Sunday, May 31, 2015

Monday, June 1, 2015 in Washington

BLURRING BORDERS: NATIONAL, SUBNATIONAL, AND REGIONAL ORDERS IN EAST ASIA. 6/1, 8:30am-3:30pm. Breakfast and Lunch. Sponsor: Wilson Center. Speakers: Jacques deLisle, FPRI, University of Pennsylvania; Dru Gladney, Pacific Basic Institute, Pomona College; Christine Kim, Georgetown University; Mike Mochizuki, GWU; Richard Bush, Brookings; Gilbert Rozman, Princeton University, FPRI; Satu Limaye, EWC; Robert Sutter, GWU; Sheila Smith, CFR; and Moderators: Felix Chang, FPRI; Shihoko Goto, Senior Associate for Northeast Asia, Asia Program, Wilson Center; Robert Daly, Director, Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, Wilson Center.

DID THE FED'S QUANTITATIVE EASING MAKE INEQUALITY WORSE? 6/1, 9:30am-12:30pm. Sponsor: Brookings. Speaker: Josh Bivens, Economic Policy Institute; Matthias Doepke, Northwestern, Northwestern University; Veronika Selezneva, Northwestern University; Martin Beraja, University of Chicago; Erik Hurst, University of Chicago;Joe Vavra, University of Chicago; Andreas Fuster, New York Federal Reserve; Robert S. Kerr, Senior Fellow, Brookings; Donald Kohn, Hoover Institution; Kevin Warsh, Hoover Institution; Susan Lund, McKinsey; Mark Zandi, Moody’s Analytics; Jean Boivin, BlackRock.

IRAN NEGOTIATIONS: UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND A LOOMING DEADLINE. 6/1, 1:00pm. Sponsor: The Iran Task Force. Speakers: Former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind; Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn; Former CIA Director Michael Hayden; John Hannah, Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, Iran Task Force.

ASSESSING TOXICOLOGIC RISKS TO HUMAN SUBJECTS USED IN CONTROLLED EXPOSURE STUDIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS. 6/1, 1:00-5:00pm. Sponsor: The National Academy of Sciences. Speakers: Thomas Burke, EPA Science Advisor; Robert Kavlock, Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Research. 

DERWIN PEREIRA INDONESIA INITIATIVE. 6/1, 2:30-3:30pm. Sponsor: CSIS Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies. Speaker: Ridwan Kamil, Mayor of the Indonesian city of Bandung.

THE SECOND BAPTISM OF RUS’? THE RETURN OF RELIGION AND THE (SOVIET) ORIGINS OF RUSSIAN PATRIOTISM. 6/1, 3:30-4:40pm. Sponsor: Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies. Speaker: Victoria Smolkin-Rothrock, Assistant Professor of History, Wesleyan University. 

THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TRANSITION. 6/1, 4:00-5:30pm. Sponsors: Atlantic Council; International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Speaker: Adnan Amin, Director General, IRENA; Amos Hochstein, Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs, Bureau of Energy Resources, US Department of State; Mike Carr, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy; and Moderator: Richard L. Morningstar, Founding Director, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council.

PUTIN. WAR: THE MAKING OF THE NEMTSOV REPORT. 6/1, 5:30-7:00pm. Sponsors: The Center on Global Interests; Free Russia Foundation. Speaker: Ilya Yashin, Russian Activist.

TAKING STOCK: THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS OF THE UNITED NATIONS: THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF DEALING WITH TORTURE. 6/1, 5:30-8:00pm. Sponsor: The American Society of International Law (ASL). Speakers: Juan Mendez, Special Rapporteur on Torture for the UN; Manfred Nowak, Director, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Prime Minister of Japan’s Schedule January 12-18, 2015

Monday, January 12, 2015

AM
12:00 At holiday home (no visitors)
10:00 At holiday home in Narusawa Village, Yamanashi Prefecture (no morning visitors)
10:11 Depart from holiday home
11:29 Arrive at official residence

PM
12:26 Depart from official residence
12:27 Arrive at office
12:37 Meet with Minister of Finance Aso Taro, Ministry of Finance (MOF)’s Vice-Minister Kagawa Shunsuke, and Director-General of Budget Bureau Tanaka Kazuho
12:58 End meeting with Mr. Aso, Mr. Kagawa, and Mr. Tanaka
01:04 Meeting of the Government and Ruling Parties
01:17 Meeting ends
01:24 Depart from office
01:25 Arrive at ramen shop Shinamen Hashigo Akasaka location in Akasaka, Tokyo. Lunch with secretaries
01:46 Depart from ramen shop
01:52 Arrive at Jikei University Hospital in Nishi-Shinbashi, Tokyo. Visit relative in hospital
02:20 Depart from hospital
02:38 Arrive at private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo

Tuesday, January 13, 2015
AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
08:00 At private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no morning visitors)
09:11 Depart from private residence
09:26 Arrive at LDP Party Headquarters
09:35 LDP Officers Meeting
09:56 Meeting ends
09:58 Depart from LDP Party Headquarters
10:00 Arrive at office
10:03 Council for Science, Technology and Innovation meeting
10:21 Council meeting ends
10:25 Cabinet Meeting begins
10:32 Cabinet Meeting ends
10:34 Headquarters for Promotion of Social Security Reform meeting
10:49 Meeting ends

PM
12:04 Panel Discussion with Managers of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Miyazawa Yoichi also attends
01:08 Discussion ends
01:56 Meet with Minister in charge of Overcoming Population Decline and Vitalizing Local Economy in Japan Ishiba Shigeru and State Minister of Cabinet Office Taira Masaaki
02:47 End meeting with Mr. Ishiba and Mr. Taira
02:48 Speak with Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen and Ministry of Defense (MOD)’s Director-General of Bureau of Defense Policy Kuroe Tetsuro
03:02 Finish speaking with Mr. Nakatani and Mr. Kuroe
03:16 Meet with Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Saiki Akitaka
04:02 End meeting with Mr. Saiki
04:03 Director of National Security Council (NSC) Yachi Shotaro, Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kitamura Shigeru, National Policy Agency’s Director of Security Bureau Takahashi Kiyotaka, and Deputy Director-General of Public Security Intelligence Agency Kojima Yoshiharu enter
04:16 Mr. Yachi, Mr. Takahashi, and Mr. Kojima leave
04:34 Mr. Kitamura leaves
04:56 Meet with Chairman of Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren) Sakakibara Sadayuki
05:15 End meeting with Mr. Sakakibara
05:38 Meet with Governor of Tokyo Prefecture Masuzoe Yoichi
06:21 End meeting with Mr. Masuzoe
06:30 Depart from office
06:32 Arrive at official residence

