Realignment?

Prime Ministers of Japan had ensured a more flourishing economy, an effective political system and projects that would cater to the needs of their people. But in between these promises internal, as well as external problems have prevented them from reaching these goals for a better society.

Talks of reforming the fiscal policy had been a concern for former Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro. He proposed to cut pension benefits as well as bad debts in major banks which helped the economy recover. He also showed his support for the US led coalition against terrorism deploying troops of Japan Self-Defense Forces to Iraq. In addition, political realignment was also a concern of Koizumi.

Following the footsteps of his predecessor, Shinzo Abe also pushed for fiscal reforms by balancing the Japanese budget. Moreover, Shinzo gave emphasis on instilling nationalism among the Japanese youth and had proposed a bill to encourage this. Furthermore, similar to Koizumi, Shinzo Abe supported the coalition against terrorism. He desired for a revision on Article 9 to facilitate military deployment abroad.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda’s short-lived residence in the office made little impact in Japanese politics. He shunned Shinzo Abe’s attempts in revising the pacifist constitution and emphasized stronger ties with China. The first visit by a Chinese head of state was hosted by Yasuo Fukuda. He also thought of a stable ground towards North Korea in solving the issue of the abduction of Japanese nationals by Pyongyang in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The present Prime Minister, Taro Aso, prioritizes the security of the economy and the Japanese population from the damages of the current global crisis. He also plans to depart from previous the fiscal policy reforms proposed by Koizumi Junichiro and his successors.

All of the above mentioned Prime Ministers all come from the Liberal Democratic Party- the ruling party since the year 1955 up to the present. A party that is heavily factionalized which reflects an unstable ground of common ideals and principles. To answer the question, a prospect for political reform should be the rise of a new coalition and a replacement of the current dominant party. I think Japan should experience a fresh air and depart from the leadership of the LDP. It is easier said than done but what if the DPJ offers a better proposition for effective and efficient governance?

The Dominance of LDP

Online Session #4

My initial idea as to why the Liberal Democratic Party is still the dominating party in Japan is because of their popularity but as discussed by Ethan Scheiner in his talk, my initial idea was proven to be false. LDP lacks popularity among the Japanese population because of an economic collapse and political corruption. But despite being disliked by the population, LDP remains standing on top. There were a number of arguments Ethan Scheiner discussed which contributes to the longevity of LDP. First, LDP helped Japan regain their economic stability. Of course, who in their right mind would not want to vote for leaders who helped recover their country’s economy? Second, the LDP has appeal to the public. Third, LDP knows how to come up with a suitable policy that caters to the needs of the Japanese population. Ethan Scheiner explained that these were only parts of the reasons why LDP continues to be a hegemon. Another argument is that the LDP candidates have a greater advantage over the opposition candidates. In some cases, candidates from the opposition party, the DPJ, would run against a candidate from LDP who has a higher level of experience. There are also cases wherein a candidate from the LDP, despite having no experience in politics, still won victoriously against his opponents.

In the documentary “Campaign” directed by Kazuhiro Soda, a forty-year-old man was abruptly chosen by the Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro to run for a vacant seat in Kawasaki City. If Yamauchi Kazuhiro does not earn enough votes to win, his failure will overthrow LDP as the dominant party in Japan. Backed by the LDP, the party establishes a robust campaign team to publicize Yamauchi Kazuhiro to the people in Kawasaki City. The campaign team consisted of influential leaders. In the end, Yamauchi Kazuhiro won the election. This reflects the “desire of people maintain a ‘pipeline’” which was explained by Ethan Scheiner. In this context, what Ethan Scheiner meant by ‘pipeline’ is that on one part of the so called pipeline was a group of local LDP politicians who had connections with a national patron from the LDP. So basically, a local politician would ask assistance from a national politician who in turn would request support from the central government to aid for the needs of the local politician.

In conclusion, what accounts for the longevity of the Liberal Democratic Party is the people’s need to preserve a connection with the central government. This relationship helps cater their concerns and problems. Despite being unpopular and being disliked by the Japanese people, LDP remains to be a dominant party because of their experience, their overall performance and their effectiveness.

ticked me off.

