Sunday, May 30, 2021

Okinawa: Reducing the Burden

 Elsewhere here I have mentioned that 70%+ of the American military presence in Japan is concentrated in Okinawa. A recent Japan Times article uses the word "burden" in relation to this presence.

 Okinawa's prefectural governor has officially served notice to Japan and the United States that he wants this burden reduced.

 Read about it here.

Saturday, May 1, 2021

Surveying Japan's Population

 The Japan Times English-language newspaper reported recently that a survey of some 3000 persons over 18 years of age on a variety of Japanese constitutional topics reported a divided population. This may or may not be surprising, but the main questions in the survey concerned amending (or not) Japan's constitution in light of the pandemic and potential future emergencies.

Here is the link to the article.

Of interest to us is the cluster of questions around Article 9. It seems that 51% feel that Article 9 needs to be amended, while a slightly lesser percentage feels it is unnecessary to do so. Of course, that nearly half of those surveyed feel that Article 9 needs to be amended is potentially worrisome--we do not know from the news report why the respondents feel as they do.

Other answers to the survey's questions reflect a somewhat sharper divide between those who feel the government needs to have greater emergency powers in times like these (57%)  and those who feel that the government has adequate authority now.  

Why the survey now? Monday, May 3, is Constitutional Memorial Day in Japan. The current constitution has not been amended since 1947, when it was instituted. Perhaps sections of it need to be amended. Hopefully not Article 9.

76 Years Ago, An Unspeakable Horror...

Today marks the 76th anniversary commemoration of the end of the Battle of Okinawa. Here is an article in the Japan Times.  Over half the ...