Wednesday, January 14, 2015
AM
12:00 At official residence (no visitors)
08:00 At official residence (no morning visitors)
08:48 Depart from official residence
08:49 Arrive at office
09:02 Nine Ministers’ Group of NSC meeting
09:09 Meeting ends
09:26 Extraordinary Session Cabinet Meeting begins
09:35 Cabinet Meeting ends
09:38 Interview open to all media: When told “The 2015 budget has been decided by the Cabinet, but the total amount of the general account is the largest ever,” Mr. Abe answers “The government bond issues sum has been reduced a total of 4.4 trillion yen, the first time in six years that it has been under 40 trillion yen. The sum has been reduced the past 3 years running.”
09:39 Interview ends
09:40 Speak with Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)’s Minister Nishikawa Koya and Vice-Minister Minagawa Yoshitsugu
09:48 Finish speaking with Mr. Nishikawa and Mr. Minagawa
10:33 Meet with Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)’s Vice-Minister Saiki Akitaka and Director-General of International Cooperation Bureau Ishikane Kimihiro
11:07 End meeting with Mr. Saiki and Mr. Ishikane
11:23 Meet with Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)’s Vice-Minister Honda Masaru and Director-General of Civil Aviation Bureau Tamura Akihiko
11:50 End meeting with Mr. Honda and Mr. Tamura
11:56 Depart from office

PM
12:01 Arrive at ANA Intercontinental Hotel Tokyo. Dinner with President of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Miyanaga Shunichi, Chairman of Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Saito Katsutoshi, and others in banquet hall Libra within hotel
01:06 Depart from hotel
01:10 Arrive at office
01:11 Speak with Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Kimura Taro
01:16 Finish speaking with Mr. Kimura
01:25 Meet with LDP Secretary-General Tanigaki Sadakazu
01:55 End meeting with Mr. Tanigaki
02:00 Meet with Cabinet Advisor Honda Etsuro
02:15 End meeting with Cabinet Advisor Honda
02:34 Depart from office
02:35 Arrive at official residence
02:36 Informal talk with LDP monthly women’s magazine Liburu [りぶる] section author and TV personality Kataoka Tsurutaro
03:29 Finish talking with Mr. Kataoka
03:30 Depart from official residence
03:31 Arrive at office
03:34 Meet with Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)’s Minister Shimomura Hakubun and Vice-Minister Yamanaka Shinichi
04:27 End meeting with Mr. Shimomura and Mr. Yamanaka
04:43 Depart from office
04:55 Arrive at Kansai Telecasting Corporation Tokyo Office in Ginza, Tokyo. Appear on news program
05:32 Depart from Kansai Telecasting Corporation
05:44 Arrive at office
06:01 Meet with Administrative Vice-Minister of Defense Nishi Masanori
06:22 End meeting with Mr. Nishi
06:29 Depart from office
06:30 Arrive at official residence

Thursday, January 15, 2015
AM
12:00 At official residence (no visitors)
08:00 At official residence (no morning visitors)
09:23 Depart from official residence
09:25 Arrive at office
09:44 Speak with Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Kimura Taro
09:47 Finish speaking with Mr. Kimura
10:14 Meet with MOFA’s Administrative Vice-Minister Sugiyama Shinsuke; Ambassador in charge of Cultural Exchange Sato Hideo; Director-General of Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau Uemura Tsukasa; Director-General of International Cooperation Bureau Ishikane Kimihiro; MOF’s Director-General of International Bureau Asakawa Masatsugu; Administrative Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ishiguro Norihiko; and MLIT’s Director-General for International Affairs Inaba Kazuo
11:36 End meeting with Mr. Sugiyama, Mr. Sato, Mr. Uemura, Mr. Ishikane, Mr. Asakawa, Mr. Ishiguro, and Mr. Inaba
11:37 Meet with Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Shiozaki Yasuhisa; Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)’s Director-General of Labour Standards Bureau Okazaki Junichi and Director-General of Health Insurance Bureau Karasawa Takeshi

PM
12:13 End meeting with Mr. Shiozaki, Mr. Okazaki, and Mr. Karasawa
01:00 Meet with Director of NSC Yachi Shotaro
01:25 End meeting with Mr. Yachi
02:04 Filming video message for event related to science and technology
02:11 Finish filming
02:25 Meet with Councillor of Cabinet Secretariat Tanaka Shigehiro; MOFA’s Director-General of Economic Affairs Bureau Saiki Naoko; Mr. Ishiguro; and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)’s Director-General of Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau Munakata Naoko
02:45 End meeting with Mr. Tanaka, Ms. Saiki, Mr. Ishiguro, and Ms. Munakata
03:00 Receive fuel-cell vehicle. Test drive
03:07 Finish test drive
03:15 Meet with MOFA’s Vice-Minister Saiki Akitaka, Administrative Vice-Minister Sugiyama Shinsuke, and Director-General of Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau Uemura Tsukasa
03:50 End meeting with Mr. Saiki, Mr. Sugiyama, and Mr. Uemura
03:59 Meet with Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kitamura Shigeru
04:32 End meeting with Mr. Kitamura
04:33 Meet with MOF’s Vice-Minister Kagawa Shunsuke, Vice-Minister of Finance for International Affairs Yamasaki Tatsuo, and Mr. Asakawa
04:48 End meeting with Mr. Kagawa, Mr. Yamasaki, and Mr. Asakawa
04:50 Meet with MOFA’s Director-General of Foreign Policy Bureau Hiramatsu Kenji, MOD’s Director-General of Bureau of Defense Policy Kuroe Tetsuro and Chief of Staff for Maritime Self-Defense Force Kawano Katsutoshi
05:15 End meeting with Mr. Hiramatsu, Mr. Kuroe, and Mr. Kawano
05:40 Receive courtesy call from Chairman of ROK-Japan Parliamentarians’ League Suh Chung Won and colleagues. President of Japan-Korea Parliamentarians’ Union Nukaga Fukushiro also attends
06:12 Courtesy call ends
06:14 Depart from office
06:28 Arrive at building 1-chome 3-bankan [壱丁目参番館:ichi-chome san-bankan] in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Informal talk with critic Kin Birei; Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Shimomura Hakubun; Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Mr. Shiozaki; Chairperson of National Public Safety Commission Yamatani Eriko; Minister in charge of Promoting Women’s Empowerment Arimura Haruko; Chairperson of LDP Policy Research Council Inada Tomomi; and others at office of Ms. Kin within building
07:53 Depart from building
08:08 Arrive at private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo

