Japan General Discussion

[Simfan34]

Random question; what exactly is the Nippon Kaigi? I've just read about it now and the New York Times paints it out to be rather "ominous" and comprising a majority of the House of Representatives.

[Simfan34]

Food for thought,,

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24822-japans-ageing-population-could-actually-be-good-news.html#.VINHmXtFqJ8

Personally I think a declining population is a blessing, it is only a matter of using the options it provides wisely and limiting the negatives. As with so many other challenges its a matter of prudent management, but Japanese politicians are terrible at thinking out of the box.

No, it's not a good thing. No amount of spin can make it a good thing.

[Simfan34]

Food for thought,,

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24822-japans-ageing-population-could-actually-be-good-news.html#.VINHmXtFqJ8

Personally I think a declining population is a blessing, it is only a matter of using the options it provides wisely and limiting the negatives. As with so many other challenges its a matter of prudent management, but Japanese politicians are terrible at thinking out of the box.

No, it's not a good thing. No amount of spin can make it a good thing.

You get less pressure on the environment incl. less resource consumption and traffic congestion with a smaller population. Economically they actually get a higher per capita income and the workforce to dependent citizen ratio is the same, just olds and not children. Health care costs are low by world standard due to a healthy lifestyle.

What is this? "Higher per capita income"? Who do you think produces GDP? If there are no children to become workers then how does the ratio stay the same? Why hasn't that ever been observed? Why would this precipitate a healthy lifestyle?

There being no people at all would be great for the environment and for traffic congestion. Do you think there should be no people? What you are saying is absurd.

[Simfan34]

I still don't get how Abe can be doing so well, when literally all of his policy proposals are deeply underwater amongst the public. Well that's a lie, I do know the reason:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2015/06/24/commentary/japan-commentary/pathetic-state-dpj/#.VY23i4ikqK0

But I still find it baffling and depressing.

Be careful. The Japan Times is viciously anti-LDP.

[Simfan34]

Well, I'm speaking more generally.

[Simfan34]

Wouldn't the JIP be inclined to support the bill?

[Simfan34]

Abe has scrapped Zaha Hadid's 2billion pound Olympics stadium mid-project, citing escalating costs.

Very good.

[Simfan34]

Abe has scrapped Zaha Hadid's 2billion pound Olympics stadium mid-project, citing escalating costs.

Very good.

Inclined to agree with you. I don't mind Hadid, but this project was a bit naff. It does show Abe, however, is beginning to panic amid various unpopular projects going down like a lead balloon amongst the public. I suppose this (unlike say the nuclear plants, the Okinawa military base etc.) was the easiest thing to ditch while juggling Abe's priorities.

Now is the time to distribute populist goodies to ease the edge and divert attention. Abe spent a lot of political capital getting this through, he has to build it up again.

[Simfan34]

Yikes. I repeat what I said earlier:

Now is the time to distribute populist goodies to ease the edge and divert attention. Abe spent a lot of political capital getting this through, he has to build it up again.

[Simfan34]

Abe has until 2018, right? Two three year stints as LDP president.

[Simfan34]

Yes, it was quite amusing to see the look on the Emperor's face when they held that "Sovereignty Restoration Day" Event last year, when the whole audience, Abe included, were Banzai-ing him. It was clear he was embarrassed and slightly uncomfortable with the whole display. However while the Crown Prince may share the father's views, but I've read that Prince Akishino tends to be more favorable to revisionist perspectives... and is second in line on top of his son and all.

It's surprised me with all this talk about constitutional revision that nothing's been said, aside from talk about making the Emperor formal head of state (FF), about improving the status of the Imperial Family in practical terms-- like allowing women to remain Princesses after marriage, which is a more serious issue than one might think, because the Geihinkan (Imperial Household Agency) is run by over-controlling ultraconservative ex-aristocrats who completely run the Imperial Family's lives. Hence ex-Princesses are completely cut off from their families, and commoner consorts looked down upon (even if a commoner are the only possible choice, considering the aristocracy and cadet branches were abolished in 1945) and mistreated severely enough to cause mental breakdown, as first happened to Empress Michiko and then more dramatically to Crown Princess Masako. I'd hope the Geihinkan would be reformed, for the sake of the Imperial Family.

It appears that many nationalists genuinely see the Emperor as more totem or symbol-- an institution, really-- worthy of glorification and reverence rather than an actual person with any personal agency or needs, which was essentially the view articulated by ultra-nationalists like Mishima. It would actually be the fairly logical result of centuries of shogunates where the imperial institution was maintained and honoured but the Emperor essentially irrelevant.

I wonder if any of the drafts propose making the Emperor Commander-in-Chief-- I suspect the Emperor would die of mortification if asked to don a uniform.

[Simfan34]

I can't help but feel like whoever wrote that article is missing part of the story. All of the top universities in Japan, to say nothing of universities in general, are public. So they are supposed to stop teaching economics, law, political science...? I get this they want more people to major in math and the hard sciences, as does practically every other country, but this is the kind of policy response you'd expect from an incompetent third-world government, not Japan. I mean, seriously, where do they expect to get lawyers or economists from, at the very least?

There has to be something pretty big that we're missing here.

[Simfan34]

Uh... okay?

[Simfan34]

Kyoto is a Communist stronghold? It's amazing, really-- who would have thought Japan would have been perhaps the only developed country where the Communist Party remained relevant?

[Simfan34]

Japan is the only country in the world (maybe Nepal, I guess) where I would feel obligated to vote for a Communist Party, especially if next election becomes a Koike Vs Abe crapfest (i.e. an right wing cult inner skirmish).

They're agnostic on the issue of the monarchy, for goodness' sake.

If it does become Abe vs Koike vs JIP et al, what are the prospects for constitutional revision?