The Point

Save the Date

2012-01-19T19:44:00.002-05:00

MARCH 27, 2012

Second Annual Conference on the

Renaissance of American Manufacturing:

Jobs, Trade, and the Presidential Elections

Presented by

The Committee to Support U.S. Trade Laws, The Economic Strategy Institute,

The U.S. Economy/Smart Globalization Initiative at The New America Foundation,

The Alliance for American Manufacturing,
The United States Business and Industry Council,

The Kearny Alliance, King & Spalding, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP,

Wiley Rein LLP, and The Law Offices of Stewart and Stewart

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The National Press Club

529 14th Street, NW

Washington, DC

9:00 am-5:00 pm - Conference Presentations and Panel Discussions

5:00-7:00 pm - Cocktail Reception featuring our signature cocktail:

Buy American and Bring Back Manufacturing One-Two Punch

Free, but space limited

PANELS INCLUDE:

•Why We Need Manufacturing in the U.S. – Can We Succeed Without It?

•National Security, China and the Decline in U.S. Manufacturing

•Manufacturing and the U.S. Jobs Base – What’s Gone Wrong?

•What Do We Need to Do On Trade?

•The Presidential Election – What are the Candidates Saying about Manufacturing

and What Should They be Saying?

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

•Gordon Brinser, President, SolarWorld Industries America Inc.

•Leo W. Gerard, International President, United Steelworkers (USW)

•Rob Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

•Rich Harshman, Chairman and CEO, Allegheny Technologies Incorporated

•Brian Toohey, President, Semiconductor Industry Association

•Scott Paul, Executive Director, Alliance for American Manufacturing

•Secretary of Commerce John Bryson* and representatives from the Republican Presidential

Campaigns

•Thea Lee, Deputy Chief of Staff, AFL-CIO

•Leo Hindery, Chairman of the U.S. Economy/Smart Globalization Initiative at the New

America Foundation

•Clyde Prestowitz, President of the Economic Strategy Institute

•Bob Ehrlich, Former Governor of Maryland

* invited

For more information and to pre-register, please contact Lauren Donoghue.

	"Follow" the Conference on Twitter@AmerManufacture
	"Like" The Conference on the Renaissance of American Manufacturing on Facebook

Considering Japan

2012-01-17T15:35:00.000-05:00

THE JAPAN-U.S. ALLIANCE: THE CORNERSTONE OF PEACE ANDPROSPERITY IN THE ASIA PACIFIC. 1/17, 5:00-6:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: US-Japan Research Institute. Speaker: Mr. Yasutoshi Nishimura, Member of the House of Representatives, Liberal Democratic Party of Japan.

THE JAPAN THAT CAN'T DECIDE. 1/19, 10:00-11:30am, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Heritage Foundation Asian Studies. Speaker: Keven Maher, Former Director, Office of Japanese Affairs, U.S. Department of State, and author of The Japan That Can’t Decide.

DISCUSSION OF FUKUSHIMA FROM A GLOBAL POINT OF VIEW~ FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ENERGY SECURITY. 1/23, 10:00am-Noon, Washington, DC. Sponsor: US-Japan Research Institute. Speakers: Mr. Guy Caruso, Senior Adviser, CSIS; Mr. Jack Spencer, Research Fellow, Nuclear Energy Policy, Heritage Foundation; Mr. Shoichi Ito, Senior Researcher, International Strategy Analysis Group, Strategy Research Unit, the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ); Ms. Jane Nakano, Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS; Prof. Atsushi Tago Associate Professor, International Politics at the Graduate School of Law, Kobe University.

CLOSE THE BASE - U.S. MILITARY BASES IN OKINAWA, JAPAN. 1/23, 6:00-8:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Network for Okinawa. Speakers: Delegation of Okinawan students, activists, and politicians. Location: Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th Street, NW.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule January 13-15

2012-01-16T15:23:00.000-05:00

Noda's new cabinet

January 13, 2012

AM
09:22 The office of PM
09:32 Cabinet ministerial meeting
09:51 Meeting adjourned
11:31 Mr. Shimoji, Secretary-General of the People’s New Party, and Mr. Tarutoko, DPJ Acting Secretary General
11:49 Establish cabinet formation headquarters
11:52 Welcome prospective Cabinet member appointees

PM
12:22 Mr. Koshiishi, DPJ Secretary General, and Mr. Tarutoko, DPJ Acting Secretary General
12:34 Both leave
01:55 Imperial palace, report to the Emperor, attestation ceremony of new Cabinet members
03:13 The office of PM
03:59 Issue appointment letter for each of the new ministers
04:16 The first ministerial meeting
04:33 Photo shoot
05:07 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
06:01 Press conference
06:25 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
06:50 Mr. Tezuka leaves
07:27 Courtesy call by H.E. Alain Juppe, Minister of State and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, France
07:39 Japanese restaurant “Kurosawa”, Nagatacho, Tokyo. Dinner with Mr. Kenji Goto, and other journalists with political desk experience
09:36 The residence of PM

January 14, 2012

AM
11:00 TV Tokyo, Toranomon, Tokyo.
11:33 Appear on a news show.

PM
12:36 The residence of PM

January 15, 2012

AM
Residence of PM

PM
06:09 Hotel New Otani, Kioi-cho, Tokyo. Gave greeting remarks at the DPJ social gathering
06:23 A Japanese restaurant in the hotel, “”Senbazuru”. Dinner with Mr. Kunio Nakamura, Board Chairman of Panasonic; Mr. Fujio Mitarai, Chairman and CEO of Cannon; Mr. Sadayuki Sakakibara, Chairman of Toray Industries Inc.; and Mr. Yosuke Kondo, DPJ Lower House member.
08:36 The residence of PM

Sakakibara's smile

2012-01-16T14:28:00.001-05:00

On January 16, Eisuke Sakakibara, Japan's former Vice Finance Minister for International Affairs during the 1990s, known as "Mr. Yen," gave a frank assessment of Japan in the international economy over a meatloaf lunch at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan.

Sakakibara sees the world headed for a major recession if not depression. To everyone's surprise he breaks out in a huge smile and notes that Japan will be the best place to weather this calamity as Japan is best country: food, environment, safety.

Europe, he believes, is in the process of disintegration, while Japan and China are integrating their economies. Thus, he is dismissive of TPP as unnecessary and views it merely as a U.S./Australian plot to benefit from this integration.

He complains that Prime Minister Noda "blindly follows the US lead." Japan must be independent and part of East Asia. It is, thus, not necessary to sanction Iran, despite any alliance.

Sakakibara concludes that in "national security is we are allies of United States; as far as the economy is concerned we are integrated with China."

[APP's nonresident fellow and Tokyo journalist, Michael Penn, provided the above clip. If you have questions or would like him to pursue other stories, please contact him directly at his Shingetsu News Agency.]

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule January 8-12

2012-01-15T18:23:00.001-05:00

January 8, 2012

AM
06:15 JR Tokyo Station
06:20 Depart from Tokyo Station on Yamabiko Shinkansen #201, accompanied by Mr. Tatsuo Hirano, Minister for Reconstruction in the Response to the East Japan Earthquake; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Suematsu, Special Advisor to PM
08:17 JR Fukushima Station
09:53 Marusan Paper Mill, Minami-Soma city, Fukushima
10:05 Exchange opinion with Mr. Osamu Nozaki, President of the paper mill. Mr. Katsunobu Sakurai, mayor of Minami-soma city, also present
10:30 Tour the paper mill
10:39 Press interview
10:47 Onoda Hospital, Minami-soma. Tour the hospital, exchange opinion with those involved

PM
12:04 Tour the construction site of Joban Expressway
02:04 The Fukushima Governor’s office.
02:43 Meeting with Mr. Yuhei Sato, Governor of Fukushima, Mr. Hosono, Minister of State for the Nuclear Power Policy and Administration, also attends
03:19 Sun Palace Fukushima, wedding center
04:03 Meeting of the Council for Reconstructing Fukushima
05:56 Press interview
06:17 JR Fukushima Station
06:18 Leave the station on Max Yamabiko Shinkansen #154
08:10 The residence of PM

January 9, 2012 (Coming-of-Age Holiday)

AM
10:13 Kadoki Hall, Funeral Home, Kamakura city, Kanagawa, Funeral of Ms. Hisako Oishi, DPJ Upper House member, who passed away.