Friday, January 16, 2015
AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
08:00 At private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no morning visitors)
08:48 Depart from private residence
09:13 Arrive at Haneda Airport
09:22 Interview open to all media: When asked “What is the purpose of your visits in the Middle East?” Mr. Abe answers “We want to transmit a message to the world that we will go on to make a tolerant, inclusive society with the Middle East.”
09:24 Interview ends
09:52 Depart from airport on personal government aircraft with wife Akie bound for tour of visitation to four Middle Eastern countries

PM
(Local time in Cairo, Egypt)
Arrive at Cairo International Airport in Egypt
View Grand Egyptian Museum facilities construction site in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo
Conference with Prime Minister of Egypt Ibrahim Mahlab at Prime Minister’s Office
Stay night at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza

Saturday, January 17, 2015

AM
(Local time in Cairo, Egypt)
Attend Joint Meeting of Japan-Egypt Business Committee at hotel Conrad Cairo in Cairo, Egypt, and give speech
Conference with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at his office
Attend meeting with President El-Sisi and an economic mission

PM
(Local time in Cairo, Egypt)
Joint press release
Lunch meeting hosted by the president
Depart from Cairo International Airport
(Local time in Amman City, Jordan)
Arrive at Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan
Arrive at lodging Four Seasons Hotel Amman in Amman City
View the Jordan Museum
Arrive at lodging Four Seasons Hotel Amman in Amman City, Jordan
Informal talk with an economic mission at resident Japanese Ambassador to Jordan’s official residence in Amman City, Jordan
Dinner meeting with King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al Hussein and his wife the Queen at king’s private residence
Stay night at Four Seasons Hotel Amman

Sunday, January 18, 2015
AM
(Local time in Amman City, Jordan)
Reception event at Office of Prime Minister of Jordan in Amman City, Jordan
Conference with Prime Minister of Jordan Abdullah Ensour
Conference with King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al Hussein at Royal Court Office
Witness economic mission’s greeting to King of Jordan

PM
(Local time in Amman City, Jordan)
With economic mission, attend lunch meeting hosted by King of Jordan
Depart from Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan
(Local time in Jerusalem City, Israel)
Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport on outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel
Arrive at lodging David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem City
Summit Conference with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu at Waldorf Astoria Hotel, small assembly attends
Attend meeting with economic mission and Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem City
View Israel enterprise exhibition
Attend business seminar
Stay night at David Citadel Hotel

Provisional Translation by: Erin M. Jones

Monday, May 25, 2015

Tuesday in Washington, May 26, 2015

Monday is a National Holiday in the United States and Congress is in recess all week.
The work week starts Tuesday.

EUROPE AND THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL. 5/26, 10:00-11:30am. Sponsor: Atlantic Council. Speakers: Gérard Araud, Ambassador of France to the United States; Peter Westmacott, Ambassador of Britain to the United States; Peter Wittig, Ambassador of Germany to the United States; Barbara Slavin, Senior Fellow at the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council.

RETHINKING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 5/26, 10:00-11:30am. Sponsor: Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group, CSIS. Speakers: Wes Bush, Chairman, CEO, and President, Northrop Grumman; Dr. John Hamre, President, CEO, and Pritzker Chair, CSIS and Director, Brzezinski Institute on Geostrategy; Andrew Hunter, Director, Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group and Senior Fellow, International Security Program.

LGBTI RIGHTS: GLOBAL ACTIVISM, US DIPLOMACY. 5/26, 10:00am-Noon. Sponsors: United States Institute of Peace (USIP); International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Speakers: Nancy Lindborg, President, USIP; Randy Berry, Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LBGT Persons, US Department of State; Sumit Bisarya, Constitution Building Programme, International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance; Michael Dafel, Doctoral Candidate, University of Cambridge; Eric Gitari, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in Kenya; Monie Griffith, Director, Marriage Equality, Ireland; Richie Maitland, Co-founding Director, Groundation Grenada; Michelle Reddy, Programme Director, Fiji Women's Rights Movement; Jason Gluck, Senior Program Officer, Rule of Law, USIP.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE EMERGING AMERICAN-IRANIAN NUCLEAR DEAL. 5/26, Noon-1:00pm, lunch. Sponsor: Hudson Institute. Speakers: Efraim Inbar, Director, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University; Lee Smith, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute.

THE GLOBAL VILLAGE MYTH: DISTANCE, WAR, AND THE LIMITS OF POWER. 5/26, Noon-1:30pm. Sponsor: Cato Institute. Speakers: Patrick Porter, Academic Director of the Strategy and Security Institute at the University of Exeter; Zack Beauchamp, World Correspondent for Vox.com; Austin Long, Assistant Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University; Justin Logan, Director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Cato Institute.
PURCHASE BOOK: http://amzn.to/1DQyIfL

THE EBOLA RESPONSE: THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE'S MEDICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ROLE IN A GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY CRISIS. 5/26, 2:00-3:00pm. Sponsor: Heritage Foundation. Speakers: Carmen Spencer, Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical and Biological Defense; COL. Russell E. Coleman, Joint Project Manager for Medical Countermeasure Systems; COL. Stephen J. Thomas, Deputy Commander of Operations, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; COL. Neal E. Woollen, Director of Biosecurity, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Dialogue the key to resolving comfort women history wars

By Professor Mary M. McCarthy, Drake University and APP member

First published in EastAsiaForum 19 May 2015

On 29 April 2015, Shinzo Abe became the first Japanese prime minister to speak before a joint session of the US Congress. Japan watchers listened closely, hoping to hear a preview of his upcoming statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Of particular concern is whether the prime minister will take a step back from the historic apologies of the 1995 Murayama Statement and the 1993 Kono Statement.

In anticipation of Abe’s visit, US Congressman Mike Honda led 24 members of the House of Representatives in presenting a letter to the Japanese ambassador that expressed firm support for both Statements. Some of the signees subsequently articulated their views on the ‘comfort women’ issue to various media outlets. This included an op-ed by Charles Rangel in the national newspaper USA Today and a press release by Honda that called Abe’s failure to mention the ‘comfort women’ in his speech to Congress ‘shocking and shameful’.

