May、 2010、My Opinion of this week
My opinion of this week(677):
"Would you want 30 military bases in your backyard?"
An ongoing feud with the United States over the future of an American military
base in Okinawa may end up costing Japan's prime minister his job, a weekend
poll shows.
Two out of three Japanese say they disapprove of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama
according to a Nikkei newspaper poll. It shows that 68 percent of voters
disapprove of the prime minister's performance and 59 percent say he should
resign if he can't resolve the fight over the future of the Futenma Air Base
in Okinawa. It seems to be very difficult for him to solve the issue by the
end of May , that's the dead line he promised people. I really don't
understand why he made such easy promise. It is very obvious that the issue
involves so many difficult phases of problems such as Japan-US relation,
central and local government relation, ruling coalition relation and so on.
Although PM Yukio Hatoyama would resign from the position, any one of newly
assigned PM would never get some appropriate answer to satisfy all of those
parties concerned. It was a big mistake for PM Yukio Hatoyama to set such easy
dead line. He should have declared that it would take at least one year or so
to get an answer after so many difficult coordinative works would have been
executed.
In the mean time, there appeared one other new phases on this matter on this
week end. A full page ad opposing the relocation of the U.S. Marines' Futenma
base within Okinawa Prefecture appeared in the April 28 edition of the
Washington Post. Sponsored by environmental and anti-war groups, the ad
carries the message, "Would you want 30 military bases in your backyard?" in
large letters at the top of the page, and shows a child clinging to a base's
fence. It also states that "Washington is pressuring Tokyo to ignore the
voices of its citizens," and mentions the anti-base rally held in Okinawa on
Sunday while calling on readers to "Stand up for democracy."
A number of environmental groups in US which opposed to destroy beautiful
coral reef of Okinawa by constructing a new air base are now strong supporters
to this movement. They were the major sponsor for that impressive opinion ad
on Washington Post.
PM Yukio Hatoyama was basically right when he tried to make some changes on
Okinawa air base issues upon the change of power happened last August, although
he has made several mistakes to take proper steps to approach to the solution.
He will be obliged to resign from his position because of these mistakes, but
his trial to make some basic change on Okinawa air base issues should be
followed by a next Prime Minister under Democratic Party of Japan
administration.
I think and expect that such move like environmental groups and anti war groups
in US at this time would provide some new phases to solve this very difficult
questions lies between Japan and US.
2010/5/1
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(678):
Reset of frozen situation is very necessary
Although less than a month is left before Hatoyama's self-imposed deadline
for settling Futenma issue, there is little chance local governments in
Okinawa will accept the idea given their strong opposition to the
construction of more U.S. bases.
On his first trip as prime minister to Okinawa on Tuesday, Hatoyama told
local leaders and residents he has determined it is impossible to move all
of Futenma's functions outside of the prefecture if U.S. deterrence in Asia
is to be maintained. He said he had reconfirmed the importance of existing
US Marine in Okinawa for the security of Japan under Japan-US Security
Treaty. This statement surprised both ruling and oppotion fronts for his
pure-hearted and fragile contents. Did such man like Prime Minister of
Japan, top leader of the nation consider to move US Marine force to
somewhere else rather than Okinawa without thinking the imporantance of
the force stationed in Okinawa?
Another word by Hatoyama followed the above. During the Lower House election
campaign last summer, Hatoyama promised Okinawans that his Democratic Party
of Japan would move the Futenma base outside the prefecture or even out of
the country. The Democratic Party of Japan's pledge "is to review the
realignment of U.S. bases and alleviate the burden on Okinawa Prefecture,
" Hatoyama told reporters. He insisted that removing the air station from
the prefecture a sentiment he has repeated since last summer's election is
"a personal comment made by myself." It was not a party pledge relocate
Futenma Air Sation to somewhere" at least outside of Okinawa Prefecture"
and that his statement was merely his opinion on the matter."
This statement caused another riticism from both the ruling and opposition
parties. There should be no personal statement whatsover. He was the
Representative of DPJ and all of his words are to be party's pledge without
fail. What's in the world he is talking about?
