The earthquake and tsunamis that struck Japan on March 11 caused tremendous damage across a broad region and concerns about the safety of a major nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, we see a considerable chance that the Kan administration will run into a dead end. What lies ahead?.
No. 5 February–March 2011
Prime Minister Kan Naoto reshuffled his cabinet, giving the economic and fiscal policy portfolio to Yosano Kaoru, the former LDP legislator who had once lashed out at the DPJ’s manifesto. The choice will no doubt come under attack during the ordinary session of the Diet.
No. 4 December 2010–January 2011
We have recently seen a number of developments of great significance for the future of the regional order in East Asia, including the emergence of maritime security as a regional issue and the enlargement of the East Asia Summit to include Russia and the United States.
No. 3 October–November 2010
Prime Minister Kan Naoto won reelection on September 14 as president of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, defeating former DPJ Secretary General Ozawa Ichirō. But the road ahead looks like a rough one, with many issues needing to be addressed.
No. 2 August–September 2010
An election for House of Councillors took place in July 2010, and voters gave the ruling coalition a sharp slap in the face. Of the 121 seats up for grabs, the Democratic Party of Japan captured only 44. How has the administration’s agenda been affected by the election results?
No. 1 June–July 2010
This is the inaugural issue of the electronic magazine Japan Echo Web. Last year, as part of the review of government programs conducted by the administration of Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio, it was recommended that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs halt its purchases of public-relations magazines.
No. 1 June–July 2010
I took part in a symposium held in Sendai on October 31, 2011. Sponsored by the Japan Center for Economic Research, it was called “Envisaging Specific Visions for the Reconstruction of the Tohoku Region.” Murai Yoshihiro, governor of Miyagi Prefecture, delivered a keynote speech in the symposium, discussing his view on the reconstruction. The symposium got me thinking about reconstruction from the devastation left in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
