My opinion this week(95):
For a new era between Japan and China
The joint declaration between Japan and China was announced. Although
Obuchi expressed "deep remorse" over Japan's wartime aggression in China
but declined to insert a specifically written apology in the joint
declaration as China had been requesting over the weeks preceding the summit.
It was reported that Chinese President Jiang Zemin appreciated Obuchi's oral
apology but said this matter would remain as an important issue in the future
relationship of the two countries. My frank feeling about this when I hear
the news is that I am tired a little bit on China's stance on this issue.
In the report, President Jian Zemin said Japanese Government had expressed
the apologies in the past but he criticized the fact that there always exists
someone in Japan who expressed their opposition against the Government policy.
Japan is a democratic country. it is natural that there are variety of
opinions and ideas concerning the past history. However, including the
statement issued by the then Murayama Cabinet, Japan clearly expressed several
times their apologies against China on the war time conduct. They were
definitely official expression of apologies made by the representative of the
country. It is strange to hear such criticism from foreign countries that
someone say a different view against government official statement. China may
be such a country that nobody could freely criticize any government policies.
But Japan is different. Many different views and opinions will continue to
be brought up in the future. Is it necessary for the Government to apologize
China whenever there appears such opinions and views in the future?
I want China to stop to take such kind of stance on this issue. If it is
just a kind of political and diplomatic tactics, they should stop it. The
same issues exist concerning the relationship with Korea. Japan has admitted
their invasion against those two countries and expressed the apologies to
two countries in the past diplomatic relationships. Japan also expressed
their clear determination that they would not start any wars in the future
in their constitution.
There are only few people in Japan who agree to apologize any times
whenever China and Korea request after all. Any mass media including newspapers
seems to avoid to express their opinion clearly on this issue. But, as one of
a citizen of this country, I would like to say that any human individuals and
countries have prides of their own. It is natural that they do not wish to
repeat such apologies over and over again. Japan has definitely apologized
to two countries on this issue before. And why do China try to use such
diplomatic tactics over and over again?
If I were the Prime Minister or the Minister of Foreign Affairs , I would
say this more clearly and frankly. "Please stop requesting such apologies over
and over again." That is very important to establish a good and creative
partnership between Japan and China in the 21st century as the joint
declaration stated.
1998/12/5
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion this week(96):
Show a good example
Since the announcement of coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party
and the Liberal Party, a lot of argument has occurred concerning some basic
policies proposed by the latter. The biggest dispute is, of course, on the treat-
ment of consumption tax. While the latter insisted to cut the tax rate
to stimulate consumption and to make the tax to be used only for some
designated purpose, i.e. welfare. Another proposal presented by the Liberal
Party is the reduction of number of ministers to 17 from 21 and the reduction
of 50 members of two parliaments i.e. the House of Representative and the
House of Councils.
As to the reduction of numbers of ministers, the executive members of the
Liberal Democratic Party said that the reorganization of all ministries will
be conducted in the year of 2001 according to the plan decided already in
the past. Then , numbers of ministers will be reduced to that kind of
numbers at any rate. They wondered why they should hurry to make reduction
now.
As to the reduction of number of parliaments members, they were very
careful to say something very aggressive. They said that that is the matter
to be decided at each parliaments and the matter is beyond the control of
the Government, i.e. the administrative office.
Most mass media are not quite aggressive and supporting what the Liberal
Party asserted. They are critical about the sudden coalition between
the Liberal Democratic Party and the Liberal Party citing Mr.Ozawa's sudden
change of mind . They criticized the coalition is just to increase the number
of diet members for the ruling party. It seems that most mass media showed
little interest in those diet member reduction proposal, which I think are very
meaningful.
Many people think that it is now more important to revive economy first
rather than improving financial conditions of the country with the reduction
of the number of ministers and diets members. Administrative reform and
legislative reform are a second importance just to be followed by all sort
of economic revival actions put into effect. However, the reform of financial
condition of the country should be conducted in along with all economic
actions to vitalize economy at the moment, as far as my belief is concerned
When I was watching TV news shows , a famous announcer was asking a
question to the Secretary of the Liberal Party. He said:" Why is it necessary
to make reduction of numbers of ministers now, which will be done in another
one year or so? "
I would say that the announcer did not understand the real issue of the
present situation at all. If we look at business worlds, all sort of
restructuring are going on in the top priority. In order to improve their
operation, they take all necessary restructuring actions including the
reduction of number of directors and employees as one of key actions to
take. It is not only those private firms which require such restructuring
actions. All government sectors including local government are in the same
position because of their financial difficulties.
What Mr.Ozawa requested to the Prime Minister Obuch is to show a good
example of such restructuring effort by the Government. Small parliaments
and small government are now most important target together with economic
policies underway to reform the total nation.
In this connection, the reform of finance of the country is the most important
base so that people can eliminate many uneasiness and anxiety they have
now for the future living in this country.
