Japan Watch Thread

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caltrek
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Japan Eyes Developing Counterattack Capabilities
by Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi
May 29, 2022

Introduction:
(Eurasia Review) Japan is planning to revise its National Security Strategy (NSS) by the end of 2022, which would also reconfigure the National Defence Program Guidelines (NDPG) and Mid-Term Defence Program. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) submitted policy recommendations stressing the need for counterattack capabilities against both enemy military bases and command and control systems, marking a potential new turn in Japan’s defence strategies and readiness.

For Japan, counterattacks will serve as the offensive face of its defence and deterrence strategy against enemy missiles, allowing Tokyo to hurt the enemy while also weakening its ability to carry out subsequent attacks.

The Japan Self-Defence Forces (SDF) have a large-scale ballistic missile defence system that consists of the SM-3 interceptor and PAC-3 air defence missile. But there have been significant advancements in Chinese, North Korean and Russian missile technology, including the acquisition of hypersonic glide vehicles and manoeuvrable warheads. These are hard to intercept and hard to build defence capabilities against in the short term.

While the LDP’s recommendations are influential in determining the Japanese government’s defence planning, whether they will be fully reflected in the upcoming NSS and NDPG is debatable.

Many in Japan either oppose or are uninformed about counterattacks, leading to domestic political opposition. But the argument that counterattacks violate the Japan’s constitution and policy of only maintaining capabilities that are the ‘minimum necessary for self-defence’ is misguided. Resorting to a counterattack when no other means of defence are available was determined to be constitutional by the Hatoyama administration in February 1956. The ability to conduct counterattacks is not banned under international law and is a capability possessed by all states in East Asia.
Read more here: https://www.eurasiareview.com/29052022- ... -analysis/
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weatheriscool
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Japan top court: Govt not responsible for Fukushima disaster
Source: AP

By MARI YAMAGUCHI

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s top court on Friday ruled that the government was not liable for the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis, dismissing thousands of evacuees’ demands that the state, not just the utility, pay compensation for the damages inflicted to their lives.

Friday’s ruling was the first Supreme Court decision on the government responsibility for the Fukushima disaster in four compensation lawsuits filed by about 3,700 Fukushima residents.

The four-judge bench headed by Hiroyuki Kanno said that the government could not be held liable for the disaster because damage from the tsunami of that magnitude could not have been prevented even if the industry minister had used his regulatory authority and ordered the utility to enhance a seawall based on a tsunami estimate at that time.

The ruling could affect about 30 other similar lawsuits pending across the country.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/politics-jap ... 6dfd17e31b
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caltrek
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Survey: 68% of Candidates Favor Bolstering Japan’s defense
June 24, 2022

Introduction:
(The Asahi Shimbun) Sixty-eight percent of candidates in the July 10 Upper House election favor strengthening Japan’s defense, nearly double the 37 percent of three years ago, reflecting fears about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a survey showed.

The latest figure is the largest over the 20 years of similar surveys conducted ahead of national elections.

The survey was conducted by The Asahi Shimbun and a team led by Masaki Taniguchi, a professor of political science at the University of Tokyo.
Questionnaires were mailed from mid-May to 545 candidates, and responses were received from 512 by the evening of June 22.

Candidates were given five choices to questions about strengthening defense and revising the Constitution: favor, somewhat favor, neither, somewhat oppose, and oppose.
Read more here: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14652834
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caltrek
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Boorish Behavior in Diet Prompts Drive to Elect More Women
by Midori Iki
June 23, 2022

Introduction:
(The Asahi Shimbun) The jeers she heard reminded Tae Amano of uncouth baseball fans. But she was not at a stadium with free-flowing beer. She was waiting in a committee meeting room at the Diet.

And after her “at-bat” in front of at least one obnoxious male lawmaker, she decided that the Diet could use an overhaul.

Amano, 47, is now leading a campaign of sorts through Twitter and Instagram calling on people to vote for women in the July 10 Upper House election.
Her time in the Diet stemmed in part from Miraco, an organization she established with other women who could not find openings in day care facilities for their young children.

Amano had been asked in the past to present her views in the Diet based on her experience with child care issues.
Read more here: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14651978

caltrek’s comment: I guess some Japanese male legislators can be as boorish as some American male politicians.
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caltrek
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Women Account for Record 33% of Candidates in Diet Election
by Sachiko Miwa
June 23, 2022

Introduction:
(The Asahi Shimbun) Around one-third of candidates in the July 10 Upper House election are female, the highest ratio since Japanese women were first allowed to vote and run for Diet seats in 1946.

The female proportion of 33.2 percent is the first to exceed 30 percent in elections for either of the Diet’s two chambers.

The previous record for female candidates in a national election was 28.1 percent in the 2019 Upper House poll, a year after the candidate gender parity law came into force, which calls on political parties to make efforts to field an equal number of male and female candidates.

The latest rise in female representation was pushed mainly by opposition parties, while the figures for the ruling coalition parties both remained under 25 percent.
Read more here: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14651828
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As Japan looks to raise minimum wage, firms say they’ll struggle to pay it
Jul 1, 2022

With soaring import costs prompting companies to mark up prices, and in the process putting financial pressure on households, it’s becoming more and more crucial that Japan creates momentum toward wage growth.

On Tuesday, a government panel kicked off discussions on a hike to the average minimum wage, which is expected to garner a great deal of attention.

Every year, usually early in the summer, the labor ministry’s minimum wage panel comes up with a rough target for hourly wage increases. Based on that figure, panels in each prefecture make a decision on changes to the local minimum wage, with the new rates implemented around October.

“To realize the nationwide average of ¥1,000 per hour as soon as possible, I’d like to request (members of the panel) to thoroughly discuss the matter while taking into account the cost of living, (current) wage levels and (employers’) ability to pay wages,” labor minister Shigeyuki Goto told the panel.

In light of rising inflation, it’s likely that the panel will propose at least the same level of increase as in fiscal 2021, which ran through March, some experts say. But given that steep hikes in recent years have put a heavy burden on companies, especially small and midsize firms, a sharp pay raise could further hurt struggling companies.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/ ... -pressure/
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Xyls
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BREAKING: SHINZO ABE ASSASSINATED

The ex-PM of Japan has apparently been killed by a man with a shotgun while making a speech in the city of Nara.

Media isn't reporting he is dead yet, but he has no vital signs.





Update: The apparent assassin has been apprehended.



Update 2: Some local news stations now reporting he has died.

Xyls
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Re: Japan Watch Thread

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Footage from the assassination (not gory, but viewer discretion advised.)



Also appears the assassin is a professor at a university?
Xyls
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Re: Japan Watch Thread

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UK Treasury Secretary becoming first official source to announce Abe's death even before the government of Japan itself?



Lol, mess.
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