Although the victims of Japan’s wartime ‘comfort women’ system were predominately women and girls from across Asia, with the majority coming from the Korean peninsula, US politicians have become actively involved in this issue. This was most apparent in 2007 with the passage of House Resolution 121, which called on Japan to acknowledge and apologise for the ‘coercion of young women into sexual slavery’ during the 1930s and 1940s. Similar motions or resolutions have been passed by legislatures in Canada, the Netherlands and the European Union. And the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women included the ‘comfort women’ issue in her 1996 report.

The concerted efforts of Japanese and South Korean NGOs, who felt that their governments had not responded adequately to the issue, as well as the willingness of former ‘comfort women’ to publicly tell their stories, has been a major force behind this global recognition. But it also reflects normative changes in the field of human rights and women’s rights over the past half-century. Worldwide acceptance of women’s rights as human rights has increased attention to the particular dangers facing women and girls in conflict-ridden areas and advanced global campaigns to combat sex trafficking.

Domestic factors, such as democratisation in South Korea and the death of Japan’s wartime emperor Hirohito in 1989, have encouraged local advocacy efforts for historical justice. The spread of the Korean diaspora has further ensured that the stories of ‘comfort women’ enter the domestic discourse in other countries.

These international and domestic pressures culminated in the 1993 Kono Statementby then chief cabinet secretary Yohei Kono. The Kono Statement included an admission of military culpability, a government apology and a commitment to educate future generations about this tragedy. Two years later, the Asian Women’s Fund, a public-private joint initiative intended to illustrate an acceptance of moral responsibility through apology and compensation, began operation.

Many hoped these steps would resolve the ‘comfort women’ issue, but in reality it was only the beginning of a debate over what really happened and what should be done about it. This debate has ebbed and flowed over the past three decades, often gaining steam from some statement by a Japanese government official that questions a conventionally accepted aspect of the narrative — be it the extent to which ‘comfort women’ were coerced or the degree of responsibility of the Japanese government.

Such comments, along with the active and polarising discussion within Japan that always follows, are due to the fact that there continues to be no national consensus in Japan on the issue. This is in stark contrast to the international scene, where a general consensus does exist.

The situation has been made even more difficult by the fact that the Japanese domestic and international discussions have tended to occur in parallel, rather than in intimate interaction with each other. Each has evolved in its own political and normative context.

The biggest challenge today is that Japanese government and society are at a stage in their own domestic discourse that hinders their ability to enter into dialogue with the rest of the world on this issue. What many Japanese officials, scholars, and members of the public view as clarifying the record comes across globally as denial or obfuscation. While many foreign actors view the international normative changes described above as conducive to reconciliation, many Japanese actors see the application of such norms to this historical case as an impediment.

Dialogue is a necessary prerequisite for a lasting settlement and all parties should be seeking avenues to achieve it. The only chance for true dialogue comes from greater comprehension, on all sides, of the reality of the debate both in Japan and internationally, as well as the political and normative contexts that shape those debates. Vilification will never lead to open exchange, but mutual understanding and tolerance may.

Be Happy! Visit Saga Japan!

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Japanese Catholics express alarm at Abe Government

Japanese Martyrs February 5, 1597
In February of this year, Catholic leaders in Japan released their statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. It is surprisingly blunt in expressing their wariness over what they view as the nation's attempts to rewrite history and play a significantly larger defense role in the world.

“We are gravely concerned about the current administration’s move,” Takeo Okada, archbishop of Tokyo and head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan said of the statement. “We want to light a flame for a path that people should head to, which is the mission of all religious leaders.” The statement is as follows and below it is an Asahi Shimbun article about it.

Blessed are the peacemakers – Now especially, 
peace must not depend upon weapons

To our Brothers and Sisters in Christ and to All Who Wish for Peace

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan issued messages marking the end of the Second World War in 1995 (Resolution for Peace -- On the 50th. Anniversary of the End of the War) and 2005 (Peace Message After 60 Years From the End of War World II -- The Road To Peace Based On Nonviolence -- Now Is The Time To Be Prophetic). In this year in which we mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, we wish to once again declare our commitment to peace.

1. The Church Cannot Remain Silent in the Face of Threats to Human Life and Dignity

For the Catholic Church, this is a noteworthy year because it marks the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

In the first half of the Twentieth Century the Christian Church centered in Europe experienced two world wars and genocide against the Jews by Nazi Germany. Reflecting on these tragedies, the Church cannot close itself up with merely “religious” concerns. We have realized that the problems of humanity are our problems. The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, issued at the end of the Second Vatican Council, is a clear example of this insight, opening with the following words.

“The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts.”[1]

From the end of the Second Vatican Council up to the papacy of Pope Francis today, the Church has actively faced the issues of human life and dignity, especially of those who are excluded or oppressed.[2]

2. The Decision to Renounce War

Japanese colonial rule on the Korean Peninsula until 1945 as well as acts of aggression against China and other Asian countries caused great suffering and sacrifice among people. The Second World War was a horrible experience for the Japanese people as well. Beginning with the Tokyo air raid of March 10, 1945, large-scale air raids struck many cities in Japan. In addition to the many Japanese and foreign troops who became casualties during land combat on Okinawa, many civilians suffered as well. Then finally there were the atomic bombings of Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. These experiences gave birth to a desire for peace that was codified in the Constitution of Japan promulgated in 1946 based on the sovereignty of the people, the renunciation of war and respect for basic human rights. Following this peace constitution, Japan has striven to build relationships of trust and friendship with the nations of Asia.

Against the background of the Cold War and the subsequent fall of the Berlin Wall, the Catholic Church throughout the world has made increasingly clear its opposition to the arms race and the use of weapons to resolve disputes.

In his encyclical Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII said, "in this age which boasts of its atomic power, it no longer makes sense to maintain that war is a fit instrument with which to repair the violation of justice"[3] Vatican II in Gaudiam et Spes opposed the arms race, and urged peace that does not rely upon military force.[4] In his Appeal for Peace in Hiroshima in 1981, Pope John Paul II demonstrated this clear renunciation of war when he said, "War is the work of man. War is destruction of human life. War is death."