"My statements are not flip-flopping," Hatoyama said after being questioned
over the government's apparent inability to deliver on his promise. Not only
has Hatoyama lost the trust of the U.S. government, but he also must face
the ire of tens of thousands of Okinawans disappointed over his failure
to keep his promise to move the base outside the prefecture.
To lessen the military burden on Okinawa, the prime minister is reportedly
considering asking the U.S. to move some of the marines stationed in Okinawa
to Tokunoshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture.
Fumiaki Kubo, a political science professor at the University of Tokyo, said
the DPJ proposal is unlikely to get the stamp of approval from both the U.S.
and the people of Okinawa and Tokunoshima. The original 2006 accord, he points
out, took a long time to hammer out and was itself a fragile agreement.
"The 2006 accord was made based on a complex equation of the Japanese government
Okinawa Prefecture and the U.S., which had no choice but to agreed to it,"
Kubo said. "It was a fragile agreement and the DPJ broke it. . . . I don't think
it is something that can easily be recovered and Hatoyama and his government
bear a lot of responsibility."
Critics contend it is now almost impossible to find a solution by the end of
May that would satisfy both the Okinawan people and Washington. They also say
the current unstable situation is endangering Japan's security. If Hatoyama
fails to settle the issue by that deadline, his political leadership will
certainly be called into question.
The DPJ is in trouble. The Upper House election, the first national race since
the DPJ took power, is slated for July. Meanwhile, support for the party has
plunged amid political money scandals involving Hatoyama and DPJ Secretary
General Ichiro Ozawa, as well as the prime minister's lack of leadership on
various issues, critically including Futenma issue.
Pundits surmise Hatoyama will carry on as prime minister even if the May
deadline is missed, though it will surely have a negative impact on his
party's chances in the upcoming election.
It is hard to say what the outcome of the election will be, especially since
the LDP's support rate is not increasing. But the people's trust in the
Hatoyama Cabinet and the people's support in Hatoyama as the national leader
is sure now to dive and be entirely lost. Futenma issue determinded the course
of action which ruling DPJ party should take for the walfare of people and
betterment of politics in Japan.
The only way for DPJ to avoid overall defeat at upper house election is a
general resignation of Hatoyama Cabinet. Opposition fronts demand disolution
of Lower House and general election in along with Upper House election but
this may not happen. Main reason for very low supporting rate for Hatoyama
cabinet at the moment drives from the lack of leadership of Prime Mnister
Hatoyama and political money scandal for General Secretary, Ichiro Ozawa.
Those two top leaders should make up their mind to resign from their top
leaders position. Once this happened, a storng adverse wind for the DPJ
will turned into following wind drastically. This is the best way for DPJ
and for Japanese politics which is in serious doldrums at the moment
regardless the dramatic change of power happened last August.
Reset of frozen political sitution is very necessary now.
2010/5/8
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(679):
Does manifest sound so strange?
Sadakazu Tanigaki, President of LDP(Liberal Democratic Party) said in
press conference: "I understand that so many people can't help laughing
when they hear the word 'manifest'. Under such circumstance, I have a
great doubt about using this word 'manifest' in coming election of House
of Council. Why don't we use some other word like 'senkyo kouyaku' ;
election policy rather than 'manifest' when we compete about it in any
elections ?" -May 14, Jijitushin
I have felt something wrong with Tanigaki's statement when I read this
article. Sadakazu Tanigaki expressed his disagreement to use the word
manifest because a lot of people have been disappointed with the fact
that their opponent party, DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) have broken
their policy promises which were made in the House of Representative
election last summer. Dramatic change of power happened in that election.
DPJ won an overwhelming victory by presenting several attractive policies
under the name of manifest.
But some of such manifest have not been attained as a result for many
reasons especially due to lack of financial resources. Some manifest have
been discarded. Some were obliged to be modified. This caused disappointment
of people and support rate for Hatoyama Cabinet have gone down to 20% level.