PM
12:05 The residence of PM

January 10, 2012

AM
07:27 Haneda Airport
07:39 Leave the airport on ASDF plane, accompanied by Mr. Tatsuo Hirano, Minister for Reconstruction in the Response to the East Japan Earthquake; Mr. Suematsu, Special Advisor to PM
08:29 Arrive at Matsushima Base of ASDF, greeted by Mr. Yoshihiro Murai, Governor of Miyagi Prefecture, and Mr. Hiroshi Kameyama, Mayor of Ishinomaki city
09:10 Visit Takatoku Kaisan, a fish processing factory, in Ishinomaki-city, Miyagi Prefecture
09:47 Visit temporary housing in Ohashi district in Ishinomaki
10:49 Press interview
11:14 Lunch with Governor Murai and others at Road Station Joubon no Sato
11:50 Leave the station

PM
01:15 Kesenuma city, Miyagi, “Flower Road Kesenuma”, greeted by Mr. Kimiaki Toda, Mayor of Ofunato city, Iwate Prefecture, and Mr. Tsugawa, Parliamentary Secretary of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
02:27 Tour Taiheiyo Cement Ofunato Factory, accompanied by Takuya Tasso, Governor of Iwate Prefecture
03:14 Visit temporary housing in Ofunato
04:05 Press interview
04:12 Leave the site
05:32 Tohno city, Iwate Prefecture, City Culture Exchange Facility
06:32 Hanamaki Airport, Iwate Prefecture
06:42 Leave the airport
07:48 Arrive at Haneda Airport
08:21 The residence of PM

January 11, 2012

AM
09: 23 The office of PM
09:35 Mr. Koshiishi, DPJ Secretary General
10:21 Mr. Koshiishi leaves
10:50 Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM
10:56 Mr. Kanazawa, former Administrative Vice Minister of Defense, and Mr. Nakae, New Administrative Vice Minister of Defense
11:13 Mr. Yonemura, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management, and Mr. Kitamura, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
11:23 Both leave

PM
02:16 Courtesy call from Heads of Delegations from Member Countries of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), including Mr. Taro Aso, head of Japanese delegation.
03:32 Mr. Maehara, chairperson of DPJ Policy Research Council
04:01 Mr. Maehara leaves
05:01 Mr. Honda, Special Advisor to PM
06:01 Conversation with PM’s beat reporters
06:54 Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
07:08 The residence of PM

January 12, 2012

AM
09:32 The office of PM
09:53 Mr. Kano, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery
10:04 Mr. Kano leaves
11:03 Courtesy call from Mr. Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury
11:32 Courtesy call from Ms. Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko, Chair of the Council of Federation of Russia

PM
12:05 Three DPJ/Government Executive Meeting
12:43 Mr. Koshiishi, DPJ Secretary General
01:31 Council on the Promotion of “New Public Commons”
02:04 Mr. Maki, Senior Vice Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
02:29 Mr. Sonoda, Parliamentary Secretary of Cabinet Office, and Ms. Muraki, Director-General for Policy Planning
03:05 Mr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, Chairperson of the Investigation Commission on the Accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Plants
03:21 Mr. Shimohira, Chief of Defense Intelligence Headquarters, Ministry of Defense, and Mr. Kitamura, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
03:44 Mr. Kitamura, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, and Mr. Yonemura, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management
03:47 Mr. Yonemura leaves
03:54 Mr. Kitamura leaves
03:56 Mr. Ishida, Senior Vice Minister of Cabinet Office
04:31 European Ambassadors Meeting
04:58 Walk out in the middle
05:30 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
06:18 The residence of PM

Annual Japanese polls on views toward the U.S. out of sync

2012-01-15T18:02:00.000-05:00

Asst Sec of State Kurt Campbell in jeans in Tokyo

Japanese views of their relationship with the United States are conflicted. The Alliance remains a legacy of World War II and the Cold War, both of which are out of sync with Japan’s current political and economic power. How Japan should manage its dependency on U.S. markets and military power haunts every political discussion.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the widely diverging conclusions of two annual opinion surveys issued every December – the official Cabinet Office poll (J) and the Yomiuri-Gallup poll (E). They purport to measure the same things: how the Japanese people feel about their international relationships. The Cabinet Office survey of Japan’s foreign relations gauges Japanese feelings toward other countries, including the U.S., while the joint Yomiuri-Gallup poll measures just the views of Japanese toward America and vice versa.

In recent years, the two polls diverge or are at least be out of sync when it comes to Japanese views of the United States. In the latest 2011 Cabinet Office survey, good feelings toward the U.S. are at a record high of 82%, continuing a trend in recent years. Further, 75.4% of Japanese regard bilateral relations to be in good shape.

In contrast, the Yomiuri’s 2011 tally found only 35% of Japanese seeing bilateral relations as good, continuing a recent steady erosion of positive feelings toward the U.S. Moreover, a record 41% thought that the relationship was in bad shape.

Why does the Yomiuri survey differ so dramatically from the official survey, and which poll may be closer to the true views of the Japanese public? Analysis of the surveys may help solve this puzzle.

Cabinet Office: All time high in good feelings toward U.S.
The Cabinet Office survey asks only two questions both with only yes or no choice. There is no room for nuance. Although respondents are asked to take an overall view, people usually seize on the most striking or recent event to make their overall evaluation.

In contrast, the questionnaire for the Yomiuri poll is filled with issue-related questions and allows nuanced responses. People are required to think about main events in the year while selecting their answers.

The Cabinet Office survey is potentially useful in gauging long-term trends in public opinion, but offers little on how the public might feel about specific issues regarding other countries. Since 2009, when the Democratic Party of Japan became Japan’s ruling party, the survey trended sharply positive toward the U.S., even during periods of friction, such as during the rocky Hatoyama administration.

Despite the goodwill generated by U.S. support of Japan after its devastating earthquake, the 2011 poll does not show a significant upward bump. Although the survey showed a record high of 82% of Japanese holding friendly feelings toward the U.S., this figure was only 2.1 points more than the figure in 2010. In fact, the percentage has been rising since 2008, when it was 73%. In the 2009 survey, the public’s good feelings toward the U.S. were 78.9%.

The 2011 level of those professing unfriendly feelings toward the U.S. decreased 2.9 points to 15.5 percent, the lowest since the poll began in 1978. The poll also found 73.4% of Japanese agreeing that relations between Japan and the United States were ''good,” up 0.4 point, while the proportion of those not perceiving relations as good slid to 23.2 percent, down 1.3 points.

Yomiuri poll: All time low in good feelings toward the U.S.
Every year, the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest daily newspaper, and the U.S. pollster Gallup carry out a joint opinion survey in Japan and the United States of views toward each other’s country and outstanding issues. The latest poll was released on December 18, 2010. In it, a record 41% of Japanese saw the bilateral relationship as not being in good shape, while only 35% felt positive about the current state of relations.

Americans were more positive, with 52% seeing relations with Japan as good, while 8% regard them as poor. Disturbing signs of erosion surfaced in the 2010 poll, when for the first time since the poll began in 1978, negative views outweighed positive views about the state of bilateral relations. Though Americans were more upbeat, there has been a slow deterioration in positive views over the last several years.

The main reason for the bleak Japanese assessment of ties with the U.S. is attributable to the impasse over the Futenma relocation issue, with 82% of respondents saying it was having a negative impact on bilateral ties. The figure in 2010 was 79%. One can surmise that unless the issue is resolved, Futenma will continue to erode public perceptions of the overall health of the relationship.

The Yomiuri-Gallup poll found an almost unanimous 94% of the Japanese public appreciated the U.S. military help for Japan after the 3-11 disaster. But such good feelings have not carried over to the public’s view of bilateral ties across the board. The survey also found a high appreciation – 71% -- for the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty as contributing to the security of the Asia-Pacific.

Moreover, the efforts of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in rescue and relief operations after the earthquake and tsunami gave it a major boost in the public eye. Asked to pick any public entity or organization that they trusted, the top choice of the Japanese public with 75% was the SDF. This was up 12 points from last year’s 63%.

Japanese bleak assessment of the future of U.S.-Japan relations is equally pessimistic. Asked whether they felt bilateral ties would improve or not in the future, only 11% thought ties would improve, and 12% said they would get worse. An overwhelming 74% of Japanese felt things would remain the same, which would normally be seen as a positive endorsement of the status quo. But given the public’s 41% negative assessment of relations, its view of future ties not changing also has a pessimistic tone.

Trust factor is the key to understanding public perceptions
Asked if they trusted the United States, 47% of Japanese answered yes and 42% answered no. The figures in 2010 were 52% and 47%, respectively, indicating new slippage. The recovery of Japanese confidence in America after years of decline, as seen in 2009 and 2010, has reversed itself in the new poll. Americans, however, remain much more trustful of Japan, rising to 67% from 2010’s 64%.

It is not at all clear why Japanese are becoming more distrustful of the U.S. in 2011, given the outpouring of support and goodwill following the 3-11 earthquake disaster and the high esteem that the public still holds for President Obama. One can speculate that the Japanese public is deeply concerned over the future of the U.S. given the deep internal divide in Washington over managing the country’s economy, public debt, and social welfare agenda, as well as an overall perception in the world of America in decline.

Japanese trust in the U.S. in Japan, going back to 2001, was a healthy 50.9%, with distrust at 35%. But the figure dropped to 48.8% in 2002, 41% in 2003, 37.8% in 2004, and 36.6% in 2005. It rose to 41% in 2006, and then dropped again in 2007 to 33.8%. It reached a record low in 2008 of 31.7%. Distrust in turn rose from 35% in 2001 to 39.1% in 2002, 45% in 2003, and 52.7% in 2004, leveled off at 52.5% in 2005, before sliding to 47% in 2006. It rose again in 2007 to 53.8% and reached a disturbing 59.5% in 2008.