Given this historical background, it is a matter of course that we Japanese bishops respect the ideals of Japan’s no-war Constitution.[5] For Christians, the renunciation of war is demanded by the Gospel of Christ. It is a respect for life that cannot be abandoned by religious people and an ideal that is held firmly by the whole human race.

3. The Japanese Church’s peace vocation

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan knows that it has a special vocation to work for peace. It is not based upon any political ideology. We continue to appeal for peace not as a political issue, but as a human one. Our awareness of this vocation is, of course, influenced by the horrors inflicted by nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but it is also born of deep remorse when we reflect upon the attitude of the Church in Japan before and during the war.

During a Mass celebrated on September 26, 1986, at the plenary meeting of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) held in Tokyo, Archbishop Shirayanagi of Tokyo made the following declaration. “We Catholic bishops of Japan, as Japanese, and as members of the Catholic Church in Japan, sincerely ask forgiveness from God and from our brothers and sisters of Asia and the Pacific Region for the tragedy brought by the Japanese during the Second World War. As parties involved in the war, we share in the responsibility for the more than 20 million victims in Asia and the Pacific. Furthermore, we deeply regret having damaged the lives and cultures of the people of these regions. The trauma of this is still not healed.”

These words were not those of a single bishop. He spoke as president of the bishops’ conference, conveying the opinion of the whole conference.[6] As mentioned above, in their messages on the 50th and 60th anniversaries of the end of the war, the bishops continued to reflect upon the issue of the Church’s responsibility before and during the war and from that standpoint have expressed their determination in favor of peace.

4. Problems such as recognition of history and the exercise of collective self-defense

Seventy years after the war, memory of it is fading along with memories of Japanese colonial rule and aggression with its accompanying crimes against humanity. Now, there are calls to rewrite the history of that time, denying what really happened. The present government is attempting to enact laws to protect state secrets, allow for the right of collective self-defense and change Article 9 of the Constitution to allow the use of military force overseas.

At the same time, we cannot overlook growing nationalism not only in Japan, but among the governments of other countries in this part of the world. As tensions rise between nations, a strong commitment to improved relations through dialogue and negotiation rather than increased militarization becomes more important for regional stability.

Domestically, the situation in Okinawa presents a particularly serious problem. Compared to the rest of the country, the number of military bases there is especially high. New base construction is underway, contrary to the wishes of the citizens of the prefecture. This demonstrates an attitude that puts priority on armaments while ignoring people and efforts to build peace.

5. Amidst the serious crises facing the world today

Viewing the world today, the tragedies of military conflict and terrorism occur over and over again in many places. In addition to conflicts between nations and ethnic groups, now violence in the name of religion makes it increasingly seem as if throughout the world dialogue has become impossible. In that situation, women and children as well as ethnic and religious minorities are especially threatened and many lose their lives.

In the face of such worldwide destructiveness, Pope Francis has expressed concern that some people seem to speak of a “Third World War” rather than making sure we do not repeat the mistakes of the past.[7] The world faces the sorts of crises that cannot but cause people to wonder if force is the answer. What has become of respect for humanity? However, repeatedly answering violence with violence will only lead to the destruction of humanity.

The world is dominated by the globalization of companies and the financial system. Disparities continue to widen and the poor are excluded. Human economic activity is causing climate change and the destruction of biodiversity. If we wish to realize peace, this situation must change. We cannot ignore the problems of poverty and the environment that produce disparity and exclusion. We are each called upon to overcome our indifference to the world’s problems and change our lives. We cannot solve all the world’s problems at once, but we can patiently continue to work toward peace and mutual understanding.

In Conclusion

We recall the words of Pope John Paul II in his Appeal for Peace in Hiroshima: 

“Peace must always be the aim: peace pursued and protected in all circumstances. Let us not repeat the past, a past of violence and destruction. Let us embark upon the steep and difficult path of peace, the only path that befits human dignity, the only path that leads to the true fulfillment of the human destiny, the only path to a future in which equity, justice and solidarity are realities and not just distant dreams.”[8]

We are encouraged by the words of Jesus Christ, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Mt. 5:9). Seventy years after the end of the war and 50 years after the end of the Second Vatican Council, let us renew our determination to seek peace and to work for peace. We Catholics in Japan are small in number, but in union with other Christians and along with believers of other religions and those throughout the world who wish for peace, we renew our commitment to work to make peace a reality.

February 25, 2015
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan

Notes:
1. Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes 1965 n. 1.Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes 1965 n. 1.[back]
2. Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium) (2013) n.182: “The Church’s pastors, taking into account the contributions of the different sciences, have the right to offer opinions on all that affects people’s lives, since the task of evangelization implies and demands the integral promotion of each human being. It is no longer possible to claim that religion should be restricted to the private sphere and that it exists only to prepare souls for heaven.”[back]
3. Pope John XXIII, Encyclical Pacem in Terris (1963) n. 127.[back]
4. Gaudium et Spes, n. 81. [back]
5. The Constitution of Japan, Preamble: “We, the Japanese people, desire peace for all time and are deeply conscious of the high ideals controlling human relationship, and we have determined to preserve our security and existence, trusting in the justice and faith of the peace-loving peoples of the world.” Ibid. 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. 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.” [back]
6. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan plenary session, June, 1986.[back]
7. Pope Francis, Homily at the Military Memorial in Redipuglia, Italy, on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. (September 13, 2014)[back]
8. Pope John Paul II “Appeal for Peace in Hiroshima” (February 25, 1981) n. 5.[back]


Japanese Catholic leaders voice concern over 
Abe administration in peace message 

Asahi Shimbun, April 28, 2015

By KENTARO ISOMURA/ Staff Writer

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Monday in Washington, May 18, 2015

CHEMISTRY AND ENGINEERING OF SHALE GAS AND TIGHT OIL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT. 5/18-5/19. Sponsor: National Academy of Sciences. Speakers: Alan Krupnick, Resources for the Future; Bruce MacKay, Schlumberger; Javad Paktinat, Anadarko Petroleum; Randy LaFollette, Baker Hughes; Avner Vidic, University of Pittsburgh; William Stringfellow, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Briana Mordick, Natural Resources Defense Council; Denise Tuck, Halliburton.

