Japan "sales day"

Back to work! I attended the Prime Minister New Year press conference at Kantei, and my ears were caught with these words, more an enigma than a statement. What is the wise man (some call him the Tanuki) up to? "I would like to make this year the start of a society where the people and the consumers play the center role," Prime minister Fukuda also wants politicians and the government to drastically change their way of thinking and assume a more public and a consumer-oriented viewpoint.



Have sales started, is it a wishful thinking, a good or bad points to bad ministers or is there a cabinet reshuffle ahead? By the way, during the conference the Prime minister clearly stated his anger in diplomatic words towards Japanese press, (I remember that the Emperor too showed his dissatisfaction with Japanese media interpretations recently...)

At the end of December, during his visit to China, Fukuda is reported to have told Japanese press that he would keep an open mind toward reshuffling the Cabinet in the new year (2008). Right after, reports said Fukuda would do a reshuffle mid-January before the Diet opens.

Fukuda: "I don't know whose practical joke it was, but I think the media reporting went against my intentions, what I said was that everything about it was still a blank sheet of paper, including the possibility of reshuffling the Cabinet, or not."

Er... Then it is up to media to sale paper.

And then, I went to the Stocks exchange. Bad bad time... Tokyo stocks plunged on the new year's first day of trading, -700 something points, the market, it is said, focussed on American economic slowdown and surging oil prices, ($100 per barrel overnight in New York)

Shortly before the massive selling began, the TSE held a ceremony to mark the beginning of the year's trading. It started with the ringing of the stock exchange's bell by Financial Services Minister Yoshimi Watanabe and women dressed in kimono.



TSE President Atsushi Saito then gave a speech warning of the bourse's declining appeal and pledging his utmost efforts to make it more attractive:

"Last year, the subprime loan problem dealt a hard blow to stock markets worldwide. While most markets in developed countries managed to end 2007 higher despite the subprime woes, stock markets in Japan and a few other countries finished lower, this means our country is losing its appeal as an investment target although huge excess funds, including oil money, are flowing across global markets." He wants to make the Japanese market more attractive, as by making new financial products available and by setting up a "high-risk, high-return" market that will limit participation to professional investors.


January resolutions and sales day, indeed, Yasuo Fukuda wished YouTube users a happy New Year in a 5 minutes video posted in English and Japanese and spoke about the challenges facing the world and that Japan would become a key player on the international scene. “Of these challenges, those that concern the environment seriously affect all who live on this earth. Japan’s mission is to play a major role in this area.” From what I saw, it was not very clear what the G-8 nations would do about it in his press conference at the Kantei prime minister residence just a few months before the Hokkaido G8 Summit. Besides, the US and Japan were quite dull in Bali summit. Right? So what role are we talking and playing about? By the way, if I check the Prime minister conference picture, isn't it a can of Sapporo beer standing on the desk? For a Kanpaiiii live or... what? Sales day, I say!

Quest for common value: Japan and China utopia

What value do Japan and China share in common except images of two nations infatuated by contempt and short sighted stubbornness of past leaders? Prior to Japanese prime minister Fukuda's visit to the country of Confucius, there is not much constructive talks that is murmured about what could be sketched on the way to achieve major progress in their bilateral relations and Asia house building. I mean in the non - sino - american condominium way. But is this timidity a pre-requisite as a first step into the right direction? They finally decided to talk to each other and call at each other's.