Rising Japanese distrust of the U.S. between 2001 and 2008 can be attributed to such factors as the unpopular Iraq war, contentious U.S. base issues in Japan, including incidents involving U.S. personnel and the relocation of Futenma Air Station in Okinawa. Perceptions of U.S. unilateralism, such as the U.S. rejection of the Kyoto Protocol also played a role in the erosion of Japanese confidence in America. The reversal of this trend during 2009-2010 can only be explained by the effect on public opinion of President Obama and his policies.

Alliance appreciated in both countries
Another key question in the survey is whether respondents think the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty contributes to security in the Asia-Pacific region. In Japan, an impressive 71% of Japanese answered yes this year, though this was down 5 points from 2010. The figure was a distressing 59.7% in 2008, when the U.S. and Japan clashed over policy toward North Korea.

Since then, there has been a growing sense of urgency about the security in the region that is being reflected in the survey. In the 2011 poll, 85% of Japanese expressed distrust of China, and in the 2010 poll, 85% felt that the China’s excessive reaction to an incident near the Senkakus, which both countries claim, made it imperative for Japan to cooperate deeply with the U.S. against aggressive moves by that country in nearby waters. The latest poll also saw an overwhelming need for Japan to cooperate with the U.S. in meeting the North Korean nuclear and missile threat.

This last set of numbers relative to all in both surveys suggests that it might not be as important for Japan to like or trust the U.S. as it is for Japan to need the U.S.

William Brooks
APP Senior Fellow

First published in the January 9, 2012 issue of APP's Asia Policy Calendar

Taiwan's Elections

2012-01-13T14:10:00.004-05:00

Taiwan's parliamentary elections are January 14th. APP member, Michael Fonte is the opposition party's man in Washington. Last week he was in Taiwan observing the campaign and has written a number of interesting essays on his experiences with the Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan.

With his permission we are sharing one he wrote on January 6th:

Visiting the DPP's main campaign headquarters yesterday just outside Taipei was a pretty amazing experience. Volunteers were hard at work counting the donations that came in from all around Taiwan via multicolored piggie banks.

Kicked off inadvertently when a grandfather brought his triplet grandchildren in with three piggie banks to donate to the campaign, only to have the government's Control Yuan declare that this was illegal because only persons of voting age are allowed to contribute to a political campaign, the "little piggies campaign" took off with the DPP overwhelmed by the response. The final tally is now in: the “three little pigs” fundraising campaign raised more than NT$200 million (US$6.6 million) in political donations from 143,000 piggy banks returned, the party said yesterday. Counting the money was a difficult task. It required 150 volunteers to work on 12 hole-punching machines, 52 coin sorting machines and six coin counters 12 hours a day — a total of more than 3,000 man-hours — for 20 consecutive days.

The sentiment behind this campaign is nicely captured in the short video [featured above] which shows a grandma, the grandfather with the triplets, several small shop owners, and a waitress going about their daily rounds with Tsai Ing-wen's voiceover and her final statement: "I am Tsai Ing-wen, I will not forget you and your desire for a fair and just Taiwan."

The DPP hopes that this piggie campaign represents not just an income source but a participation by "little" people around the island that binds them to the party and will ensure their participation in the Jan. 14th elections.

All well and good, I can hear Washington political circles saying, but is it enough to bring political victory?

Still hard to say. I've heard opinions that vary greatly on the election outcome.

Several recent events that might have an impact:

1. The KMT has generated support from big business types with the sometimes direct, sometimes indirect, warning that the a DPP victory would jeopardize their, and Taiwan's, interests in China. Included in the more direct group are: the chairmen of Delta Electronics, Hon Hai Precision Industry, Ruentex Financial Group and Yulon Group, as well as Formosa Plastics Corp’s president. More obliquely, the chairmen of the General Chamber of Commerce of the ROC and the Far Eastern Group said they supported the candidate who won’t take any “risks with peace and stability across the [Taiwan] Strait.”

2. Chen Shui-bian was allowed to go to Tainan for his mother-in-law's funeral. His every move filled the tv screens, from the blaring red lights and sirens of the police cars in the caravan carrying him to Tainan, to his crawling from the van to the entrance of the site in a traditional sign of grief at the passing of his mother-in-law, to his long statement of being an "son-in-law who was unfilial because he did not visit her before she died".

Chen also expressed his gratitude to his late mother-in-law for supporting his marriage to her daughter, former first lady Wu Shu-jen. He said his wife inherited her sense of justice and “Taiwanese consciousness” from her mother, and had encouraged him to enter politics. Chen said she was not a money-hungry person, as has been claimed. He said that it was his wife who advised him to cut his own salary in half soon after he assumed the presidency in 2000.

The former president said he “definitely did not do the Taiwanese people wrong” or let his supporters down and expressed the hope that the judiciary would prove his innocence and see that justice is done in his various cases.

There were Chen supporters surrounding the site, chanting that he was not guilty and denouncing the KMT for persecuting him.

How will this play in the election? Will it generate more support for the DPP among the darker green base? Will that be countered by anger and mobilization by the darker blue KMT base? Hard to say.

3. The I Want a Good President Alliance — which is comprised of several civic groups concerned with a variety of issues — yesterday released its recommendations as to whom different groups of voters should cast their ballot for in the Jan. 14 presidential election.

Representatives from the Alliance for Fair Tax Reform, the Anti-Poverty Alliance, the Judicial Reform Foundation, Amnesty International Taiwan, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights and the Youth Wants to be Rich — all member organizations of the alliance — announced their recommendations for voters concerned with different issues.

The groups examined the policy platforms of President Ma, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai and the People First Party (PFP) presidential candidate James Soong, and also used the results of a survey it sent to the candidates, which asked for their opinions on various social issues, such as judicial reform, tax reform, cross-strait relations, growing national debt and employment conditions.

While both Tsai and Soong returned their surveys, Ma did not, the alliance said.

Based on the survey responses, the alliance recommended Tsai for voters who are concerned about youth employment issues, dispatch workers, social assistance and raising taxes for the wealthy.

Soong was recommended for those who are concerned about dispatch workers and raising tax rates for the wealthy.

Interestingly, the groups stated, “We don’t recommend anyone for cross-strait relations, judicial reform, public childcare, resolving the growing national debt and media reform because none of the three candidates gave satisfactory answers."

My sense is that this alliance is not very powerful in terms of numbers and influence. But will these "endorsements" matter enough to tip a large number of voters in any direction? Hard to say.

4. The Miaoli District Prosecutors’ Office’s decided on Thursday to indict a pro-green political commentator Hsu Yung-ming and Ho Po-wen, a DPP legislative candidate, on charges of public defamation of Miaoli County Commissioner Liu Chen-hung.

Ummm, ok but isn't this part of the normal process of prosecuting people for misdeeds.? Perhaps, but the funny little catch is that the date of the supposed public defamation was June 23, 2010 - a year and a half ago. The two are being charged for describing Miaoli County Commissioner Liu Cheng-hung as an official without moral principles and a bully on political talk show The Talking Show.

You can guess that the DPP is angered by this indictment of one of its legislative candidates. Will it matter much to the voting public? The fight for the Hakka vote has been intense and Miaoli is a heavily Hakka area which has traditionally supported the KMT. Tsai is from a Hakka family and her campaign has tried to capitalize on this.

In short, the beat goes on here. It is exciting and dynamic - a full throated democracy roaring along.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule January 4-7, 2012

2012-01-12T09:27:00.000-05:00

January 4, 2012

AM
08:48 The office of PM
08:50 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
09:19 Mr. Saito leaves
09:30 Mr. Tezuka leaves
09:35 Mr. Fujimura and Mr. Nagahama leave
10:00 The New Year’s press conference
10:23 Mr. Honda, Special Advisor to PM
11:02 JR Tokyo Station
11:10 Depart from Tokyo Station on Nozomi Shinkansen #29, Mr. Nagahama and Mr. Tezuka accompany

