Japan Watching: Society, Politics, Culture, Economy, Environment, And the World

The OECD has just issued a scathing report on Japan's efforts to fight bribery and corruption.  This is striking in many respects -- most notably the stark contrast with the recent glowing report for Japan's little Asian brother, Korea.

So what's wrong with Japan?  It may all be summed up in the title, "The Japan That Can't Decide", of a new book by Kevin Maher.  This work distills the wisdom of his 30 years' experience working for the US State Department, most recently as its Director of the Office of Japanese Affairs.

As Japan tries to pull itself out of the depths of its nuclear disaster, it is instructive to draw a few comparisons with the global financial crisis.

This is Japan’s eternal question.  How did we stumble so badly?

Japan’s foreign policy has gone right “back to the USA”, according to Katsuya Okada, Japan's foreign minister.  This is a big change over the past year.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama came to power in September 2009, and by early June thus year he was gone again -- brought down by a minor corruption scandal and the massive confusion he created regarding the US/Japan Alliance.  Has he left an enduring legacy?

When you look at Prime Minister Naoto Kan, you have to keep two things in mind.  As a Japanese politician, he is bound to disappoint.  But with his background as a civic activist, rather than coming from a political dynasty, he is also capable of surprising. 

Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter invented the concept of “creative destruction”.  But as Japan has demonstrated, a path of self destruction may not always become creative.

On Friday 21 May, we asked the question “For how long can Hato survive?”  Like most demises, the end came more quickly than anyone imagined, with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announcing his resignation two days ago on Wednesday 2 June. 

When the Democratic Party of Japan won the national election in August 2009, its eyes were already focused on the Upper House elections expected to be held in July 2010.  The new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was very keen to maintain the DPJ’s popularity to win an Upper House majority.

But “Hapless Hato” has let the issue of the US base in Futenma, Okinawa, dominate his 9 month old administration, and managed to offend almost everyone in the process.  Now Japan seems set to continue the pattern of a“revolving door” of prime ministers.