Raising the banner of progress and happiness is not enough. The question for China and Japan remains: how to re discover the limit, the sense of proportion and avoid theatrical stances and at what realistic price? "This form of paranoia and unprecedented social dementia reactions will occur again, unpredictable. One has never played the impunity road-map of the "de-civilisation." (Historian Pierre Legendre in "Dominium Mundi". "La theatralisation est inherente a l'espece douee de parole." (Click the title to access to the article)



Light output so far. Yielding on environmental empty pledges, doing nothing on hot talks such as China Sea territorial struggle, achieving nothing on massive reduction of defense spending, not reviewing historical, political, technological and cultural program drive to the expected fate: Utopia! As if Japan and China had never succeeded in getting out of the post colonialism values system dictated by bigger powers, far away nations. Japan remains unable to wake up and move on reform on the spiritual scale of what was achieved in the Meiji revolution (yes a revolution, not a mere "renovation", which means that there were people who lost their lives). Tokyo neither assumes its sovereignty on foreign affairs nor boost its defense on his own feet while China is too eager to show off building its condominium world-stage. Tokyo sneezes when Beijing shouts and the world is bored, so is my editor when he watches Japan news wires.



Not an easy task. How could decades of suspicion, confrontations, trade - only would shift into a paradigm of harmoniously built relation, a perception of common destiny? First, there is no shortcut to playing a greater role internationally than in deleting misconceptions. Second, building common shared values, integrate, assimilate. The "metissage we say in French." And to achieve this pyramidal-size political objective, as Alexis de Tocqueville wrote: "There is one necessity that is to dissipate history in a society that claims herself as equalitarian". Probably up to the next - next generation.



In the twenty-first century especially, wouldn't it be in the interest of national power to follow Tocqueville advises as power depends more on the accuracy of the validated domestic institutions and on country’s openness to flow goods, people, money, and ideas? Therefore favoring integration is not the utopia. Without fundamental reform in the Asian village, how Japan and China will educate their children, train their youth, provide ease for its elderly, interact with the global village, culturally, economically, and contribute to the world peace and safe-environment... How will neighbors use workforce and conduct politics in the fair way. Behind the myth of enrichment, a huge populations remains in need and is not in total anesthesia, unsatisfied with their leaders lack of imagination and policies ' diversity.

Hu and Fukuda have not yet reached the variable that might boost confidence outside. Tokyo and Beijing governments need to be more concerned about these aspects of life than about the outward robot-alike manifestations of strength.



"Architects of the modern Japanese state have to understand that national power depends on the quality of domestic institutions. It will determine where Japan will go from 2007." The question is not to reinvigorate Japan and China's muscles but to create a new code of behavior in international relations, a model's role of harmonious values, not an easy task as Professor Amako of Waseda told foreign correspondents and diplomats at a Foreign Press Center (FPCJ) briefing: "These values still have to be created." "Maybe harmony" is a sound road-map.


"Opera mundi" and show-off only politics, is it ?

Commercial whaling: Has it ever stopped ?

Isn't it a gorgeous image of what nature is if kept free ?

It would have been too nice gift for a Xmas day... and Japan once again might have fallen after taking its feet in the carpet? Really? Well, technically not. Commercial whaling never stopped so it can't re-start! Oh, boys!

Facts: Japan's plan to hunt whales in the Antarctic for the purpose of "scientific study" was temporarily suspended on December 21, 2007. Although they still plan on hunting whales in other areas, Japan's Antarctic mission was especially controversial because they had planned on killing not only 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales, but also up to 50 humpbacks. A global moratorium on hunting humpbacks was put in place in the mid-1960s, when it was discovered that humpbacks were on the verge of extinction.

Japan, which says whaling is part of its culture, is carrying out the hunt in the Antarctic Ocean using a loophole in a 1986 global moratorium on commercial whaling that allows "lethal research" on the giant mammals.

The Japan Fisheries Agency argues for ages that whales are just another type of marine resource and should be treated like fish. Many countries, including USA, Scandinavia, Japan and Britain, engaged in over-whaling in the history, especially in the early decades of the 20th century, leading to a sharp decrease in stocks. But "now some species have increased to the point that limited catches will not put them at risk of extinction," according to Tokyo.

Japan in fiscal 2006, produced some 4,154 tons of whale meat as a byproduct of the research, down from 5,560 tons in fiscal 2005. Recently as Australia and other countries and conservation groups heated up their outcry against Japan's whaling program, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura announced that Japan would not go after humpbacks while talks on reforming the IWC are under way.