PM
12:51 JR Nagoya Station
12:55 Kintetsu (Kinki Rail) Nagoya Station Guest Room. Meeting with Mr. Hideaki Omura, Governor of Aichi Prefecture, and Mr. Takashi Kawamura, Mayor of Nagoya.
01:10 Depart from Nagoya Station on an express train
02:32 Kintetsu Ujiyamada Station, greeted by Mr. Eikei Suzuki, Governor of Mie Prefecture; Kenichi Suzuki, Mayor of Ise City, Mie Prefecture; and Mr. Hirokazu Shiba, Representative of DPJ Mie Chapter
02:39 The Grand Shrine of Ise, Ise city, outer shrine, offer prayer with Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance, Mr. Nakagawa, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Mr. Ichikawa, Minister of Defense, Ms. Renho, Minister of State for Government Revitalization, and others.
03:11 Offer prayers in the inner shrine
03:44 Dedicated Kagura (Shinto music and dance) at Kaguraden (hall of special prayers)
04:20 Flower presentation from local boy and girl scouts, photo shooting
04:22 Press interview
04:49 Kintetsu Ujiyamada Station, meeting with Mr. Fumihiro Hashikawa, a first alumni of the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management
05:14 Depart from Ujiyamada Station on an express train in the guest room
06:40 Kintetsu Nagoya Station
06:42 JR Nagoya Station Guest Room, Meeting with Mr. Takayuki Kasai, Chairman of JR Tokai (Central) and others
07:06 Depart from Nagoya Station on Nozomi Shinkansen #252
08:51 JR. Tokyo Station
09:08 The Residence of PM

January 5, 2012

AM
09:33 The office of PM
09:37 Mr. Gemba, Minister of Foreign Affairs
10:03 Mr. Yonemura, new Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management (Replaces Mr. Itoh); Mr. Kitamura, new Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (Replaces Mr. Uematsu)
10:14 Mr. Yonemura and Mr. Kitamura leave

PM
02:05 Hotel New Otani, Kioi-cho Tokyo, made remarks at the New Year celebration party co-hosted by Keidanren, Japan Association of Corporate Executives, and Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
02:45 The office of PM
03:51 Hotel Lungwood, Higashi-Nippori, Tokyo, gave greeting remarks at the New Year assembly of Rengo (Japan Trade Union Confederation)
05:10 The office of PM
05:45 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
06:42 The residence of PM

January 6, 2012

AM
09:12 The office of PM
09:21 National Security Council meeting
09:42 The meeting of the Headquarters of the Government and Ruling Parties for Social Security Reform
10:01 Ministerial meeting
10:47 Three DPJ/Government Executive Meeting
11:30 Mr. Maehara, chairperson of DPJ Policy Research Council

PM
12:08 Administrative Vice-ministerial meeting
01:55 Mr. Tatsuo Hirano, Minister for Reconstruction in the Response to the East Japan Earthquake; Mr. Minehisa, Secretary General of the Secretariat of the Reconstruction Headquarters; Mr. Sugawara, Director-General of Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
02:54 Mr. Edano, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry
03:03 Mr. Yonemura, new Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management; Mr. Kitamura, new Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
03:28 Mr. Moriguchi, new Administrative Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Mr. Shimizu, former Administrative Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
03:40 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
04:07 Video message recording for Thialand’s Prince Mahidol Award
04:28 Mr. Sasae, Administrative Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
05:10 Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, give greeting remarks at the new year’s party co-hosted by Jiji Press, Research Institute of Japan, and others
05:44 The office of PM
06:27 The residence of PM

January 7, 2012

AM
10:54 Ministry of Defense, Ichigaya, Tokyo
11:02 Guidon presentation ceremony for the GSDF that participates in PKO activities in South Sudan
11:55 The Capitol Hotel Tokyu, Tokyo, Japanese restaurant “Suiren”, lunch with Mr. Jiro Ushio, Chairman of Ushio Inc.; Mr. Hiroya Masuda, former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communication, Mr. Takeshi Sasaki, Professor at Gakushuin University.

PM
12:58 The residence of PM

North Korea Rock Party

2012-01-12T09:08:00.000-05:00

Tip of the hat for the above find to a former APP research assistant who will remain unnamed as he is a PhD candidate at Harvard University. As the creator of the above video says "Ain't no party like a Pyongyang party, 'cause a Pyongyang party is ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY,"

Scoping out the U.S. elections

2012-01-03T19:01:00.000-05:00

U.S. elections do influence foreign policy and foreign policy does influence elections. The above video is an interesting discussion on this issue by Dr. James Lindsay, senior vice president, director of studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg chair at the Council of Foreign Relations hosted by the State Department's Foreign Press Center (FPC) on December 16, 2011.

The FPC is an excellent resource for following the U.S. elections. They have published a Schedule of the U.S. primaries, a Glossary of U.S. election terms, and a List of Frequently Asked Questions about U.S. Elections. You can even sign up for updates to their election publications and programs.

There are a many private websites that follow the elections as well. These include (this is just a sampling, not an endorsement) 2012 Election Central; Google's Elections Hub; ABC News OTUS; 2012 Presidential Candidates; USA Today; and CNN. [We welcome your suggestions. Please post them in the comments section.]

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule December 28-31

2012-01-02T20:00:00.001-05:00

December 31, 2011
Whole day at the residence of PM

December 30, 2011

AM
The residence of PM

PM
04:22 Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance, Ms. Komiyama, Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare; Mr. Ota, Councilor of the Ministry of Health Labor, and Welfare; Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy
04:33 Ms. Komiyama and Mr. Furukawa leave
05:26 Mr. Azumi leaves
06:00 Press interview in front of the PM’s residence
06:07 The residence of PM

December 29, 2011

AM
09:09 Arrive at Haneda Airport
09:47 Imperial palace, report of return
10:03 The residence of PM

PM
12:55 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance; Mr. Katsu, Administrative Vice-Minister of Finance; Mr. Furuya, Director-General of the Tax Bureau, Ministry of Finance;
01:32 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Maehara, chairperson of DPJ Policy Research Council; Mr. Fujii, DPJ Head of Tax Research Commission; Mr. Shinichiro Furumoto, Secretary-General of DPJ Tax Research Commission
02:27 Mr. Fujimura leaves
02:35 Everyone leaves
02:36 Mr. Koshiishi, DPJ Secretary General; Mr. Tarutoko, DPJ Acting Secretary General
03:01 Both leave
06:10 Mr. Maehara, chairperson of DPJ Policy Research Council; Mr. Fujii, DPJ Head of Tax Research Commission; Mr. Shinichiro Furumoto, Secretary-General of DPJ Tax Research Commission
06:30 The Lower House 2nd Diet Members’ Office Building
06:35 General Assembly of DPJ Tax Research Commission
11:44 Assembly adjourned
11:52 The residence of PM

December 28, 2011

Evening (Local Time,December 27)
Stay at Taji Palace Hotel, New Delhi, India

AM (Local Time, December 28)
Welcome ceremony at the presidential palace; Pay floral tribute at Raj Ghat; Meeting with Mr. Krishna, Foreign Minister of India at Taji Palace Hotel

PM
Made a lecture hosted by Indian Council of World Affairs; Luncheon hosted by Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and Assocham; Meeting with Mr. Ansari, Vice President of India, at vice presidential palace; Summit meeting with Prime Minister Singh of India at the Hyderabad House; Signing ceremony for joint statement; Dinner party hosted by Prime Minister Singh; Depart from Palam Air Force Base, Delhi, India.

More Futenma Analysis

2012-01-02T17:40:00.000-05:00

APP's Senior Fellow William Brooks has published in December Cracks in the Alliance? Futenma Log: Base Relocation Negotiations 2009-2010 on the current status of Futenma negotiations. It is issued by Johns Hopkins University SAIS Reischauer Center as a sequel to his highly regarded monograph The Politics of the Futenma Base Issue in Okinawa, which reviews the first two agreements to close and relocate the Futenma Marine Corps Air Station.

Dr. Brooks details how the first two Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) governments—those of Hatoyama Yukio and Kan Naoto—committed to implementing previous bilateral US-Japan understandings, but in the end were unable to make significant progress. He makes three major points: (1) Hatoyama made serious tactical mistakes, that seriously complicate future resolution of the Futenma problem; (2) Forceful Japanese leadership is required for resolution of the Futenma problem, which Kan did not provide, despite a more positive attitude than Hatoyama; and (3) Feasible routes for resolution of the Futenma problem, consistent with original US-Japan understandings, still remain, but will likely involve a package agreement redefining some key elements of the 2006 understandings, that could take some time to negotiate.

He notes:

The contradiction of asking for an immediate closing of a base, whose function in a contingency is regarded as critical, and at the same time saying that it cannot be relocated in Okinawa, while knowing full well from recent efforts that such an option is impossible, can mean two things. One is that the level of emotions among Okinawans since the Hatoyama “betrayal” is so high it has overridden logic and pragmatism. But it also means that Futenma has become a political cause – a tool for political activists who want to see all Marines or all U.S. bases out of Okinawa. Either way, Okinawa loses. The status quo – or worse – is likely to remain for a long, long while.

