My opinion of this week(498):
Daisuke Matuzaka goes to Major League
Daisuke Matuzaka, a super star in Japan, is going to play in US MLB
at last. Several sports commentators mentioned that it is a big
loss for Japanese professional baseball world. I don't agree with that
kind of shortsighted view. I don't watch any of ball games in Japan
these days not because many good Japanese plays left Japan to play in
US. There are some other reason for that although I don't explain that
in detail right now.
I really don't know how good Matuzaka played in Japan so far, but I
wish he would successfully play in MLB as several other Japanese ball
players playing now in US.
It is good to see several Japanese ball players have played so well in MLB.
Iguchi in White Sox in World Series of last year, Taguchi in Cardinals
in World Series of this year, Ichirou in Mariners who hit so many great
records in the past five years, are just some example of such good
performance of Japanese players.
Their excellent performance have provided a lot of new dreams for Japanese
young and people of all generation not only in sports fields but also
in any other cultural and social fields.
Their performance must have created a good impression among US citizens as
to an image of Japan and Japanese people. Many Japanese people who work in
various fields must have got a lot of motives to work in foreign countries
including in US. It is very necessary motives for such country as Japan
which is getting older and older and tend to loose energy for growth and
further development.
Thomas Brad Hillman, manager of Nippon Ham , who got championship in
World Series in Japan, is going back to US to become a manager in some
US major league team in next year. It is another good news to hear in
relation with cultural and social exchange between Japan and US. It is
a good example to show how high a level of Japanese baseball is now.
American society have appreciated it. This is a good and a concrete
example of cultural and social interchange between Japan and US not
limited only for one of a sport fields.
It is the day of globalization of culture and all phases of society.
The problem happened in so many high schools in Japan in relation with
compulsory curriculum issues have been solved in Japanese way by politics.
The matter is closely concerned with Japanese college entrance system.
I just wonder why many more young Japanese students try to go to many other
good colleges in foreign countries including US. There are, of course
a lot of restraints to do so. But one of a big reason is that Japanese
educational system itself is very closed in many respects as disclosed
confusion happened in high school at this time.
Any diploma got in colleges of foreign countries is not authorized at all
in this country. The fact exemplify a very closed nature of Japanese
society in general.
Such closed education system and social circumstance is out of question
from my point of view. Japan is still very closed country in many respects.
This country is to be more opened so that they can keep a strong power
and energy for continued growth in coming aged society.
What is happening is sports field such as baseball in sumo is a good sign
of necessary globalization for Japan to become more internationalized and
opened society.
2006/11/4
Tadashi HAYASE
My oinion of this week(499):
Politicians are disposable
Although his real intention is not quite clear, Junichirou Koizumi's word
becamea big issue in the news in this week. Led by former Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi, the LDP succeeded in the last election in September by
focusing on a single issue, the privatization of Japan's postal services.
Several members ofLDP were against the bill and they were obliged to run for
the election without getting the endorsment of the party. Koizumi sent counter
candidates to all electorates where those politicians who were against the
postal bill run for the election.
After the change of power in September this year, Abe administration started
considering to admit the comeback of those group of people who had to run
for the election as independent candidates. Those counter candidates supported
by the former LDP administration were called assasins and many of those
counter candidates succeeded to become law makers in the election. They are
against the comeback of those insurgents, as a matter of course.
They appealed Junichiro Koizume to protest such movement by the new LDP
leaders.It was reported in the news Koizumi naturally took negative postion
on such movement of Abe administration.
But in early this week, people were surprised to hear the news that Junichiro
Koizume said to those lawmakers who are against the comeback that politicians
are kind of disposable in nature after all. He said policians should not always
expect safety and goodwill in any occasions. His real intention for that
commnet was not necessarily quite clear at that time. But it became more clear
now.
The latest news report said the LDP decided to admit the comeback of those
resurgents within this year. I personally got very angry to hear that. It is
not the matter only within the party. It is a big violation of the faith
against the people who voted for the counter candidates to support the postal
bill.
Juinichiro Koizumi seemed to continue to live as a good one phrase politicians.
He is good at changing his political stance by using tactiful one phrase during
he was in power. I confirme the fact that he continues to be so even after
he retired from the top position of the politics.
