Idea at War

Great East Asia Coprosperity Sphere is a condemning subject in East Asia post WWII. The invading legacy of Japanese Imperial Army left miserable record to the ideal of East Asia integration and taught the lesson of military misuse. Facing global movements toward regionalism, East Asia integration buoyed up and brought new perspective to review pan-Asianism in history.

Before jumping into the “whose Asia” thesis, let’s read some philosophy.

Nishida Kitarô（西田幾多郎）, the spiritual father of Kyoto school presented a non-western muse of philosophy of “field.” This idea provide civil potential for diverse cultural to blend and mix in oriental way. I found a good book authored by Goto-Jones a new way to inspire more possibility. Why should I read this book? Becoz I’m visiting the beautiful Leiden a few days latter.

Post-Boom Recession

I read an interesting article written by sessai concerning post-boom recession. He lists historical record as below:

神武景気　　　１９５４年１２月～５７年６月　２年７カ月
なべ底不況　　　５７年７月～５８年６月　１年
岩戸景気　　　　５８年７月～６１年１２月　３年６カ月
いざなぎ景気　　６５年１１月～７０年７月　４年９カ月
第１次石油危機　７３年１２月～７５年３月　１年４カ月
第２次石油危機　８０年３月～８３年２月　３年
円高不況　　　　８５年７月～８６年１１月　１年５カ月
バブル景気　　　８６年１２月～９１年２月　４年３カ月
ＩＴバブル　　　９９年２月～００年１１月　１年１０カ月
戦後最長景気　　０２年２月～０８年８月？

It is a little bit sorry to read the one-day event of Julia Tokyo on the same article. The mesmeric club was virtually a representative icon for pop culture in the early 90s. Days before a music event brought back the sensational scene that lured a crowd of ladies ranging from 20s to 40s to join. A long line was drawn before the event started. Obviously Tokyo people need a shelter to hide behind tough days.

Problematic poll for PM approval rate

PrimeMinister Fukuda had stepped down days before. However a lingering question ghosted the general public are diverse poll figures released by mainstream news agencies. Poll technology is advancing through decades. But transplanting poll to East Asia reached limited success. Not only in Japan, most polls conducted in Taiwan and South Korea fail to show supposed accuracy. A intuitive answer attribute the inaccuracy to indirectness of expression of opinion of Japanese people. What is missing from this intuition is political identity in “a non-liberal democracy”.

內閣民調問題, originally uploaded by Jameswy.Wang.

Non-liberal democracy implicates a political system employs alternative principle for leadership selection which contrasts liberal democracy. Most parliamentarian governments adopt sort of seniority system to recruit candidates for post appointment. In mature democracies whereas turnover of ruling party is frequent, electorates may perceive political ethics of “selectorate” and expect promotion of beloved politicians. But in liberal democracies, promising leaders compete based on the odds to win. The race turns out to be competition of capacity. The psychological link between politicians and electorates could remind poll experts, especially training in US, to adjust predicting model when do polling in parliamentarian countries.

A more Asian Japan

This is a diagram illustrates exchange of personnels amid new trendy of regionalism across East Asia. Taiwan, South Korea and China deepened relations with Japan whilst a new intra-regional gravity was fermenting. It’s true. Japan is more Asian contingent on gold flow and human exchange. What is missing in this diagram is Japan is more global as well. A growing group of global Japanese enterprises adapted to globalised environment and developed new structure of decision making. Under lukewarm figure of growth rate, Japanese business learned how to survive with slow growth. This is a signal of a mature economy. Japan deserved a reappraisal with sophistication.

朝日新聞：亞洲人與日本來往交流情形, originally uploaded by Jameswy.Wang.

福田首相辭任

日本首相福田在歷經種種低迷的民調襲擊以後，終於在昨日宣佈辭職。這是日本民主運作中一個很有趣的現象，政治領袖的更跌，不因大選的失敗來做決定，而是由公眾的認知來決定。無形的文化原則比有形的政治慣例，發揮了更大的作用，這是日本政治獨特的魅力之處。

事實上，即使舉辦了洞爺湖高峰會這樣的成功活動也無法獲得足夠的支持，再加上過於傾中曾招致支持圖博的活動家至其事務所抗議。福田首相在內政與外交上面都顯得應對失當。但是，日本民眾對於福田的辭任仍然表示驚訝，這種無預警的辭任，即使是同縣的神奈川縣民眾，也認為此舉過於突然，「缺乏美感」、不負責任。一般認為，即將出現的總選舉壓力，公民黨對於《印度洋給油持續補給支援特措法》的強烈反對，以及對手民主黨的聲勢日隆，都是導致福田首相辭職的主因。

可能的繼任者是麻生太郎，不過中川秀直元幹事長與小池百合子元防衛相都是可能的挑戰人選；此外，麻生太郎除了要獲得黨內的信任，如何帶領自民黨贏得選舉，亦是重要任務。小泉兒童（小泉チルドレン，意指小泉提拔出來的徒弟）將形成反麻生派，也影響麻生實際的掌權。

福田首相、辞任の意向

福田康夫首相は１日夜、緊急記者会見を開き、内閣を総辞職すると発表する。福田内閣は昨年９月の発足から１年が過ぎたばかりだが、揮発油（ガソリン）税の暫定税率をめぐる与野党攻防でガソリン価格が１カ月の間にリットル当たり２５円程度上下する混乱を引き起こしたほか、４月に導入した後期高齢者医療制度に関しても「高齢者いじめ」と世論から強い反発を受け、内閣支持率は２割程度にまで低迷していた。

　 ■政界激震！福田首相辞任■

　７月には、北海道で開催した主要国首脳会議（洞爺湖サミット）を経て、人心一新のため念願の内閣改造を断行したが、大幅な支持率回復はなく、秋の臨時国会を前に、新テロ対策特別措置法案の延長の是非や新たな経済対策、衆院解散総選挙の時期などで連立を組む公明党との関係も微妙になっっていた。福田首相はこうした状況から、今後、自らが政権を維持することは困難と判断したとみられる。福田首相の後継には、自民党の麻生太郎幹事長が有力視されている。

　福田首相は平成１８年の小泉首相退任に伴う自民党総裁選への出馬を検討したが断念。だが１９年９月に安倍晋三前首相が体調不良などを理由に突然退陣したため、その後行われた自民党総裁選に出馬し、麻生幹事長（当時）と争って勝利して第９１代首相に就任した。

　内閣総辞職は、内閣を構成する首相と全大臣が一斉に辞職することで、国会はただちに、国会議員の中から新たな首相を指名し、新内閣が発足する。