FROM THE EDITOR: Discussions Begin, Aiming To Disseminate Japan’s Arguments, Viewpoints Worldwide.
Kudo Yasushi
Discussions through “Discuss Japan–Japan Foreign Policy Forum” began in November 2012, aiming to disseminate Japan’s arguments and viewpoints worldwide.
Amid the advance of globalization, Japan is facing various issues which need to be resolved, namely changes in the global landscape centering on the rise of China and other emerging countries, as well as the economic crisis in the European Union. Furthermore, Japan itself has started to deal with challenges toward the future.
What kind of role should Japan play against the backdrop of such transitions both worldwide and in Japan itself? And how are the Japanese people trying to tackle such various issues?
This new ”online interactive web magazine” is aimed at actively conveying to the world various arguments and discussions being staged in Japan toward resolving these diverse global problems. It covers views not only of politicians and government officials but also of academic experts, corporate executives, journalists and other private-sector experts in various fields in Japan.
As the website will deliver views from Japan, we, the Editorial Board, also welcome opinions and counterarguments from around the world.
To this end, the website was named “Discuss Japan–Japan Foreign Policy Forum.” We’ve wanted to create a website that provides a stage not for a one-sided display of Japan’s arguments but for cross-border discussions on resolving various issues and problems.
The content and management policy of “Discuss Japan–Japan Foreign Policy Forum” is solely determined by an independent Editorial Board of private-sector experts established for this project with financial support from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Discussions should not be held merely for the sake of provoking arguments. They must aim to have an impact on issues and problems in international society in order to contribute to their resolutions.
We hope that discussions through ”Discuss Japan–Japan Foreign Policy Forum” will help people around the world to recognize the diversity of arguments and the strength of civil society and democracy in Japan, as well as changes in Japan itself.
The website’s inaugural discussion topic is the Senkaku issue which Japan is currently facing.
====================
Kudo is representative of The Genron NPO.