So it stopped? No! Puzzled...? Why should Japan stop a whaling campaign as it looks to some observers that Japan never stopped the commercial whaling and did it with a catch of about 182 pieces a year! How come? Some of this explanation were aired last night on the BBC by an astute commentator (waiting for the "Père Noël" gifts). I am told by a precious source, quote:" that Japan coastal whaling industry has a quota of 62 Baird's Beaked Whales (tsuchi), 100 Short Finned Pilot Whales (gondō) and 20 Risso's Dolphins (hanagondō)". So to speak. (Click the title to access the MP3 of BBC to listen to the BBC program.)

Final point: Why is it that Japan carry on with killing whales? "One big reason is that it evokes a sense of nationalism and that Japan does not want to stop whaling simply because it is told to do so by Western countries, including those that encouraged Japanese to eat whale meat after the war, when other food sources were scarce," according to some critics expressed in the local press.


Question: The "Japan's barbaric whale slaughter" as some organizations said is indeed bad sight, but isn't it the same regarding all hunting forms, including barbaric slaughter of turtle, elephant, gorilla, tiger, shark, fox and deer, not really basic food, er?

NATO wants more in Asia

Difficult course for NATO in Afghanistan, when his chief came to visit FCCJ for a breakfast, I asked Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the Press club of Tokyo whether NATO should become involved in the fight against narcotics in Afghanistan and Scheffer told me that the organization needed to concentrate on improving security. "What NATO should avoid in Afghanistan is being responsible or being held responsible for everything."




Violence in the southern sector has climbed sharply since ISAF took over more than a year ago, but NATO allies have been reluctant to provide all the troops and equipment that were promised more than a year ago. Among the forces that have so far failed to materialize are three infantry battalions, some 3,000 trainers primarily for the police, and about 20 helicopters. Scheffer admitted NATO was also "lagging behind" in its efforts to train the Afghan national army. "That is an ambition we have not fulfilled and I think we should fulfill. I'm very critical about my allies there as well,".

The NATO chief also voiced frustration at a shortfall of coalition troops needed in Afghanistan, saying he would keep pushing for reinforcements. "I'm not entirely happy with what we have on the ground and in the air in Afghanistan," visiting NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said. Scheffer said NATO had about 90 percent of the ground troops that it needed to battle a resurgent Taliban. NATO is ". During the meeting with our press members, there was a straight request for France to do more. France president Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed he would keep effort high on Paris Elysée agenda. Sarkozy just came to Kabul December 22nd under a very high military protection, escorted by 2 French Mirage 2000, and met with Afghan president Karzai and France troops.




What about training Afghan police and dealing seriously with the drug lords?

Korean startling election

Koreans grappling with high youth unemployment, an ever-widening income gap and soaring property prices gave the candidate whose slogan was "Economy First!" the unprecedented mandate despite a looming fraud investigation. Lee Myung-Bak won South Korea's presidential election by a landslide Wednesday, as voters backed the former Hyundai chief executive to revive the economy and disregarded fraud allegations against him.


(So he played in Winter Sonata too?)

GNP headquarters erupted with joy when exit polls flashed on a screen. Officials and supporters hugged each other, wept and yelled "Hurrah!" Thousands of others celebrated in the streets in near-zero temperatures, chanting "Lee Myung-Bak!" setting off firecrackers and cheering and dancing.

Lee, who turned 66 on polling day, will be the nation's first leader from a business background and the first president-elect to face a criminal inquiry. He will be inaugurated on February 25 to replace incumbent Roh Moo-Hyun, who congratulated his successor on his victory.

State prosecutors cleared Lee early this month of involvement in a 2001 share-rigging fraud involving his former business partner, an issue which had dogged his campaign. But apparent new video evidence surfaced Sunday of Lee's past connection to a firm linked to the scandal, prompting rivals in parliament to vote for an inquiry by an independent prosecutor. Media reports said the prosecutor may report just before the inauguration but most voters were clearly willing to accept the awkward situation.