TURKMENISTAN: DOMESTIC EVOLUTIONS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT. 5/18, 9:00am-5:30pm. Sponsor: Elliott School, George Washington University (GWU). Speakers: Sebastien Peyrouse, Research Professor, GWU; Nazik Muradova, Central Asia Fellow, GWU; Slavomir Horak, Researcher, Charles University; Jan Sir, Professor, Prague University.

HOW LARGE ARE GLOBAL ENERGY SUBSIDIES? 5/18, 9:30-11:00am. Sponsor: Brookings Institution. Speakers: Vitor Gaspar, IMF Fiscal Affairs Director; Adele Morris and David Wessel, Brookings Senior Fellows.

FROM COOPERATION TO COMPETITION - THE FUTURE OF U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONS. 5/18, 10:00am-Noon. Sponsor: Russia and Eurasia Program, CSIS. Speakers: Col. Gert-Jan Kooij, Royal Netherlands Army; LTC Karen Briggman, US Army; LTC Joseph E. Hilbert, Jr., US Army; Lt. Col. Christopher Lay, US Air Force; James C. McNaughton, Department of the Army Civilian.

CIA COUNTERTERRORISM SUCCESSES AND FAILURES. 5/18, 10:00am. Sponsor: National Press Club (NPC) Newsmaker Program. Speaker: Michael Morell, Former Deputy CIA Director.

TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY (TPA) WITH ANGELA ELLARD. 5/18, Noon-1:00pm. Sponsor: Association of Women in International Trade (WIIT). Speaker: Angela Ellard, Chief Trade Counsel and Trade Subcommittee Staff Director of the Ways and Means Committee for the US House of Representatives.

THE ROLE OF NUCLEAR POWER IN ENERGY RELIABILITY: U.S. & INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES. 5/18, Noon-1:30pm, Lunch. Sponsor: GABI. Speakers: David C. Brown, Senior Vice President, Federal Government Affairs and Public Policy, Exelon; Andrew Paterson, Principal, Environmental Business International.

BEIJING+20: WHAT DOES MEANINGFUL PROGRESS LOOK LIKE FOR WOMEN AND POVERTY? 5/18, 12:30-2:00pm. Sponsor: Society for International Development Washington, DC. Chapter (SIDW). Speakers: Stella Mukasa, Director of Gender, Violence, and Rights at International Center for Research on Women (ICRW); Amanda Epting, Livelihoods Specialist at Pact; Patricia T. Morris, President of Women Thrive Gender and Inclusive Development Workgroup; Jennifer Collins-Foley, Senior Inclusive Development Advisor for World Learning; Cristina Manfre, Senior Associate at Cultural Practice, LLC.

FIGHTING FOR THE FINAL FRONTIER? CONFLICT IN SPACE DURING THE LATE 21ST CENTURY. 5/18, 1:00-2:30pm. Sponsor: Atlantic Council. Speakers: David Brin, New York Times Bestselling Author; Jason Batt, Creative and Editorial Manager of the 100 Year Starship; Jaym Gates, Communications Director of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America; Alec Meden, Art of Future Warfare Project Creative Challenge Winner; August Cole, Director of Art of Future Warfare Project at the Atlantic Council.

REVISITING KOREA-JAPAN RELATIONS. 5/18, 2:00-3:30pm. Sponsor: ASAN Institute. Speakers: Brad Glosserman, Executive Director, Pacific Forum, CSIS; Scott Snyder, Senior Fellow for Korea Studies, CFR; Gilbert Rozman, Editor-in-Chief, Asan Forum; and Moderator: Jung-Yeop Woo, Research Fellow and Director, DC Office, ASAN Institute.

THE FUTURE OF FREE TRADE IN EAST ASIA: FROM KORUS TO CHINA TO TPP? 5/18, 3:00-5:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Korean Economic Institute (KEI). Speakers: Ahn Ho-young, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States; Lee Il-Houng, President of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy; Edward Alden, Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; James W. Fatheree, Executive Vice President, U.S.-Korea Business Council; Derek Scissors, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute; Mireya Solís, Philip Knight Chair in Japan Studies, Brookings Institution; Troy Stangarone, Senior Director of Congressional Affairs and Trade, KEI.

BURSTING THE PLUTONIUM BUBBLE: HOW UTOPIAN COMMUNITIES MADE DYSTOPIAN NUCLEAR LANDSCAPES. 5/18, 4:00-5:30pm. Sponsor: Wilson Center (WWC). Speaker: Kate Brown, Associate History Professor, University of Maryland.

XI TO PAKISTAN, MODI TO CHINA: WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE WEST. 5/18, 5:30-6:30pm. Sponsor: German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). Speakers: Tanvi Madan, Director, India Project, Brookings Institution; Daniel Markey, Senior Research Professor, Johns Hopkins University; Andrew Small, Fellow for Asia, GMF.

CRAFTING A NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY. 5/18, 6:30-8:30pm, Reception. Sponsor: Next Generation International Security Network. Speaker: Colonel Troy Thomas, National Security Council Director for Strategic Planning.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Prime Minister of Japan’s Schedule January 5-11, 2015

Monday, January 5, 2015

AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
08:00 At private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no visitors)
08:32 Depart from private residence
08:55 Arrive at JR Tokyo Station
09:00 Depart from station on Nozomi no. 213. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko Hiroshige accompanies
10:40 Arrive at JR Nagoya Station. Reception by JR Tokai Honorary President Kasai Yoshiyuki
10:43 Depart from station
10:44 Arrive at Kintetsu Nagoya Station
10:50 Depart from station on Kintetsu Limited Express. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries Kato Katsunobu and Mr. Seko accompany

