Shibuya crossing at night.
Here begins an attempt at a regular wrap of the biggest stories out of Japan.
– Figures released by Japanese Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, figures from Nikkei Inc and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Economic Outlook Database paint a slightly dire portrait of Japan. Japan’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has been in decline since the 1970s, with the World Health Organisation saying Japan has the highest proportion of senior citizens.
– Capturing this with a rather darkly funny headline, the Washington Post wrote ‘Japan’s sexual apathy is endangering the global economy‘. Perhaps not as funny is the central gist of the article: with Japan’s citizens only getting older and less babies being born, the economy is turned into a time bomb of sorts which could damage global markets. An old Guardian article spoke with Ai Aoyama, a sex counsellor in Tokyo, who believed that younger citizens just weren’t that interested in having sex anymore.
– There’s a lot of chatter currently surrounding the drafting of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in August. Several months off, it’s odd that it’s getting this much coverage. Diplomatically, it’s been wise for Japan to maintain a remorseful tone with its statements due to the atrocities committed by Japanese colonialist troops in China and Korea during the war, with both countries always keeping a close eye on Japan’s takes on the war.
In 1995, then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama made a ground breaking speech where he apologised profusely for Japan’s involvement in the war and the crimes committed by its soldiers, admitting it had caused “great trauma and suffering” to Asia’s peoples. This statement, though contested by more conservative elements in Japanese politics, has become the official mainstay of Japan.
However, when current-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was elected in 2012, he was quoted saying that he “does not necessarily follow the Murayama statement as it is” before a committee was assembled to review Murayama’s embraced statement.
The headlines on Tuesday (Japan News, Japan Times) pointed to a different Abe, who will express remorse in his August statement whilst still pushing for a constitutional revision to Japan’s military deployment laws which bar it from deploying any troops unless directly attacked or threatened. The argument Abe will make is one where he hopes Japan to become a major global peacekeeper.
– Far from the political, McDonald’s in Japan is trying to save face after a customer allegedly found a piece of vinyl in their chicken nugget. The company is still recovering from a scandal that broke in July last year when video emerged of the Chinese manufacturer mixing out-of-date product with fresh product. The company then switched to a Thai manufacturer.
But in light of the earlier scandal, the company posted at ¥17 billion loss (approx. $140 million USD) in October and November marked 10 months in a row of sales declines. It will be interesting to see how this fresh incident hits the company.