Under this circumstances, opposition Parties and mass media criticize DPJ
as if they could not attain any one of their manifest at all. They have
succeeded to create such impression among political world. That is why
Sadakazu Tanigaki said he won't use that word in coming election because of
bad impression among people. He believes people don't believe the word
manifest any more.
I don't agree with Tanigaki's statement at all. It's true that DPJ could not
attain some parts of manifest they promised in the last lection. But they
have surely attained some parts as well. What's more, it is only 8 months
since Hatoyama Cabinet started their work since last September. How can
they perform all of manifest in such short period of time? Their performance
is to be evaluated in longer term. It is obviously wrong for opposition
parties and mass media to criticize DPJ and Hatoyama Cabinet as if they
could not attain any one of their manifest or election policies at all.
Both opposition fronts and mass media forget one very important change what
happened by the change of power last fall. Regardless the performance of ruling
DPJ, it is the first time in Japanese history of politics that such performance
evaluation of ruling party by using manifest. Such evaluation by manifest
have never been made in long LDP administration in power almost 50 years. LDP
and ruling parties showed some of election policies or manifest while
election campaign is going on. But once they won in the election, LDP and
ruling parties forgot all of such premises and any such evaluation of
performance under the term of manifest have not been done even by mass media.
Sadakazu Tanigaki should remind this. He has no qualification to criticize
present DPJ's position. DPJ is now preparing for some new manifest for coming
election which are modified in many ways compared with the last one. That's
fine. That's the way it is.
Terminology is not a question. Whatever we call it manifest or election
policies or any others, they should be key scale to evaluate performance of any
political parties. Such evaluation system for political parties seems to have
been established a little bit since the change of power happened in the last
summer election. That is a big change as a matter of fact.
People of Japan must have learnt the meaning of this. I wish Sadakazu Tanigaki
and many mass media should also learn this as well. Japanese democracy has
stepped one foot forward because of this change.
2010/5/15
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(680):
Use of twitter in net election
There are a number of topics on twitter in net society these days. I wrote an
article on net election in BLOG several days ago. The net election committee
in the diet which consists of ruling and opposition parties' lawmakers agreed to
start using several net election campaign tools such as homepage and blog.
Although many lawmakers are now using home page and blog for their political
activities during ordinal time, update of home page and blog has been
prohibited during election campaign is going on in the past. Ruling and
opposition parties agreed now to allow update of home page and blog even during
election campaign. So net election will become more meaningful from this
election of House of Council in July this summer once the present laws are
amended in that way. That is one big step for net election in this country.
However, while it is OK to use home page and blog during election campaign by
changing laws concerned with election, it was reported that use of twitter
would not be allowed in coming summer election. Many lawmakers in the committee
seemed to think that twitter may become a kind of dangerous tool for election
campaign. Provided that use of twitter is allowed in election campaign, a huge
number of irresponsible false accusation will appear one after another in the
net. Because of the nature of twitter, the control of such dirty exchange of
messages in the net will not be possible. The permission of use of twitter is
considered too early for such reason.
May be so. Twitter is just starting now in Japan and many people are now using
them in various manners. It may take some time before people learn to use it
more efficiently and effectively for various purpose. It may involve some
danger to use it in such important stage as an election campaign under such
learning stage. So I don't fully deny the conclusion that twitter is not
allowed as a campaign tool in coming summer election.
But I would like to point out the fact that there exists no basic difference
between all sort of net campaign tool such as home page, blog, sns, twitter and
so on. All contains some danger to be used as easy and convenient tools to
attack political enemies for any parties and individuals. There exists no
basic difference for any of those tools when it comes to possibilities of abuse.
There exists a number of home pages and blogs which exist to attack their
political enemies rather than to send their political message in election
campaign. Some times contents of such home pages and blogs are found
inappropriate and even illegal under the present laws and various
legislations. They are to be watched and regulated by authorities by their
own detection and accusation by any concerned parties under the current laws
and regulation of any kinds. The same process should be applied to any twitters
without fail.