PM
12:15 Arrive at Kintetsu Ujiyamada Station. Reception by Governor of Mie Prefecture Suzuki Eikei and colleagues
12:19 Depart from station
12:22 Arrive at Ise Jingu Outer Shrine in Ise City, Mie Prefecture. Conduct shrine visit with Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Takaichi Sanae, Minister for Foreign Affairs Kishida Fumio, Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen, Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization Amari Akira, and others
12:49 Depart from shrine
12:55 Arrive at Ise Jingu Inner Shrine. Conduct shrine visit with Mr. Takaichi and others
01:31 Kagura Presentation at Kagura-den (Hall for Special Prayer) in Inner Shrine
01:54 Presentation ends
02:03 Presentation of bouquets by Ise Boy Scout Council’s 7th Group and Mie Girl Scout Council’s 1st Group in front of Jingu Administration Office, commemorative photo session
02:05 Presentation and photo session end
02:39 Press conference ends
02:50 Depart from Ise Jingu
02:57 Arrive at Kintetsu Ujiyamada Station
03:04 Meet with Mr. Takaichi; Mr. Kishida; Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Miyazawa Yoichi; Mr. Nakatani; Mr. Amari; Chairperson of National Public Safety Commission Yamatani Eriko; and Minister in charge of Promoting Women’s Empowerment Arimura Haruko in station’s VIP room
03:12 End meeting with Mr. Takaichi, Mr. Kishida, Mr. Miyazawa, Mr. Nakatani, Mr. Amari, Ms. Yamatani, and Ms. Arimura
03:14 Depart from station on Kintetsu Limited Express
04:38 Arrive at Kintetsu Nagoya Station. Reception by Governor of Aichi Prefecture Omura Hideaki
04:39 Depart from station
04:40 Arrive at JR Nagoya Station
04:43 Speak with Mr. Omura and JR Tokai Honorary President Mr. Kasai Yoshiyuki in station’s VIP room
04:52 Finish speaking with Mr. Omura and Mr. Kasai
04:54 Depart from station on Nozomi no. 34
06:33 Arrive at JR Tokyo Station
06:37 Depart from station
06:59 Arrive at Italian restaurant Ristorante ASO in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo Prefecture. Dinner meeting with actors Tsugawa Masahiko, Nakai Kiichi, and Okuda Eiji
09:49 Depart from restaurant
09:58 Arrive at private residence

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
08:00 At private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no morning visitors)
09:44 Depart from private residence
09:56 Arrive at LDP Party Headquarters
09:58 Attend LDP Resumption of Work after New Year Holiday, deliver address
10:25 Resumption of Work event ends
10:30 LDP Officers Meeting
10:51 Meeting ends
10:52 Depart from LDP Party Headquarters
10:54 Arrive at office
11:04 Cabinet Meeting begins
11:20 Cabinet Meeting ends
11:47 Meet with Cabinet Advisor Iijima Isao

PM
12:03 End meeting with Mr. Iijima
12:05 Ruling Party Liaison Conference
12:28 Conference ends
01:47 Depart from office
02:33 Depart from hotel
02:41 Arrive at office
02:57 Minister of Finance Aso Taro, Ministry of Finance (MOF)’s Vice-Minister Kagawa Shunsuke, Director-General of Budget Bureau Tanaka Kazuho, and Director-General of Tax Bureau Sato Shinichi enter
04:07 Mr. Kagawa, Mr. Tanaka, and Mr. Sato leave
04:34 Mr. Aso leaves
04:35 Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)’s Vice-Minister Saiki Akitaka and Director-General of Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau Uemura Tsukasa enter
04:48 Mr. Uemura leaves
05:09 Mr. Saiki leaves
05:10 Director of National Security Council (NSC) Yachi Shotaro, Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kitamura Shigeru, Ministry of Defense (MOD)’s Director-General of Bureau of Defense Policy Kuroe Tetsuro and Director of Defense Intelligence Headquarters Miyagawa Tadashi enter
05:18 Mr. Yachi, Mr. Kuroe, and Mr. Miyagawa leave
05:38 Mr. Kitamura leaves
05:52 Meet with former Prime Minister Mori Yoshiro. Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide also attends
06:26 End meeting with Mr. Mori
06:47 Depart from office
06:59 Arrive at Nippon Budokan (Japan Martial Arts Hall) in Kitanomaru Park, Tokyo. Enjoy American singer Diana Ross Concert with wife Akie
08:30 Depart from Nippon Budokan
08:47 Arrive at private residence

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
08:00 At private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no morning visitors)
09:43 Depart from private residence
10:01 Arrive at office
10:03 Meet with Minister in charge of Civil Service Reform Arimura Haruko. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu and Cabinet Bureau of Personnel Affairs Director-General for Personnel Policy Planning Wako Toshihiko also attend
10:31 End meeting with Ms. Arimura
10:32 Meet with former Minister of Home Affairs and current Chairman of Diet Promotion Council for National Pond Maintenance Project [全国ため池等整進協議 Zenkoku Tame Ike to Seibijigyo Suishin Kyogikai] Fukida Akira
10:51 End meeting with Mr. Fukida
11:23 Meet with Director-General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Amano Yukiya. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries Mr. Kato and Seko Hiroshige, and MOFA’s Director-General of Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Science Department Hikihara Takeshi also attend
11:38 End meeting with Mr. Amano

PM
12:02 Meet with LDP Secretary-General Tanigaki Sadakazu
12:37 End meeting with Mr. Tanigaki
01:44 Meet with Chairman of Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum and former Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Omi Koji
02:04 End meeting with Mr. Omi
02:37 Meet with Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Amari Akira, Cabinet Office’s Vice-Minister Matsuyama Kenji and Director-General for Policies on Cohesive Society Maekawa Mamoru
03:04 End meeting with Mr. Amari, Mr. Matsuyama, and Mr. Maekawa
03:05 Meet with Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen, MOD’s Director-General of Minister’s Secretariat Toyota Katashi, Director-General of Bureau of Defense Policy Kuroe Tetsuro, Director-General of Bureau of Local Cooperation Nakajima Akihiko, and Director-General of Bureau of Finance and Equipment Mimura Toru
03:33 End meeting with Mr. Nakatani, Mr. Toyota, Mr. Kuroe, Mr. Nakajima, and Mr. Mimura
04:49 Depart from office
05:20 Depart from hotel
05:28 Arrive at office
06:15 Depart from office
06:22 Arrive at Japanese restaurant Fukudaya in Kioi-cho, Tokyo. Dinner meeting with Honorary Chairman of Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren) Mitarai Fujio, Chairman of Keidanren Sakakibara Sadayuki, Honorary Executive Consultant of JX Holdings Watari Fumiaki, and other financiers
08:30 Depart from restaurant
08:47 Arrive at private residence

Thursday, January 8, 2015

AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
08:00 At private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no morning visitors)
09:39 Depart private residence
09:57 Arrive at office
10:09 Meet with Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s Vice-Minister Honda Masaru and Director-General of Railway Bureau Fujita Kozo
10:34 End meeting with Mr. Honda and Mr. Fujita
10:35 Meet with Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Shiozaki Yasuhisa and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Health and Welfare Bureau for the Elderly Miura Koji
11:06 End meeting with Mr. Shiozki and Mr. Miura
11:07 Meet with Representative Director of International Economic Exchange Association and former Lower House member Yoneda Kenzo
11:31 End meeting with Mr. Yoneda
11:32 Meet with journalist Tahara Soichiro