Like it or not, the strategic reality is that Okinawa has become even more crucial a center for the forward deployment of U.S. forces in East Asia as China becomes more militarily active in the region. Stable basing is a requirement for the U.S. forces in Japan, and Okinawa provides far more than its share of prime land for that purpose. The 2006 Roadmap Agreement promised to lighten Okinawa’s security burden by closing six facilities and shifting some of the U.S Marine presence to Guam, but it has not been implemented due to local resistance. There are no incentives thus for the U.S. to offer more concessions when the earlier ones have been spurned.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule December 26 & 27

2011-12-30T16:20:00.001-05:00

December 27, 2011

AM
07:07 The office of PM
07:15 Headquarters on the Abduction Issue
07:31 National Security Council meeting
07:56 Ministerial meeting
08:19 The Central Disaster Prevention Council
09:12 Three DPJ/Government Executive Meeting
10:24 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary
10:32 Press interview
10:56 Haneda Airport
11:23 Leave Haneda Airport for India on government plane

PM (Local time, December 27, 2011)
Arrive at Palam Air Force Base, Delhi, India; Meet with people involved in India- Japan Global Partnership Summit (IJGPS) 2011 at Taji Palace Hotel; Meet with local Japanese residents at the residence of Japanese Ambassador to India.

December 26, 2011

AM
At the Great Hall of the People, meeting with Mr. Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, and Mr. Hu Jintao, President of China.
Leave Beijing Capital International Airport on a government plane.

PM
02:28 Arrive at Haneda Airport
03:06 Imperial Palace, report of return
03:22 The office of PM
04:11 Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters
05:12 Local Sovereignty Strategy Council
06:05 Receive the Interim Report of the Investigation Committee on the Accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power stations of TEPCO
06:17 Mr. Hironobu Takesaki, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Japan
06:23 Mr. Katsu, Administrative Vice-Minister of Finance; Mr. Furuya, Director-General of the Tax Bureau, Ministry of Finance
06:49 Mr. Itoh, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management
07:10 Mr. Fujii, Head of DPJ Tax Research Commission
07:20 Mr. Shinichiro Furumoto, Secretary-General of DPJ Tax Research Commission
07:39 Both leave
07:55 The residence of PM

A New Japan for a New Era

2011-12-30T16:09:00.003-05:00

A New Japan for a New Era

Cosponsored by
Sasakawa Peace Foundation
The Project 2049 Institute
American Enterprise Institute

Wednesday, January 4, 2012
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Location
American Enterprise Institute
1150 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC

Speakers

The U.S. – Japan Alliance in the Asia Pacific and Beyond
The Honorable Taro Kono, Member the National Diet of Japan

Vision for Japan – An Agenda for Japan’s Economic and Political Future

The Honorable Mieko Nakabayashi, Member of the National Diet of Japan (Invited)

Panel Discussion

Tetsuo Kotani, Special Research Fellow, The Okazaki Institute
Sugio Takahashi, Senior Fellow, National Institute for Defense Studies; Strategic Planning Office, Defense Policy Division, Ministry of Defense
Michael Auslin, Director of Japan Studies, AEI
Mike Mazza, Program Manager for Executive Program on National Security Policy and Strategy, AEI
Claude Barfield, Resident Scholar and Director of Trade and Science and Technology Studies, AEI
Moderator
Randy Schriver, President, Project 2049 Institute

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule December 19-25

2011-12-27T17:40:00.001-05:00

December 25, 2011

AM
10:29 Press interview in front of the residence of PM
10:55 Haneda Airport
11:17 Leave Haneda for Japan-China summit in Beijing, China, on a government plane

PM (Local time, December 25, 2011)
Arrive at Beijing Capital International Aiport; Observe National Agriculture Exhibition in Beijing city; Conversation with local Japanese residents at the residence of Japanese ambassador for China; Welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People; Meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao of PRC; Signing ceremony; Dinner party hosted by Premier Wen; Press interview at Chang Fu Gong Center Hotel; Conversation with the accompanying press; Stay in the hotel

December 24, 2011

AM
08:02 The office of PM
08:25 National Security Council meeting
08:51 Ministerial committee on the formulation of the budget
09:01 Extraordinary ministerial meeting
09:21 Okinawa Policy Council
09:50 Mr. Nakagawa, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Mr. Edano, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry; Mr. Hosono, Minister of Environment; Mr. Tatsuo Hirano, Minister for Reconstruction in the Response to the East Japan Earthquake; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Suematsu, Special Advisor to PM; Mr. Matsushita, Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; Mr. Sugawara, Director-General of Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
10:14 Mr. Nakagawa, Mr. Edano, Mr. Hirano, Mr. Matsushita and Mr. Sugawara leave
10:17 Everyone leaves
10:36 Mr. Yamaguchi, Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs; Mr. Tsutsui, Senior Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM
11:19 Everyone leaves
11:40 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM

PM
12:18 Press interview
12:21 The residence of PM
01:55 Mr. Yoshihiro Kawakami, DPJ Upper House member
02:13 Mr. Kawakami leaves
03:03 Mr. Koshiishi, DPJ Secretary General; Mr. Okada, Former DPJ Secretary General; Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary
04:00 Everyone leaves

December 23, 2011

AM
10:27 Haircut at Ginza Matsunaga, Tokyo
11:39 The residence of PM

PM
12:35 Imperial Palace, Birthday ceremony for Emperor with Mrs. Noda
01:35 The residence of PM
02:33 Ruling party leaders talks with Mr. Kamei, Leader of the People’s New Party (Kokumin Shinto); Mr. Koshiishi, DPJ Secretary General; Mr. Shimoji, Secretary-General of the People’s New Party; Mr. Tanaka, Leader of New Party Nippon (Shinto Nippon)
03:29 Three DPJ/Government Executive Meeting
04:51 Study session with all Ministers
07:24 Study session adjourned

December 22, 2011

AM
08:54 The office of PM
09:02 Mr. Masahiko Kondo, Musician; Ms. Tetsuko Kuroyamagi, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and others
09:17 Mr. Gemba, Minister of Foreign Affairs
09:22 Mr. Sasae, Administrative Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, joins
09:39 Mr. Gemba leaves
10:05 Mr. Sasae leaves
10:06 Mr. Tatsuo Hirano, Minister for Reconstruction in the Response to the East Japan Earthquake
10:51 Interview from Indian Express
11:13 Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM; Mr. Bessho, Foreign Ministry councilor in charge of political affairs; Mr. Okada, Vice-Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

PM
12:29 Deliver address at the meeting of the Nippon Keidanren Board of Directors, Keidanren Hall, Otemachi, Tokyo
12:54 The office of PM
02:04 Mr. Uematsu, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
02:31 Awards ceremony for long-serving employees of the cabinet and cabinet office
03:01 Ministerial meeting
03:17 Issue an appointment letter for Mr. Yamamoto, Director-General of Cabinet Legislation Bureau
03:22 Government and ruling parties council on the formulation of the budget
03:30 Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance; Mr. Katsu, Administrative Vice-Minister of Finance; Mr. Manago, Director General of the Budget Bureau, Ministry of Finance
04:04 Mr. Ogushi, Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office
04:24 Mr. Kawabata, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications; Mr. Goto, Senior Vice Minister of Cabinet Office; Mr. Fukuda, Parliamentary Secretary of Internal Affairs and Communications
04:46 Mr. Goto and Mr. Fukuda leave
04:59 Mr. Kawabata leaves
05:02 The Council on National Strategy and Policy
06:03 Mr. Itoh, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management; Mr. Uematsu, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
06:20 Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM
06:33 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
07:11 Mr. Tezuka leaves
07:44 The residence of PM

December 21, 2011

AM
09:31 The office of PM
10:53 Mr. Mitani, Deputy to the Minister in charge of Abduction Issue
11:19 Mr. Akira Uchiyama, DPJ Lower House member
11:34 Mr. Taketoshi, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary

PM
12:59 Parliament
01:02 Greetings at DPJ Diet members meeting
01:17 The office of PM
01:22 Mr. Fujii, DPJ Head of Tax Research Commission; Mr. Shinichiro Furumoto, Secretary-General of DPJ Tax Research Commission
01:51 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
02:21 Ministerial Council on Monthly Economic Report and Other Relative Issues
02:50 Mr. Sugiyama, Director-General of Asia and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
03:50 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy
04:14 Mr. Tsutsui, Senior Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
05:02 Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM; Mr. Bessho, Foreign Ministry councilor in charge of political affairs
05:40 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
06:27 The residence of PM

December 20, 2011

AM
08:45 The office of PM
08:55 National Security Council meeting at the office of PM
09:38 Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM
10:02 Ministerial Meeting
10:30 Phone conversation with President Obama of the Untied States
10:45 Mr. Kawabata, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
10:52 Presentation ceremony of the Prime Minister’s award to the winner of the Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize
11:02 Meeting with the representatives of municipalities affected by typhoon Talas in Wakayama Prefecture and others; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; and Mr. Honda, Special Advisor to PM, are also present
11:19 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
11:43 Luncheon at the Imperial Palace,

PM
01:40 The office of PM
02:01 Radio recording for government publicity
02:45 Meeting of the Forum for Consultations between the National and Regional Governments
03:14 Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
03:32 Mr. Hisashi Owada, President of the International Court of Justice
04:04 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy; Mr. Ishida, Senior Vice Minister of Cabinet Office
04:43 Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance; Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Katsu, Administrative Vice-Minister of Finance; Mr. Furuya, Director-General of the Tax Bureau, Ministry of Finance
05:31 Mr. Nakae, Administrative Vice Minister of Defense; Mr. Matsumoto, Director General, Bureau of Operational Policy; General Oriki, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Japan Self-Defense Forces; Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM
07:05 The Residence of PM
07:06 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
07:10 Mr. Tezuka leaves