2006/11/11
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week (500):
Japanese tradition of prearranged performance
Reformed Fundamental Law of Education has passed at the House of
Representative in this week and it is going to be discussed at the
House of Council starting next week. Whether it will pass at the
House of Council and become a low within this diet term is very
delicate. Opposition front is against the law based on the fact that
many serious problems happened in education world right at the
moment.
One critical issue is the problem of prearranged performance in the town
meeting, the purpose of which is to make hearing and discussing on this
law among people in various cities all over the country. The staffs of
the office in charge of the meeting prepared several people who are
expected to make questions and expressed some affirmative opinions on
the law. The most serious doubt disclosed is that the office in charge
had prepared some fund to pay gratuities to people who make some questions
and express some affirmative opinions. The fund was prepared by Secretary
Office of the Cabinet as a kind of budget to conduct this project.
The doubt has not been identified yet as a fact by the Cabinet office.
If that is the fact, that can be the whole reason for the rejection of
law at this diet session.
Such prearranged performance is a kind of tradition in any fields in
Japanese society. In any general private or public meetings to be held
at the beginning of the term, people of offices in charge usually prepare
candidates of officers in next term and agenda concerned. That is quite
necessary step by itself. But they often prearrange several people who
express affirmative opinions on agenda and say "right on" to any suggestions
from chair person in such meeting.
That way may be alright as far as meetings are not quite public and are
small in scale. But such prearranged performance are usually observed in
many important and public and private meetings in Japan.
General shareholders meetings in any big Japanese private firms are such
typical examples. Existence of professional hecklers used to arrange the
whole process of Share Holders Meeting in the past. They do not exist any
more now. Some tradition of prearrangement have been succeeded by employee
stockholders in many ways as far as shareholders meetings are concerned.
At shareholder meeting, they sit in front of the meeting room and call
to say "right on" to any suggestions presented by chair persons. They even
make some "good" questions so that the whole session will be over in good
shape.
I personally don't deny any of such prearranged performance for any meetings.
Some of them may be permissible to some extent. It depends on the type of
meetings.
But such prearranged performance should never be allowed as far as such
public town meetings on the national law is concerned. I agree with the
assertion of opposition front to take more abundant time to discuss the
contents of Revised Basic Law of Education before it will pass at the
diet.
2006/11/18
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(501):
Net Meeting rather than Town Meeting
In order to listen to public opinion on the revision of Basic Education
Law, Cabinet Office has held so many public hearing so called TM(town meeting)
in various parts of the country. But it has been disclosed at the diet
session that a lot money have been wasted to make such public hearing.
One of an amazing example as such waste is that the cabinet office
prepared the budget to pay \15,000 to a person who is expected to push
the button twice in a day to operate an elevator for the minister
visiting the TM.
I already wrote about many of prearranged nature of Japanese meeting
including TM in my opinion of last week(500) and I was convinced again
about it when I read this news about the waste involved with TM.
I think public hearing itself is very necessary whenever some very
important decision makings are to be made by diet. But the question is
whether or not TM is a good way to hear public opinion today. I don't
think so.
People who can attend to TM are very limited in number first of all.
Many people are quite busy for their own business and have no time to go
to the place of TM. Some prearrangement may be necessary to collect
people at the meeting. People who make some questions and suggestions
on the matter are also very limited in number. The prearrangement of
meeting process itself is necessary for the organizer of the meeting
as we have observed so far.
I wonder why they stick to such style as TM to make public hearing. I
suggest NM (net meeting) in stead of TV very seriously.
In this internet day, communication are to be made much more efficiently
and effectively by many net tools such as mail, BBS, Blog, messenger, etc.
Abe cabinet continues to use mail magazine following Koizumi cabinet.
That is a very good example of net communication to be used in this day.
Any style of such net meetings, if they were arranged and used by cabinet
office to hear public opinion on the Education Law, would work as more
efficient and effective means than any TMs to collect good public opinions
from general people.
Some interferences and interruption are sure expected to proceed such net
meeting. They are many way to reject any of such interference. Cost
performance would be much higher to attain the same purpose as TM.
I think it is now the time for the Cabinet Office to consider this
possibility of holding NM in stead of TM for public hearing.
2006/11/25
Tadashi HAYASE
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