I accept the hard fact that the Philippines is not a very ideal country to establish a fulfilling life. I also accept the facts that majority of the Filipino people are living in poverty, there is a presence of corruption in our political system, the instability of our economy and so on. I recognize all these as truths and realities which cannot be changed until due time. But to call my country- the land where I was born and raised, ‘disgusting’ is beyond any insult I have ever heard or received.

While I was browsing through the internet for information about the Asian Youth Forum and how I could somehow be involved, an article of an exchange student of DLSU in Japan for three years caught my attention. He shared his experience about how his Japanese professors and classmates admired him and the other Filipino students in their class for their excellent presentations and such. I felt optimistic until I stumbled upon a “hate letter” written by an unknown person about how Filipinos are ‘trashy’ and how we do not have our own identity. Which is probably true- three hundred years of Spanish colonial rule shaped our history and culture followed by the Americans who ‘saved’ us from the Spaniards and then came the Japanese who occupied the Philippines for only a short while. And finally, the Americans returned and granted us our sovereignty (the granting of our independence is heavily circumscribed, actually but that is besides my point). The Filipinos may be at fault for having an identity crisis because, I quote my professor in Japanese Government and Politics, “the Filipinos did not take these to their own advantage”. But of course, not all of the people in the entire world would know the history of the Philippines and I assume that the person who wrote the “hate letter” does not.

Their extensive involvement in the U.S. Armed Forces is proof of the trashy kind of qualities all Filipinos tend to exhibit on a regular basis – The involvement of the Filipinos and the U.S. Armed Forces is a bilateral agreement called Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) which was ratified in 1999 that helped revitalize the security relationship of both the US and RP. If it were not for the reinvigorated security relationship between both countries, the Philippines would not have joined the coalition against a common threat.

Are they really Asian? - Let’s see…The last time I checked, the three islands of the Philippines rests on a tectonic plate called Eurasia.

Nothing respectable has EVER been created by Filipino people during our entire human history. – The Philippines have produced several respectable people and one of which is our national hero Jose Rizal who is considered to be the renaissance man of the Philippines or the modern Filipino hero the late Ninoy Aquino who opposed the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. And let us not forget the first EDSA revolution which overthrew the Marcos administration. This remarkable event during 1986 showcased the power of a collective effort of the people to democratize the government and free the country of violence.

The only Filipinos that can live successfully in Japan are the Filipino prostitutes. But that’s the case for most Filipino people no matter where they live in the world. – No. There are Filipinos who earn their living by teaching English in schools or being nurses at hospitals, engineers and those who specialize in the fields of information technology or computer science.

They have no architectural, artistic, or cultural influence which is in ANY way, Asian. – A Filipino sculptress named Julie Lluch uses clay as a medium for her artworks. Clay can be easily found in Asia (wood too!). Therefore, in using these resources, which are found in the Philippines and most parts of Asia, as a medium for her artwork, there is, in a way, Asian influence. I quote my introduction to arts professor, “art is a commentary of culture”. Oh, and a little trivia: Julie Lluch’s 1988 terracotta sculpture called “Thinking Nude” is displayed in an art museum in Singapore. And how can I forget Juan Luna’s masterpiece “Spoliarium”.

There is NO WAY that you can connect yourself to Asia other than location. – Trade, politics, ideals, origins etc. Everything is connected with one thing, person, country and culture to another.

Nothing good has ever come from Philippines and I don’t believe anything good ever will. – I beg to differ.

You have no concept of culture…no concept of asian ideas or asian philosophy! Can you demonstrate how you use Confucianism or Taoism in you everyday life?? – The Confucian concept has various aspects and on of which is the filial piety. This is most common in Asia and the Philippines is not an exception. And with regards to Taoism, Filipinos and other Asians, we try to veer away from social conflicts.