December 19, 2011

AM
07:55 Breakfast with Professor Takashi Onishi, the University of Tokyo, and Mr. Toshio Nagahisa, Executive Director of PHP Institute at The Capitol Hotel Tokyu, Nagatacho, Tokyo.
07:57 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy
09:33 The Office of PM
10:15 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
10:32 Interview from Chiba Nippo (Chiba Daily Newspaper)

PM
12:00 Leaves the office of PM to deliver a stump speech in Shmbashi, Tokyo, but turned back on the way.
12:09 The office of PM
12:30 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
12:46 Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM
01:00 National Security Council meeting at the office of PM
01:12 Mr. Yamaoka, Chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission
01:16 Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM
02:40 Mr. Itoh, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management; Mr. Uematsu, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
02:50 Phone conversation with President Lee Myung Bak of South Korea
03:18 Three DPJ/Government Executive Meeting
04:58 Mr. Nakae, Administrative Vice Minister of Defense; Mr. Nishi, Director-General of the Bureau of Defense Policy, Ministry of Defense; Mr. Yamauchi, Director General of the Bureau of Local Cooperation, Ministry of Defense
05:00 Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM, joins
06:00 Mr. Itoh, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management; Mr. Uematsu, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
06:25 Press interview
06:30 The residence of PM

Happy Holidays & Annual Appeal

2011-12-21T12:15:00.000-05:00

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China's responsibilities

2011-12-20T22:53:00.001-05:00

German China Trade Ship ca. 1870

GLOBAL ECONOMIC OUTLOOK: CHINA, THE EURO CRISIS, AND THE UNITED STATES. 12/21, 9:45-11:45am, Breakfast, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Carnegie (CEIP). Speaker: Pieter Bottelier, Nonresident Scholar, CEIP; Uri Dadush, Senior Associate and Director, CEIP; Yukon Huang, Senior Associate, CEIP; Hans Timmer, Director, Development Prospects Group, World Bank.

2011 REPORT TO CONGRESS ON CHINA’S WTO COMPLIANCE, USTR, 12/12/11.
Despite this progress, the overall picture currently presented by China’s WTO membership remains complex, given a troubling trend in China toward intensified state intervention in the Chinese economy over the last five years. Increasingly, trade frictions with China can be traced to China’s pursuit of industrial policies that rely on trade-distorting government actions to promote or protect China’s state-owned enterprises and domestic industries. In fact, in recent years, China seems to be embracing state capitalism more strongly, rather than continuing to move toward the economic reform goals that originally drove its pursuit of WTO membership.
Summary

Testimony Before The Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Assistant United States Trade Representative for China Affairs Claire Reade, December 13, 2011.

Ten Years in the WTO: Has China Kept Its Promises Hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, December 13, 2011.

Dear Leader's passing

2011-12-19T16:28:00.003-05:00

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il reportedly died on December 17th. His death was announced on Monday morning (Asian time) November 19. South Korea President Lee Myun-bak was in Japan and it just so happens to also be his birthday.

Washington's think tankers have also sprung into actions with comments, essays, and programs. However, the only certainty is uncertainty. Japan's Foreign Ministry, however, seems to have a handle on "it." As do the reporters at The Onion.

APP members have been among the first to comment with Kim Jong-un’s Shaky Hold on Power in North Korea by Richard Bush at Brookings and Morning Bell: The Death of Kim Jong-il by Bruce Klingner at Heritage.

North Korea Economy Watch blog is your best source for aggregating all the information and analysis of Kim's death.

The Wall Street Journal put together an excellent list of The Best of Kim Jong-Il on the Web. Not to be missed is the ad parody of Kim on eHarmony.

Best analysis: Kim Jong Il’s Death Suggests Continuity Plus Opportunity to Engage By Peter Hayes, Scott Bruce, and David von Hippel, Natulius Institute, 12/19/11.

Ironically, Kim Jong Il’s death may make Korea the land of the morning calm for at least a year, during which political transitions will also occur in China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, and the United States... Unless Kim Jong Un throws the nuclear strategy out the window and starts again, the outlines of the engagement agenda are already clear—send the North Koreans energy and food aid to meet both short-term humanitarian and medium/long-term development needs, help them build a safe small light water reactor, and bring them into an international enrichment consortium that would lead them to reveal the sum total of their enrichment program.

We will try to list here the various Washington programs on the Dear Leader's death as they come in. Please return for updates:

NORTH KOREA IN TRANSITION: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. 12/2, 6:30-8:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: US-Korea Institute, SAIS, Johns Hopkins. Speakers: Thomas Hubbard, chairman of the Korea Society and former U.S. ambassador to South Korea; Jae Ku, director of the U.S.-Korea Institute (USKI) at SAIS; and Jonathan Pollack, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Thornton Center.

THE KOREAN PENINSULA AFTER KIM JONG-IL: UNCERTAINTIES, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. 12/20, Noon-2:00pm, Lunch, Washington, DC. Sponsors: Korea Economic Institute, CSIS, and the Council on Foreign Relations. Speakers: Ambassador Jack Pritchard, President, Korea Economic Institute; Dr. Victor Cha, Korea Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Scott Snyder, Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Program on U.S.-Korea Policy, Council on Foreign Relations. LIVE STREAM

A VIEW FROM INSIDE NORTH KOREA POWER. 12/20, Noon-1:00pm, Lunch, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Center for National Policy. Speaker: Jeff Baron, Retired Foreign Service Officer who has traveled many times to North Korea.

He will be missed.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule December 16-18

2011-12-19T15:10:00.001-05:00

December 18, 2011

AM
08:30 Leave Grand Prince Hotel Kyoto
08:47 The Kyoto State Guesthouse
09:11 Summit Meeting with President Lee Myung-bak MOFA DETAIL
10:10 Strolls in the courtyard with President Lee
10:40 Interview with media
11:08 Ryoan-ji temple, Ukyo-ward, Kyoto
11:22 Strolls Ryoan-ji with President Lee

PM
12:21 Lunch with Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM; and Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM, at a Japanese restaurant “Kyoyamatoya” in New Miyako Hotel, Minami-ward, Kyoto
01:44 Jr. Kyoto Station
02:03 Leave Kyoto Station on Nozomi #232
04:23 Arrives at JR Tokyo Station
02:39 The residence of PM

December 17, 2011

AM
The residence of PM

PM
12:11 The Capitol Hotel Tokyu, Nagatacho, Tokyo. Lunch with Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary, at a Japanese restaurant “Suiren”
01:19 JR Tokyo Station
01:30 Depart Tokyo Station on Nozomi #39, accompanied by Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
03:51 Arrive at JR. Kyoto Station
04:35 Grand Prince Hotel Kyoto, Sakyo-ward, Kyoto
06:08 The Kyoto State Guesthouse
06:10 Mr. Genba, Minister of Foreign Affairs
06:28 Greets President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea (South Korea)
06:30 Summit Meeting
06:50 Dinner party hosted by Prime Minister
09:09 Stays at Grand Prince Hotel Kyoto

December 16, 2011

AM
09:31 The office of PM
09:41 Ministerial Committee on the Formulation of the Budget
10:01 Ministerial meeting
10:30 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
10:43 Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, joins
11:10 Both leave

PM
12:34 Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Iikura Guest House, Azabudai, Tokyo
12:35 Mr. Shigeo Iizuka, President of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea; Mr. Shigeru Yokota and Mrs. Sakie Yokota, parents of Megumi Yokota, an abduction victim.
12:44 Gave remarks at the reception for a screening of “Abduction- Megumi Yokota Story”.
01:26 The office of PM
02:26 Mr. Taketoshi, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
02:38 Mr. Sugiyama, Director-General of Asia and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
02:55 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM; Mr. Bessho, Foreign Ministry councilor in charge of political affairs; Mr. Sugiyama, Director-General of Asia and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
03:10 Mr. Yagi, Director-General of Economic Affairs Bureau, joins
03:23 Everyone leaves
03:32 Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters
04:00 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
04:30 Mr. Fujimura leaves
04:45 Mr. Tezuka leaves
06:00 Press conference
06:48 Dinner with Mr. Tsuneo Watanabe, President of Yomiuri Shimbun, and Mr. Yoshibumi Wakamiya, Chief Editor of Asahi Shimbun, members of “Shichishakai” (association of seven media companies) at a restaurant, Top of the Square, Otemachi, Tokyo.
08:02 The residence of PM
08:03 Mr. Fujii, DPJ Head of Tax Research Commission; Mr. Kansei Nakano, DPJ Deputy Head of Tax Research Commission; Mr. Ritsuo Hosokawa, Head of Research Council on Integrate Reform of the Social Security and Taxation Systems
08:20 Mr. Banri Kaieda, chief vice president of DPJ Tax research Commission, joins
10:30 Everyone leaves

Noda Slip-Sliding Away

2011-12-18T21:26:00.000-05:00

Every prime minister–LDP or DPJ–who has come into office after Junichiro Koizumi ended his more than five year tenure on a high note in 2006 has inevitably faced a monthly slide in the opinion polls. This decline in popularity continues until, as Yukio Hatoyama in mid-2010 found himself, support drops into the single-digits. The result is that the PM soon resigns. Will Prime Minister Yasuhiko Noda, facing a similar erosion of public confidence, soon suffer the same fate?