My question is: what does Yong sama (Bae Yong Jun) and what does Yu Jin (Choi Ji Woo) both think about this electrifying election? Well, after Yong sama and Yu Jin give an answer, then and only then, as millions (tens of millions) of Japanese fans, I certainly will cast my ballot.


(Actor Yong sama & Actress Choi Ji Woo)


Might be that the Sunshine policy melts to all-time low too?

Of course the cold war is over...

According to Japan news agency, Japan successfully intercepted a ballistic missile in its first test launch of the SM-3 missile interceptor system from a warship in waters off Hawaii, reports said Tuesday. The Japanese destroyer Kongo launched a missile from waters off Kauai Island and successfully intercepted the mock target, another missile, fired from onshore on Monday. Now question: how to intercept a ballistic missile with a SM-3 when the ballistic missile flies several hundreds or thousands of kilometers above our heads...?



"Their introduction of missile defence systems, as far as I can tell, doesn't really have anything to do with defending Japan against missiles," said after North Korean missiles tests Robert Karniol, Asia-Pacific editor of Jane's Defence Weekly, adding he was skeptical of the systems' effectiveness. Involvement in missile defence is a political move enabling Tokyo to maintain its close security relationship with the United States and militarily useful in that it helps the two countries integrate their command and control systems, Karniol said. But Masatsugu Naya, a security expert at Hitotsubashi University, said missile defence could have a psychological effect even if it could not be relied upon to intercept all incoming missiles. "The question is whether they can shoot down a large enough percentage to make a launching country reconsider its plans," he said. "From that point of view it is effective." (Quotes from Reuters, June 23rd 2006 & The China Daily)



The cartoon is explicit enough: How to face the threats? Interesting debate a while ago, in Foreign Affairs: Quotes: "The Bush administration claims national missile defense can protect the United States from long-range missiles fired by rogue states. But that threat is trivial, and Washington's unilateralist approach to missile defense will only anger China and Russia while alienating U.S. allies." Click the title to access the Foreign Affairs article by John Newhouse. July August 2001 release.


Maybe a better solution is improving treaties and involve all parties on the checkers?

Japan got his gun! A new stealth fighter

Japan next-generation stealth fighters' project underway is nicknamed "Shinshin". It has been under development as ATDX at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Defense officials hope to have a test flight of the prototype, "Shinshin" or spirit, by the end of March 2014. Maybe before.

"Japan is tired with scandals linked to defense." Really? The word in Tokyo is that under Prime Minister Fukuda's administration, there are a lot of talking between politicians, bureaucrats and defense equipment manufacturers. Energetic opinions, sound explanations, yes a lot! One knows the passion of Japanese for harmonizing pro and cons, assessing local needs. Japan is to show his muscles?



"The balance seems to be set on mid to long term projects to favor boosting indigenous defense industry", according to our defense sources. It will require further discussions and clear cut choices. A shift, some say, from the Moriya Akiyama Miyazaki recent scandals where transpacific corporations fed a big pot of bribes and arrangements through cultural (not cultural at all) and institutions ghosts, including academics and well remunerated and inebriated go between, made to grease the complex mechanics of procurement decisions.

Hum, quite a lot of shameless people here, but most probably this is how it worked in Japan too. But things changed a few years ago. I remember attending some events of VIPs talking in secret resorts, some academics telling me clearly in Japanese : "We ll build defense materials as we built cameras and fax machines". But not all had ears to listen.

Today, the prediction seems so real. Japanese, because of alleged regional fears and of the mud thrown to the Bush administration in Iraq and Iran, decided to talk to other defense contractors in addition to their natural ally, this is also called a natural policy of diversification clearly set. Something new in town? Not really since Dejima sailors men.

In other words, Japan's care on progress of developing ATD-X follows successions of projects. Japanese being aware of the "well known" rumor about Chinese J-XX (or J-14) project. Added to the South Korean KFX, it's going to be interesting competition to watch.