A number of politicians and even top people in administrative works, cabinet
members and so on , are now staring twitters. Barak Obama, President of US,
Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister of Japan and many other politician in big
positions are twittering from time to time these days. Under such situation, US
Government announced their policy that any of such messages in twitter by any
political people will be recorded as formal documents by government organization
in the long run and they will be considered as formal documents in any fields.
Yes, that is the way it is. Whatever they call them home page, blog, or even
twitter, or whatever they may be, any of such statements are to be considered
to be formal and solid responsible statements although they are stated by any
kind of people at any time period. Any words stated in twitter are not just
twitters by themselves. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama are fully responsible
for any words he stated in twitter as he is responsible for any words stated
in his press conference.
It seems quite alright now to allow using twitter in net election campaign from
this point of views as stated above. Regardless the message is short or long,
there is no basic difference for any of those net communication tools such as
home-page, blog and twitter as far as they are used as communication tool in
any stages of election campaign.
I don't see any specific reason why twitter is to be prohibited while some
other net tools are allowed in coming summer election.
2010/5/22
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(681):
Qualification of governors in Japan
In all governors meeting on Thursday which was tentatively called by the
request of Cabinet Office, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama expressed governors to
cooperate his plan to move US marine training center to some other prefectures
rather than Okinawa. His plan to move it to Tokunoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture
was rejected by three towns in the island and Kagosihma Prefecture.After Prime
Minister left the meeting, governors decided the resolution to consider Prime
Minister's request sincerely. It was just a sort of minimum ritualistic action
which governors meeting took for Prime Minister of Japan.
Most of governors seem to have only little interest on this issue. Most of
them seem to think the issue is concerned with diplomatic and national
security which should be handled by central government. They might have
thought how could they raise hand to offer their prefecture to become such
candidate place as training center without getting consensus of their
citizens. It is very difficult now to do so at this last stage of Futenma
issue.
Yes, that's right. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was too late to take such
action. The situation was quite different if he called the same kind of meeting
much earlier. Many mass media said this is a kind of an alibi that Hatoyama
intended to set up to show off to people. He might have intended to show off
to people how difficult it is to find some other alternative place rather than
Henoko of Okinawa Prefecture by having such governor's meeting.
Provided that calling of such meeting involves such intention, the issue
itself surely involves very important diplomatic and national security matter
without any doubt. I was quite disappointed with the reaction of governors
all over Japan. 18 governors did not come to attend the meeting. Why not?
There is no compulsory rule or any to attend the meeting. But it is the
request of Prime Minister of Japan, the top leader of this country, asking to
attend the meeting on such important matter. They should at least come to
attend the meeting by cancelling any other important matters in their own
prefecture.
I was also disappointed with the behavior of Shintaro Ishihara, the governor
of Tokyo Prefecture. He left the meeting while it was still going on by
criticizing Hatoyama's request as silly and nonsense. It is quite alright for
him to criticize Prime Minister's ideas and behavior but should stay there to
see the conclusion of the meeting. Isn't it a minimum courtesy to show to
Prime Minister, top leader of this country? Why is he so impolite?
The only exception was Tohru Hashimoto, governor of Osaka. He expressed his
idea to corporate the central government to find some candidate training
center including some places in Osaka Prefecture. I felt relieved when I
heard his word.
As a matter of fact, Governor Hashimoto is a strong advocator for
decentralization of the country insisting the introduction of 'dousyusei'
(regional system) in this country. Decentralization and strengthening of
central power in some specific area such as diplomacy and national security
fall line with each other. This is Hashimoto's stance and I strongly support
his idea.
Compared with Tohoru Hashimoto, many other governors seems to be just ordinal
and conventional governors who lack independent mind and loyalty mind to their
nation. This is why they seem to lack corporative mind to issues for the
total Japan such as national security and diplomatic issue such as Futenma at
this time. They usually look at the face of people in their prefecture not
the face of people in this country.
This meeting was very meaningful in this respect. It was a good opportunity
to see and evaluate the qualification of governors in new coming days in the
term of decentralization.
2010/5/29
Tadashi HAYASE
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