Noda enjoyed a heady 65% support rate in Yomiuri’s opinion poll when he was picked to replace Naoto Kan as prime minister last August 31. Other polls were similar. But since then, his Cabinet’s popularity in the monthly tallies has continued to slip, and now, with the latest Asahi poll taken on December 10-11, it has dropped to a mere 31%, entering a historical danger zone for Japanese prime ministers. The non-support rate at 43% is now far greater than the support rate, with other commercial polls having similar results.

Of course, each prime minister has stumbled and fallen on his own accord. But part of the reason for the public’s tendency to quickly want to dispose of its leaders is a generic dislike of politics in Japan, as revealed in a recent Yomiuri poll (Yomiuri, 11/25/2011, p.9). The face-to-face opinion survey showed strong public dissatisfaction with the current state of impasse in Japanese politics and a general sense of powerlessness to do anything about it. Both the ruling and the opposition parties have earned public scorn and distrust, the poll shows. Asked to evaluate recent Japanese politics, 76% of the public said it was getting wors. Even among DPJ supporters, 54% said it was getting worse. Among independent voters, who can make or break parties during elections, 83% sensed a worsening of politics.

Respondents, when asked to pick multiple reasons for their unhappiness with politics, most frequently cited “A failure to see things through the people’s eyes” (45%), followed by “Decision making is too slow” (43%), “Not setting a future course for Japan” (33%), and “Spending time in political disputes” (30%). Evaluating the current lawmakers, 50% cited their “lack of decision-making capability,” “lack of leadership” (41%), and “lack of a sense of mission” (30%).

Prime Minister Noda started strong, but has made some major mistakes .First, was his way of choosing his own cabinet. One of his biggest mistakes last fall was to give priority to balancing various groups in the party in post appointments instead of to an individual’s qualifications. He seemed more intent on keeping party bosses happy, but ended up with a lineup of mostly amateurs, some of whom proceeded to get into trouble. First to go was his METI Minister for offensive statements about earthquake victims in northeast Japan.

And now, Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa has come under fire for expressing ignorance about the 1995 Okinawa rape incident that led to the decision to relocate Futenma Air Station. His attitude has infuriated Okinawans, the opposition camp passed a censure motion against him in the Upper House. But Noda has decided to keep him on in the cabinet, as well as another cabinet member, National Public Safety Commission Chairman Kenji Yamaoka, who is linked to a controversial business scheme. Noda reportedly is unwilling or unable to fire them because both are cohorts of the still powerful former party president Ichiro Ozawa, whom Noda is loathe to upset.

The rupture with Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima has further complicated the process of relocating Futenma. In addition, Noda’s ability to pass any legislation in the Diet is now compromised. The LDP-led opposition camp wants to force him during the upcoming regular Diet session that starts in January to dissolve the Diet for a snap election that it believes it can win, returning a LDP coalition to power. This scenario is more wishful thinking than real as no election can be called until there is a redistricting to address the unconstitutional voter disparity problems identified by Japan's Supreme Court.

Visiting LDP party head, Nobuteru Ishihara boldly told a Washington audience on December 12 before rushing off to meet Administration officials that “The LDP is also pressuring the DPJ to hold a general election, as any consumption tax increase is a clear violation of the party’s campaign promises, and a change in its publicly-declared policies. For these reasons, the political world will reach its first critical stage in March, at the end of the Japanese fiscal year.”

He noted that “the most recent opinion poll shows that 64% of the public believes that if the DPJ now turns its back on its campaign promise and submits a bill in the Diet to increase the consumption tax, then it should first call for a new general election and present a revised campaign pledge that includes a consumption tax increase.”

Noda may try to block that by reshuffling his cabinet prior to the Diet opening, removing the offensive two ministers. But his support rate is likely to continue to slip-slide away. The pending issues – TPP, Futenma, tax reform, and pension reform – are all controversial. The spring Diet session could see a replay of scenarios that it has seemingly orchestrated since 2006.

William Brooks
APP Senior Fellow
December 12, 2011

Cracks in the Alliance

2011-12-18T20:38:00.000-05:00

On November 22nd, APP Senior Fellow Dr. William Brooks was in Tokyo and gave a presentation reviewing the history of Japan's negotiations with the United States over a replacement facility for the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station. He spoke at Temple University's influential Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies run by APP member Dr. Robert Dujarric.

You can view the presentation slides HERE and view the presentation below.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule December 14-15

2011-12-17T17:38:00.000-05:00

December 15, 2011

AM
08:52 The office of PM
09:11 Ministerial Meeting on the Overseas Deployment of Integrated Infrastructure Systems
09:24 Council for Science and Technology Policy
10:02 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy; Mr. Ogushi, Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office
10:26 Mr. Hosono, Minister of State for the Nuclear Power Policy and Administration; Mr. Fukano, Director-General of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency; Mr. Sugawara, Director-General of Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Mr. Sagisaka, Director-General of the Environment Management Bureau, Ministry of Environment.
10:56 Photo and Video Shooting for DPJ publicity

PM
01:30 Hotel Le Port Koujimachi, Hiraka-cho, Tokyo. Gave remarks at the Symposium of Advanced Accelerator Association Promoting Science and Technology.
01:52 The office of PM
02:01 Mr. Uematsu, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
02:25 Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM
03:36 Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance; Mr. Katsu, Administrative Vice-Minister of Finance; Mr. Manago, Director General of the Budget Bureau, Ministry of Finance
04:38 Everyone leaves
04:47 Meeting of the Forum for Consultations between the National and Regional Governments
05:00 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
05:16 Mr. Norihiro Okuda, Ambassador of Japan to the Arab Republic of Egypt, and others
05:53 The Council on National Strategy and Policy
07:07 Receives advice from Mr. Masaru Nishio, President of the Local Government System Research Council
07:22 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy
07:29 The residence of PM

December 14, 2011

AM
09:22 The office of PM
09:24 Mr. Edano, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry
09:31 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary, and Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, join
10:00 Phone conversation with Prime Minister Harper of Canada
10:18 Mr. Kawabata, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications; Mr. Fukuda, Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications; Mr. Goto, Senior Vice Minister of Cabinet Office; Mr. Tsugawa, Parliamentary Secretary of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary.
10:52 Mr. Genba, Minister of Foreign Affairs
11:28 Mr. Maehara, Chairperson of DPJ Policy Research Council
11:57 Mr. Maehara leaves

PM
12:41 Mr. Suematsu, Special Advisor to PM
01:17 Mr. Takahashi, Deputy Director-General, Cabinet Office Secretariat of the International Peace Cooperation Headquarters
01:58 Mr. Sasae, Administrative Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
02:41 Mr. Tadashi Maeda, Special Advisor to the Cabinet
03:04 Mr. Ishida, Senior Vice Minister of Cabinet Office; Mr. Takashi Onishi, President of Science Council of Japan; Mr. Masuo Aizawa, Executive Member of the Council for Science and Technology Policy.
03:10 Mr. Onishi and Mr. Aizawa leave
03:29 Mr. Ishida leaves
03:30 Mr. Nishi, Director-General of the Bureau of Defense Policy, Ministry of Defense
03:56 Mr. Katagiri, Commissioner-General of National Police Agency
04:21 Mr. Katagiri leaves
05:20 The Lower House 1st Diet Members’ Building
05:22 Made remarks at the DPJ Administrative Reform Research Council General Assembly.
05:31 The office of PM
05:36 Mr. Yamaoka, Minister for the Abduction Issue
06:12 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
07:01 At “Ichiyoshi”, a Japanese restaurant, dinner with Mr. Ritsuo Hosokawa, DPJ Lower House Member; Mr. Yoshiaki Takaki, DPJ Lower House Member; and Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
09:52 The residence of PM

New Delhi’s Controversial Birth

2011-12-17T13:10:00.000-05:00

Most in Asia remember December 13th as the beginning of the Nanjing Massacre in 1937 by Imperial Japanese forces. Further west, this date marks the founding of New Delhi in 1911. Former APP research assistant Dinyar Patel who is currently a Fulbright Scholar based in Mumbai while working on his Ph.D. in the Department of History at Harvard University reflected on this anniversary in The New York Times blog, India Ink.