PM
12:05 End meeting with Mr. Tahara
12:09 Meet with Honorary Chairman of Seven & i Holdings Ito Masatoshi and former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matoba Junzo
12:58 End meeting with Mr. Ito and Mr. Matoba
01:54 Interview with women’s magazines Tamago Club and Hiyoko Club
02:26 Interview ends
02:27 Speak with Cabinet Advisor Nakamura Yoshio
02:36 Finish speaking with Mr. Nakamura
02:44 Meet with LDP Upper House member Maruyama Kazuya
03:21 End meeting with Mr. Maruyama
04:54 Meet with Minister of State for Space Policy Yamaguchi Shunichi and Cabinet Office’s Director-General of Office of National Space Policy Komiya Yoshinori
05:12 End meeting with Mr. Yamaguchi and Mr. Komiya
06:25 Depart from office
06:35 Arrive at Japanese restaurant Matsuyama in Ginza, Tokyo. Dinner meeting with Minister of the Environment Mochizuki Yoshio, President of New Renaissance Party Arai Hiroyuki, and colleagues
08:34 Depart from restaurant
08:50 Arrive at private residence

Friday, January 9, 2015

AM
12:00 At private residence (no visitors)
08:00 At private residence in Tomigaya, Tokyo (no morning visitors)
08:41 Depart from private residence
08:55 Arrive at office
09:03 Cabinet Meeting begins
09:12 Cabinet Meeting ends
09:33 Meeting ends
09:34 Meet with Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Amari Akira
09:54 End meeting with Mr. Amari
09:55 Meet with Minister for Foreign Affairs Kishida Fumio, MOFA’s Vice-Minister Saiki Akitaka, Administrative Vice-Minister Sugiyama Shinsuke, Director-General of Foreign Policy Bureau Hiramatsu Kenji, and Director-General of European Affairs Bureau Hayashi Hajime
10:33 End meeting with Mr. Kishida, Mr. Saiki, Mr. Sugiyama, Mr. Hiramatsu, and Mr. Hayashi
10:34 Meet with Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Shimomura Hakubun
10:55 End meeting with Mr. Shimomura
10:56 Meet with former Advisor to Vice-President of US (Joe Biden) Jake Sullivan and Chairman of Rebuild Japan Initiative Funabashi Yoichi
11:30 End meeting with Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Funabashi
11:31 Meet with Mr. Kishida, Mr. Saiki, and MOFA’s Director-General of Economic Affairs Bureau Saiki Naoko
11:58 End meeting with Mr. Kishida, Mr. Saiki, and Ms. Saiki

PM
01:36 Meet with Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kitamura Shigeru
01:56 End meeting with Mr. Kitamura
02:02 NSC meeting
02:42 NSC meeting ends
03:01 Forum ends
03:22 Ceremony ends
03:23 Speak with Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Yamaguchi Shunichi, Cabinet Office’s Vice-Minister Matsuyama Kenji and Director-General for Policies on Cohesive Society Morimoto Koichi
03:37 Finish speaking with Mr. Yamaguchi, Mr. Matsuyama, and Mr. Morimoto
03:59 Meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Aso Taro, MOF’s Vice-Minister Kagawa Shunsuke, Director-General of Budget Bureau Tanaka Kazuho, and Administrative Vice-Minister for Policy Planning and Coordination Sakota Hidenori
04:59 End meeting with Mr. Aso, Mr. Kagawa, Mr. Tanaka, and Mr. Sakota
05:01 Nine Ministers’ Group of NSC meeting
05:05 Meeting ends
05:17 Extraordinary Session Cabinet Meeting
05:22 Cabinet Meeting ends
05:23 Depart from office
05:37 Arrive at Embassy of France in Minami-Azabu, Tokyo. Register condolence call to victims of shooting incident at French newspaper
05:40 Speak with resident French Ambassador to Japan Thierry Dana
05:47 Finish speaking with Mr. Dana
05:48 Depart from Embassy of France
05:57 Arrive at office
06:00 Meet with MOFA’s Mr. Sugiyama and Director-General of Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau Uemura Tsukasa
06:37 End meeting with Mr. Sugiyama and Mr. Uemura
06:49 Depart from office
06:50 Arrive at official residence

Saturday, January 10, 2015

AM
12:00 At official residence (no visitors)
07:15 Depart from official residence
08:45 Arrive at golf course Dai-Hakone Country Club in Hakone Town, Kanagawa Prefecture. Play golf with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko Hiroshige, secretaries, and others

PM
03:51 Depart from golf course
04:15 Arrive at Higashiyama Kyukishi-tei, former private residence of Mr. Abe’s grandfather and former Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke in Gotenba City, Shizuoka Prefecture
04:32 Depart from Higashiyama Kyukishi-tei
05:19 Arrive at holiday home in Narusawa Village, Yamanashi Prefecture
05:54 Depart from holiday home
06:03 Arrive at Chinese restaurant Isai Chugokusaikan Kokyu in Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi Prefecture. Dinner with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko Hiroshige and mother Kishi Yoko
07:58 Depart from restaurant
08:08 Arrive at holiday home

Sunday, January 11, 2015

AM
12:00 At holiday home (no visitors)
10:00 At holiday home in Narusawa Village, Yamanashi Prefecture (no morning visitors)
Stay at holiday home throughout morning (no visitors)

PM
01:30 Depart from holiday home
02:17 Arrive at Fuji Cemetery in Oyama Town, Shizuoka Prefecture. Along with mother Kishi Yoko, visit the graves of Mr. Abe’s grandfather and former Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke, and Mr. Abe’s father and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Abe Shintaro
02:28 Interview open to all media: When asked “What were your feelings during the visit to their graves?” Mr. Abe answers “I swore to make this a suitable year as the 70th year after the war.”
02:29 Interview ends
02:30 Depart from Fuji Cemetery
03:11 Arrive at holiday home
06:00 Depart from holiday home
06:11 Arrive at restaurant Sumibi Kushiyaki I. W in Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture. Dinner with mother Kishi Yoko and secretaries
07:57 Depart from restaurant
08:08 Arrive at holiday home

Provisional Translation by: Erin M. Jones