Greetings,
"The Global Forum of Japan (GFJ) E-Letter" is delivered electronically once every month, free of charge, to readers in the world interested in Japanese thinking on relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs by the Global Forum of Japan (GFJ), private membership organization in Japan for policy-oriented international exchanges.
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President, GFJ
"GFJ Commentary of the Month"
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"GFJ Commentary of the Month" presents a monthly publication of views of members of GFJ on relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs. The views expressed herein are the author's own and should not be attributed to GFJ.
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Japan Forlorn in the World
By MORI Toshimitsu,
Adviser to a financial corporation
Japan is clearly at a dead end. It is not clear at all what kind of strategies or policy responses the Japanese government is trying to take in order to tackle problems facing Japan both at home and abroad. However, all of those problems are so serious and need quick response without exception. It makes no sense to argue that this stalemate should be ascribed to the rise of the "Twisted Diet" since last summer, where the ruling parties have controlled the House of Representatives whereas the opposition parties have controlled the House of Councilors. Such an argument is totally lacking political acumen.
Moreover, there was a sheer ineptitude in the discussions over the appointment of a new Governor of the Bank of Japan, which focused solely on whether a new Governor could be elected in time for the G7 Meeting. It has simply disclosed to the rest of the world the fact that Japan is the country which cannot decide anything. Faltering world economy triggered by the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the U.S. is not expected to be put to rest. Rather, it is expected to become much tougher to the extent that Japanese economy receives major blow. Needless to say, the Japanese should know better than to believe in the recurrence of the Kamikaze, or Divine Wind, which dispersed Mongolian invasion fleets in the thirteenth century, and to expect it again to sweep away national calamity.
No one expects that Japan, as a host of G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, can take the strong initiative in addressing highly pressing global issues that are on the agenda of the Summit. Obviously, Japan's presence in the international society is in sharp decline, which is exemplified by the striking fact that Japan dropped to the fifth place in the ODA contributions rank in the world, although the ODA is the area where Japan used to receive high evaluations. As the Goldman Sachs indicated in its research report of last November, the proportion of G7 countries in the global economy is rapidly shrinking, to be superseded by those of the BRICs, of which China is one, now on the dramatic rise in their status in the global economy. In future, any discussions on the global economy and world politics would be meaningless without due respect to these rising economic powers. While the realities demand a rapid structural transformation of the world, it seems that Japan is at a loss for actions, to say nothing of taking the lead in such a situation. It looks as if time stopped in Japan. Japan would eventually become a mere bystander before the trend of the world and be left behind it.
Things seem hopeless in this country unless each citizen recognizes the severity of the situation by his own mind, think by himself and copes with it by his own responsibility. Amid such responsible moves of each citizen, it is imperative that the Japanese politics should open its eye to reality as soon as possible and shift the helm to prepare itself to tackle difficulties that lie ahead of its path for the future.
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For more views and opinions in the backnumber of "GFJ Commentary," the list of which for the past six months is as follows, please refer to:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/commentary/backnumber.html
No.12 New Movement of the International Whaling Commission
by OKAWARA Yoshio, Chairman of the Global Forum of Japan
(23 April 2008)
No.11 Unsustainable Chinese "Continental Shelf" Theory
by YUSHITA Hiroyuki, Chairman of the Global Forum of Japan
(19 March 2008)
No.10 JICA and Crisis Management: 34 Years
by NISHIKAWA Megumi, Foreign News Editor of Mainichi Newspapers
(6 February 2008)
No.9 Lessons for Peace Learned from Canadian Experience
by TAJIMA Takashi, Visiting Professor of Toyo Eiwa University
(22 January 2008)
No.8 The Global Warming Issue Reaches Boiling Point
by SUZUKI Keisuke, Member of the House of Representatives (Liberal Democratic Party of Japan)
(16 November 2007)
No.7 Success Stories and Failed States in the Developing World
by TAKAHASHI Kazuo, Visiting Professor of International Christian University
(5 October 2007)
"GFJ Updates"
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"GFJ Updates" introduces to you latest events, announcements and/or publications of GFJ.
Event
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The Global Forum of Japan (GFJ), under the co-sponsorship with Institute of Japanese Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), organized "Japan-China Dialogue: Japan-China Relations, Marking a New Stage" in Tokyo on 4 July, 2008.
In the "Dialogue," from China's point of view on the status quo and future tasks of Japan-China relations, Dr.YANG Bojiang, Director of Institute of Japanese Studies in CICIR, stated, "China came to realize the importance of turning around the Japan-China relations, for the better image of China in the international community. Now a 'warm spring' in bilateral ties between Japan and China has arrived. At the same time, a great transformation is taking place both at national and international levels in the two countries, so China and Japan should collaborate in addressing issues of global importance." From Japan's point of view, on the other hand, Amb. TANINO Sakutaro, former Japanese ambassador to China, stated, "In order to foster truly mutually beneficial relations between Japan and China, it is imperative that we prioritize from a longer term perspective what is at issue for both two countries. Bilateral cooperation in environmental issues, for example, should be seen in a global context."
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