Greetings,
"The Global Forum of Japan (GFJ) E-Letter" is delivered electronically bimonthly, free of charge, to the readers in the world interested in Japanese thinking on the relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs by the Global Forum of Japan (GFJ), private membership organization in Japan for policy-oriented international exchanges.
It will provide the global audience with our news on "GFJ Commentary" and "GFJ Updates."
If you wish to unsubscribe, please enter your email address in the "unsubscribe" box at the following link:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/e-letter/unsubscribe.html
President, GFJ
"GFJ Commentary"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"GFJ Commentary" presents views of members and friends of GFJ on the relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs. The view expressed herein is the author's own and should not be attributed to GFJ.
----------------- - - - -----------------
Government and People Together Must Address the Resolution of the Futenma Issue
By YUSHITA Hiroyuki
former Ambassador to the Philippines
The Noda cabinet has been inaugurated. After a series of short-lived governments of the LDP and then of the DPJ, Japan's domestic and foreign politics seem to have lost confidence. I wish this new administration will prove sustainable and take initiative in rehabilitating Japan. At present, the Japanese politics face a mountain of serious problems from urgent issues like rehabilitation from the Great East Japan Earthquake and management of TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to deep-rooted concerns like fiscal reform and the Japan-U.S alliance whose improvement measures can no more be procrastinated.
Fortunately, it seems that Prime Minister Noda's basic principle is to squarely and seriously tackle those problems, from which I expect him to make all efforts for the revival of Japan. However, unless positive results are attained within a certain period of time, it often ends in disappointment. All the problems mentioned above should be quickly addressed and settled, but it might be impossible to immediately take concrete measures against those which require in-advance agreement among political parties.
At the Japan-U.S. summit in last September, Prime Minister Noda was requested to make a concrete progress of the issue of relocating the U.S. Futenma military base, which has deteriorated the Japan-U.S. alliance and the relations between the two countries as well as Japan's security and her relations with the neighboring countries. The Futenma issue dispenses with the above-mentioned trouble of forging an agreement among political parties. For the agreement between Japan and the U.S. is, in fact, that the DPJ administration should implement the plan which was originally agreed upon between the LDP-Komeito administration and the U.S. Therefore, concrete measures can be taken right away.
It is said that the failure of the Hatoyama administration raised an emotional issue in Okinawa. After visiting the U.S., Prime Minister Noda is reported to have started his actions for Okinawa on the Futenma issue. An early resolution will surely make a significant positive impact on Japan's foreign relations. What is more, it also can serve as the first good example of settling a difficult problem by an all-the-nation effort. The efforts to settle this issue should not be left to PM Noda alone, but be delivered to people in Okinawa by all Japan including the LDP and the Komeito, who used to be the parties involved in the Japan-U.S. agreement.
(This is the English translation of an article which originally appeared on the BBS "Giron-Hyakushutsu" of CEAC on 3 October, 2011, and was posted on "GFJ Commentary" on 31 October, 2011.)
----------------- - - - -----------------
For more views and opinions in the backnumber of "GFJ Commentary," the latest of which are as follows, please refer to:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/commentary/backnumber.html
No.38 The Death of Osama bin-Laden
by Bruce MAZLISH, Professor Emeritus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
(5 August 2011)
No.37 Is Osama Bin Laden a Criminal or a Hero?
by ITO Masanori, Company Worker and Individual Member of the Japan Forum on International Relations
(26 June 2011)
No.36 Now is the Time for the Third Nation Building
by YUSHITA Hiroyuki, former Ambassador to the Philippines
(28 April 2011)
No.35 On "Japan-U.S. Relations in the Era of Smart Power
by YAMAZAWA Ippei, Professor Emeritus of Hitotsubashi University
(1 March 2011)
No.34 Black Joke in Terrorism in Russia
by OOTOMI Akira, Editor in Chief
(28 February 2011)
No.33 Meltdown of Japan
by HAKAMADA Shigeki, Professor, Aoyama Gakuin University
(31 December 2010)
"GFJ Updates"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"GFJ Updates" introduces to you the latest events, announcements and/or publications of GFJ.
Event
------------- - - - -------------
The Japan-China Dialogue "The Japan-China Relations at Crossroads" Held
The Global Forum of Japan (GFJ), under the co-sponsorship by China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), organized the Japan-China Dialogue on the theme of "The Japan-China Relations at Crossroads" in Tokyo on October 26, 2011. A lively discussion was carried out by 39 participants including Amb. OKAWARA Yoshio, Chairman of GFJ, Hon.Dr./Prof. ITO Kenichi, President of GFJ, Amb. TANINO Sakutaro, former Ambassador to China, Prof. SONODA Shigeto, Professor of the University of Tokyo from the Japanese side, and Mr. CUI Liru, President of CICIR, Dr. YUAN Peng, Assistant to the President and Director of the Institute of American Studies of CICIR, Dr. HU Jiping, Director of the Institute of Japanese Studies of CICIR from the Chinese side...
For more information, please refer to:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/dialogue/41/outlines.pdf
====================================================================
Please send your comments and/or questions to:
info@gfj.jp
To customize your subscription, or unsubscribe, please refer to:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/e-letter/e-letter.htm
Officer in Charge: OTA Toru
The Global Forum of Japan
2-17-12-1301, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052
JAPAN
Tel: +81-3-3584-2193
Fax: +81-3-3505-4406