[FNN TV on ATDX stealth jet]

Japan next-generation stealth fighters' entire project is expected to cost 46.6 billion yen (€285.2 million). Japan’s defense ministry wants a first test flight within five years. Mitsubishi Heavy Industry has been developing the jet with French help, who have been testing the Radar Cross-Section (defines the size and shape of the plane when viewed on a radar display.)

Japan's Technical Research & Development Institute (TRDI) disclosed images of the Mitsubishi ATD-X stealth fighter in the form of a full-scale radar cross-section (RCS) model. The Mitsubishi, creator of the feared Zero of WW2, ATD-X looks a bit like the French Rafale with its wings.


[Picture of the ATD-X]

It is in France at Bruz, near Rennes, in Bretagne's France's DGA defense agency's CELAR (center for military electronics) laboratory constructed the Solange indoor RCS range. A photo found here shows that Solange may be the biggest indoor RCS range in the world, capable of measuring a real fighter rather than a sub-scale mock-up.


[Picture of SOLANGE Anechoic Chamber - ECmwp realization (ANTEM design) Picture Antem/ DGA/CELAR (Chambre Anéchoïque de la base de mesures CHEOPS du CELAR (DGA)]

For a number of years, Theatre Missile Defense (TMD) has taken up a lion’s share of the budget, and continues to do so. Modernizing its fighter-interceptor fleet is very important, particularly in light of its neighbors’ efforts. China has already unveiled its new fighter, which is believed to be one of the most advanced used by any air force in the world today. Beijing is believed to be developing upgraded models with stealth capabilities, a J-XX...





[Pictures Chinese jet engineers]

Dual cooperation. The acquisitions by Japanese of new technologies and systems is built as a spider net, I remember attending Japan Italian defense seminar recently in Shiodome, all was well set during seminars to explain to each observer what Tokyo exactly was ready to give and take. I take here and there what I need to build my plane, my car, my software. "Why should we pay endlessly for what we can build on our own." A politician told me recently in Nagatacho (The Parliament hill of Tokyo).


Well, military aerospace cooperation is one of the projects Japan has with Europeans aerospace and defense manufacturers, an other big one being the new "Super-Concorde" to cut time for his speedy biz men.

Megumi Yokota, 13 ans, otage de Pyongyang!

Les parents Shigeru et Sakie Yokota, dont la fille Megumi a été enlevée en 1977 par la Corée du Nord à l'âge de 13 ans, ont lancé mercredi à Tokyo un appel à la coopération internationale pour tenter de résoudre la question des enlèvements de Japonais et d'autres ressortissants étrangers par le régime de Pyongyang.

Lors d'une rencontre avec les "Foreign Correspondents" (journalistes correspondants étrangers) à Tokyo, les parents Yokota ont souligné l'importance pour le Japon de maintenir la pression sur la Corée du Nord par le biais de sanctions qui sont actuellement en place pour tenter d'obtenir la libération des otages. Leur crainte: Que les USA abandonnent ces otages en levant les sanctions imposées sur le régime stalinien et que les otages disparaissent à jamais.

Les Yokota appuyés par des ONG, soutenus par le gouvernement japonais et par la communauté internationale demandent aux nations de travailler à une résolution des enlèvements. Une cinquantaine d'otages seraient concernés.


[©JLK. Photo de Shigeru (d.) et madame Sakie YOKOTA (g.) au Foreign Press Center, Tokyo 05 Déc 2007.]


D'autres développements, ici prochainement, sur l'espionnage de Pyongyang, et, sur les ténébreuses relations entre la Corée du nord et Japon, Corée du sud et les Etats Unis ainsi que des informations sur l'affaire des 3 français enlevés par des agents de Pyongyang, formellement identifiés comme otages en Corée du nord par Kim Hyun-hi, l'une des terroristes de l'attentat de l'avion de la KAL en 1987.