1998/12/12
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion this week(97):
Waste of tax
On December 11th, the National Accounting Inspection Office submitted the
audit report on 1997 accounting of central and local governments to Prime
Minister Obuchi. The report pointed out 341 improper cases of expenditures
amounting 24.3 billion yen not only in the central ministries but also in
prefecture offices all over the country. We are surprised to see such a big
waste of tax. One big waste is on the expenditures for national defense as
we saw in the recent bribery case happened in the Self Defense Force.
I was watching TV news in which the President of the National Accounting
Inspection Office had submitted the report to the Prime Minister Obuchi.
The report looked like 30 cm in width. Mr. Obuchi received it in silence,
and made no comment on it. No announcement was also made by the Secretary
of the Cabinet on this issue. I believe that the Government should apologize
the people for their mistakes and should express the regret for it. The audit
report seems to be fair and proper in its contents but we guess that there
are many more improper cases hidden behind the research.
Following to that TV news, I watched local news on Kagawa prefecture.
The news was reporting the abuse of ten million yen occurred in the Education
Board of Kagawa Prefecture. The abuse of money is concerned with the traveling
expenses which had never actually expensed. The Superintendent of the
Education Board appeared in the press conference and he admitted such unfair
expenses of public money. He just bowed once saying sorry for the case. No
further explanation and inquiry on the case was made by the news itself.
That news were reported in most news papers following day of December 12th.
But they were not sensational one at all. Asahi News Paper which I subscribe
reported this in the 3rd page taking just small spaces.
I got angry about that while I was watching those news and the process.
Please do not say that they were only 234 cases and/or 23.4 billion yen.
I would like to point out the fact that the cases are related with many of
such critical area as self defense and education and they should have more
sense of regret for what happened. Prime Minister Obuchi was the same way.
Why did he not mention anything about it?
It was reported that Mr. Obuchi got about 6 million yen bonus in this
winter. Well, Mr. Obuchi is the President of Japan Corporation and he
deserves for it. But I want to point out the fact that winter bonus for
Government employees increased by 1.8%, while the bonus for employees of
private industries decreased by 4.0%. I feel that this is not quite fair.
I don't say that that bonus payment itself involves any unfair process.
But I suspect that there are many of public servants who really do not
deserve for such high bonus.
There is no direct relation between the bonus for government employees
and the abuse of tax mentioned above. But I would like to criticize the
fact that how government employees enjoy such easy environment while
employees of private firms are being faced with wage cut, layoffs, and
many other hardships under this severe economic conditions.
1998/12/19
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion this week(98):
A limitless growth
The 1998 is about to end. There were a lot of events and happenings
throughout year. So many happenings were there just before a new century.
The worst phenomenon of all is, of course , such unprecident stagnant
conditions of economy. No definite outlook for the recovery is still
expected at the present. Minus growth over the past years, such a high
unemployment rate of 4.3% and so forth. So many number of business firms
are now conducting a restructuring of their business including reduction of
employees. The unemployment rate will increase further, unless there is
recovery of economy.
The Government have taken so many measures to stimulate economy. In order
to stabilize a financial system, so much amount of public fund have been
injected into banks which are in trouble. Several tax reduction measures
amounting 9.3 trillion yen, have also been scheduled. The big national
spending in 1999 budget have also been announced. The Government said
that the economy will attain a constant recovery owing to those measures.
But most of people inside and outside of the country hardly believe that
view. Many economic think-tanks predicted that it would take another two
years or so to resume economic growth.
The issue is the contents of growth. The growth is measured by the so
called GDP compared with that of the previous year. And the contents of
GDP is a real issue. Many economic analysts say that some trend of
growth is observed for some increased sales of mini van automobiles and
of PCs. Well, that may be true, for sure. But is the growth measured only
by the sales of such hardware as automobiles and PCs?
The hardware are not only the ingredient of the GDP. Needless to say,
some other ingredients such as services, software, and many other inteli-
gent production are also important parts of GDP. You will say that that is
nothing but new. However, it seems that the Governments and many economists
do not really understand this important point.
There still exists so many goods which are in shortage in our economy.
Housing is a typical example. Such area of consumption is to be expanded
further from now on. But much larger area, production and consumption of
which are to be developed and to be expanded are many new services, soft-
wares,and intelligent products. The growth possibilities of such are
limitless and involve no destruction of environment as normal production of
commodities and durable goods. In addition, environment management itself
is one of the biggest area for such software and intelligent production
market in the year to come.
The Asian Game was over last week in which a number of new records were
born. The Game will become another impetus for the growth of Asian market.
The motto of the Game is "Ever Onward". We could express this "A limitless
growth" instead. The limitless growth and ever onward is common goal for
all international societies.
At the last column of "My opinion this week", I would like to suggest
all readers of this page to think again what is the real meaning of a
limitless growth and its contents.
1998/12/26
Tadashi HAYASE
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