A lot of people place Japan, China or Korea etc… on a pedestal and I completely understand why but these countries are no exception to poverty, corruption, economic instability or any other crisis which the Philippines and probably other countries constantly have to deal with. First world countries have some degree of flaws too which cannot be eliminated. We are all connected in some little way. We might have borrowed some ideas from other cultures and shaped it in accordance to our way of living.

For me, being a Filipino means standing up for what I believe is best for my country and for the society; being optimistic despite all the burdens I have to carry as a daughter, a sister, a student, a civilian and a Filipino.


I apologize for any wrong grammar or spelling.

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution

Online Session 3

“ARTICLE 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. (2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.”

Article 9 prohibits aggression as a means of settling disputes among other states. It banned Japan from participating in any kind of war and maintaining military capabilities. Should the lawmakers of Japan decide to make amendments with regards to Article 9 of their Constitution, two opposing views would arise and would debate whether or not a revision is necessary. The revisionist group aims to abandon the pacifist policy and remilitarize Japan while a group of people who commit to memory the consequences of World War II advocates peace.

A change in Article 9 would imply two things: On one hand, a remilitarization of Japan would greatly threaten the security of its neighboring countries. Tensions among Asian countries, especially former war victims of Japan- China and Korea, will increase. On the other, a remilitarization of Japan would provide national security and independence from foreign countries for their own defense.

Failure to make amendments to the constitution despite persistent efforts is due to a difficulty of revising it. According to Article 96 “Amendments require approval by two-thirds of the members of both houses of the National Diet before they can be presented to the people in a referendum” A consensus among the members of both houses is required which was hardly met. Moreover, public opinion have yet to come into common grounds concerning collective self-defense.

Japan Politics and Rashomon?

Online Session 2

Rashomon-an award winning and internationally acclaimed film, based on the short story entitled “In a Grove” by 芥川 龍之介 (Akutagawa Ryūnosuke), depicts the different accounts of witnesses and of those who were involved in the murder of the Samurai and the rape of the samurai’s wife. It was never made clear which account held the truth behind the crime since the witnesses offer different versions of the story.

In truth, everything is always perceived differently by an individual or an organization. People have their own way of interpreting or analyzing certain things which sometimes leads to disagreements and/or the probability of producing something good out of their differences.

Japan politics is no exception from this truth. There are ways in which they are similar and different to the politics of other countries. Peter F. Cowhey and Mathew Daniel McCubbins, the authors of Structures and Policy in Japan and the United States, compared the distinctive characteristics of the political behavior and structure of Japan and the United States. Indeed, each of the said countries has their own systems in governing their country and each has their own policies to obey. Another example would be Yusaku Horiuchi’s explanation on how the voter turnout between Japan and France in his book “Institutions, Incentives and Electoral Participation in Japan”.

As shown in the video during the anniversary of the end of World War II last 2007, there were two stories being told: on one hand, there is a Japanese veteran who fought for his country and who takes honor for having served his land and on the other hand, there are the victims who perceive the aggressors to be war criminals.

The reason why Japan politics is compared to the film Rashomon is because there are many various ways in which we can perceive things. There are different angles to a story and in each account there will always be a clashing of ideas.

Online Session 1

Why do we need to compare politics? Why study Japan politics?

It is necessary to compare politics because in doing so, we can explain how the political system of a particular country operates and what makes their politics diverse from other countries. And through the comparisons made, we can exhaust new ideas about the political world. Comparing countries will also simplify politics by categorizing them according to the similarities and differences of the countries’ characteristics. Furthermore, comparison of countries contributes to a more robust theory of politics by eliminating unnecessary explanations gathered and analyzing the remaining explanations. And finally, comparing countries will help supply logical generalizations for comparativists to come up with predictions of a country’s future politics.

Japan politics is striking. It has a deeper image of what other observers (including myself) usually see. In studying Japan politics, people will realize its depth, what makes their politics succeed and observers will discover the changes that took place over the past years until the present. Learning about Japanese politics will also help understand why and how Japan emerged from their past political crises.