMAT). This is an ambitious exhibition that introduces a number of works from the museum’s collection by women artists who have worked with abstract expression from the immediate postwar period to the present day. This exhibition is a reexamination and curation of works from the collection, including artists who have rarely been introduced to the public, as well as notable artists who are rapidly being reevaluated, and ... ... [Read more]

  Matsumoto Hajimu, nonfiction writer Taiwan Railway is under pressure to reform due to a series of accidents Taipei Main Station is Taiwan’s largest terminal station, served by conventional lines, Taiwan High Speed Rail (bullet train), Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) (Metro Taipei), and used by 450,000 people a day. The current 4th generation station building has 6 floors above ground and 4 floors underground. It boasts a palace-like grandeur, with a large crimson roof modeled after the traditional architecture of Southern Fujian Province, China, known as the “Minnan (Southern Fujian) region.” The center of the ground floor is a vast open space, surrounded by a food court and various shops. The third floor and above are used as offices for the Headquarters of the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and other offices, and are not open to the general public. (TRA, commonly known as ... ... [Read more]

  Key points Not only low-income earners, but also the middle class has serious worries about the future Mechanisms for “not creating vulnerable people” anywhere in the whole population It is necessary to balance benefits and burdens, e.g., by raising the consumption tax rate   Ide Eisaku, professor, Keio University   Times of crisis destabilize the lives of not just the majority but also the few. Also the COVID-19 crisis brought to the fore how low-income earners were suffering from “anxiety about tomorrow” while the middle class were suffering from “anxiety about the future.” Post-COVID safety nets need to rationally resolve these two anxieties both economically and politically. The term “safety net” generally conjures up an image of relief for people struggling to make ends meet. Yet the number of people struggling with this is growing, with the middle class now starting to feel ... ... [Read more]

  Kimura Fukunari, Consulting Fellow, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), Professor, Keio University   While efforts to pursue free trade have stalled amid the growing geopolitical tensions, the time has come to restart the free trade agreement (FTA) strategy. The entry into force of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in all of the 11 original signatory countries and the United Kingdom’s signing of a protocol to accede to the CPTPP in July 2023 may become triggers for doing so. The U.S.-China confrontation has shifted from a tariff war to a struggle for high-technology supremacy and appears to be intensifying further. As seen in a speech given by U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in April, meanwhile, the principle of protecting foundational technologies “with a small yard and a high fence” to strike a balance between advanced technology ... ... [Read more]

  Even though the Kishida Fumio administration’s approval rating is declining, support for the opposition parties remains flat. Consider a “narrow path” for opposition parties to emerge as an alternative that poses a threat to the Liberal Democratic Party.   Yamamoto Kentaro, Professor, Hokkai-Gakuen University Support for opposition parties remains flat It has been a long time since the current administration’s approval rating has declined while the opposition party’s approval rating has not increased. If opposition parties are seen as having a certain degree of credibility, support for the ruling party should be inversely proportional to support for the opposition parties. However, even though various opinion polls show that the Kishida Fumio administration’s approval rating is on the decline, support for the ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), remains high and stable, and support for the opposition parties remains flat. Recently, the approval ... ... [Read more]