December 12, 2011, 6:23 am

Few cities of recent vintage have a history as complicated and contested as New Delhi, which turned 100 on Monday. Now the seat of the world’s largest democracy, New Delhi began in 1911 as a grand imperial showpiece meant to stand for eternal British rule over the Indian subcontinent. But during its two decades of construction New Delhi became the stage upon which Indians gained increasing political advantage over a crumbling Raj.

New Delhi literally began as an imperial edict. In December 1911, King George V traveled to Delhi in order to be crowned emperor of India at an elaborate durbar, or gathering: he was the first reigning British monarch to step foot on Indian soil. After several days of ceremonies at a temporary city consisting of some 40,000 tents and featuring its own railway system, King George V offered two boons to his subjects: First, he revoked the partition of Bengal, an act that had unleashed violent anti-British agitation. Second, he announced the creation of a new city in the vicinity of Delhi to replace Calcutta as the imperial capital. The city, George hoped, would be a fusion of Indian and European architecture, according to a letter from his viceroy to one of his colleagues.

Herbert Baker and Edwin Lutyens, the two architects appointed to design much of the city, seemed to be curious choices for such a venture. Baker worked in South Africa, where he had become a disciple of the arch-imperialist Cecil Rhodes. Lutyens, who previously had mostly designed English country houses, was known for his occasional prejudiced outbursts against India. In a letter to his wife, for example, Lutyens described Indian architecture as “essentially the building style of children.” Even the Taj Mahal, he complained, was “small but very costly beer.” Both men reveled in their assignment to create a monument to imperialism. “Hurrah for despotism!” Baker wrote to Lutyens. “On the day you sail [to India] you should feel like Alexander when he crossed the Hellespont to conquer Asia.”
Arthur Gill/British Architectural LibraryViceroy’s House in Delhi, in this undated file photo.

In spite of their prejudices, Lutyens and Baker managed to create a remarkable assemblage at New Delhi that melded European and Indian architecture into an innovative whole. Lutyens’ Viceroy’s House had a dome modeled after the Buddhist stupa at Sanchi, commissioned in the third century B.C. by Ashoka. In order to battle Delhi’s blazing summer heat, Lutyens adapted Mughal techniques for indoor cooling by installing rooftop fountains that cascaded into the interior of buildings. Baker laced his classical Secretariat blocks with Mughal-style domes, cupolas and cornices. For other elements of their city plan, they took cues from Washington, Paris and Canberra in addition to Fatehpur Sikri and Jaipur.

New Delhi inspired a lively architectural debate amongst the uppermost echelons of British Indian society. But for Indians themselves, it became the object of resentment. Parts of the new city seemed completely antithetical to the Raj’s promises to Indian nationalists of gradual political reform. Above the entrances to his Secretariats, for example, Baker engraved a rather patronizing phrase: “Liberty will not descend to a people, A people must raise themselves to liberty, It is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed.” The engraving remains there today. Lutyens’ Viceroy’s House covered a greater area than Versailles and had an army of attendants, including several whose job was to shoo away pigeons. New Delhi emerged as a rigidly ordered and segregated city, with spacious bungalows for British officers in the south and poorly ventilated tenements for Indian peons in the north.

Indians protested the cost and extravagance of the new capital in the legislative assembly, the feeble predecessor to the Indian Parliament. Contrasting New Delhi’s opulence with the grinding poverty of the rest of the country, one legislator in 1921 complained that, “we have no right to feed our aesthetic sentiments at the expense of the poor tax-payers of India. And I cannot find any justification whatsoever why we should think that we should be better housed … when we really know that the country is actually starving and suffering.” In 1927, the chamber erupted in a chorus of “Shame, Shame” when British officials increased the budget for furnishing the Viceroy’s House.

Armed with limited budgetary powers, the assembly began chipping away at New Delhi’s construction budget and helped organize two committees to investigate ways for further reductions. As a result, many elements of New Delhi’s plan, such as extending the city’s processional boulevard, now Rajpath, to the Yamuna River, were discarded and remain unfinished even today. Leading Indian nationalists took a harder line against the city. Jawaharlal Nehru mocked the Viceroy’s House as the “chief temple where the High Priest officiated” and Mahatma Gandhi is rumored to have wanted to turn it into a hospital.

When New Delhi was officially inaugurated in 1931, it was a fundamentally incomplete city, littered with vacant plots and unfinished palaces. Due to the outrage over the cost of construction, British officials kept inaugural ceremonies to a bare minimum, something that was in marked contrast to the 1911 durbar. The power dynamics in the new city were starting to shift. At its center was a new Council House built for India’s expanded legislative assembly. As the Raj was forced to make further political concessions to the nationalists, the Council House, today home to India’s Parliament, became a hub of the city’s political life at the expense of the Viceroy’s House.

Ultimately, New Delhi served as the capital of the Raj for only 16 years before India became independent in 1947. Lutyens’ Viceroy’s House — decorated with stone bells that were meant never to ring and thereby never to herald the end of empire — became Rashtrapati Bhavan, the home of India’s ceremonial president. Colonial-era statues were dumped at the neglected durbar site. Reminders of the Raj still abound at every turn in modern New Delhi, but the Indian republic has managed to put its own stamp on the capital. At the eastern end of Rajpath lies an empty pavilion that once housed the marble statue of George V. It serves as a fitting symbol for an ancient civilization very much still in the process of refashioning itself as a democratic, egalitarian nation-state.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule December 11-13

2011-12-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

December 13, 2011

AM
09:10 The office of PM
09:21 Ministerial Meeting on Consultations with Relevant Countries Toward Participation in the TPP Negotiations
10:01 Ministerial Meeting
10:22 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy
10:28 Mr. Furukawa leaves

PM
03:11 Mr. Demberel, Chairman of the State Great Hural of Mongolia
03:33 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy; Mr. Ogushi, Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office
04:06 Mr. Edano, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Adachi, Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry; Mr. Takahara, Director-General, Agency for Natural resources and Energy
04:54 Mr. Hiromasa Yonekura, Chairperson of Japan- U.S. Business Council, and others, Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary is also present
05:10 Phone conversation with Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom.
05:45 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
06:30 The residence of PM
06:31 Dinner with Mr. Hiroaki Hashimoto and Hiroki Hanasaki, DPJ Lower House members.
08:40 Everyone leaves

December 12, 2011

AM
09:29 The office of PM

PM
02:31 Mr. Michael Howard, Former UK Conservative Party Leader, Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, and Mr. Kodera, Director-General of European Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are also present.
02:56 Mr. Sugiyama, Director-General of Asia and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
03:32 Meeting of the Council on National Strategy and Policy
05:12 Mr. Fujii, DPJ Head of Tax Research Commission
05:30 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
06:28 The residence of PM

December 11, 2011

Whole day at the residence of PM

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule December 9 & 10

2011-12-12T16:27:00.001-05:00

December 10, 2011

AM
01:32 The office of PM
02:12 Meeting of the Tax Commission
02:20 The residence of PM

PM
Whole day at the residence of PM

December 9, 2011

AM
08:19 Parliament
08:25 Ministerial Meeting
08:43 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy
08:59 The office of PM
09:30 Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
09:50 Mr. Nagahama leaves
10:06 Mr. Saito, Mr. Tezuka leave
10:14 Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance; Mr. Katsu, Administrative Vice-Minister of Finance; Mr. Nakao, Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs; Mr. Kinoshita, Director-General of the International Bureau, Ministry of Finance; Mr. Furuya, Director-General of the Tax Bureau, Ministry of Finance
11:03 Mr. Nakao, Mr. Kinoshita leave
11:16 Everyone leaves
11:23 Parliament
11:36 The Upper House Plenary Session

PM
12:14 The office of PM
12:17 Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
12:22 Mr. Saito leaves
01:33 Parliament
01:42 The Lower House Plenary Session
01:59 The office of PM
02:07 Mr. Uematsu, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
02:34 Mr. Uematsu leaves
05:00 Press conference
05:35 Parliament, courtesy visits to lobbies of ministries and agencies
05:48 The office of PM
06:09 Government and Ruling Parties Council on the Formulation of the Budget
06:19 Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance
06:29 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Nishimiya, Foreign Ministry councilor in charge of economics; Mr. Suzuki, Director General of the Bureau of Global Environment, Ministry of the Environment
07:01 Mr. Yamaguchi, Mr. Yamaguchi, Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
07:25 Mr. Yamaguchi leaves
08:26 Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
08:47 Mr. Saito leaves
09:43 The residence of PM

Environmentally forward in Taiwan

2011-12-12T16:16:00.002-05:00

MEGASTRUCTURES: ECOARK

FILM SCREENING AND PANEL DISCUSSION

Wednesday, December 14

6:00pm

Washington, DC

Sponsored by

Johns Hopkins University's Environmental Studies Program

Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO)

Speakers

Arthur Huang, architect for EcoARK

Stephen Hunter, documentary's executive producer, National Geographic Channel

Davis Bookhart, Director of the Office of Sustainability at Johns Hopkins University

Arthur Huang

The EcoARK Pavilion, Taiwan's greenest building, is built from nearly 1.5 million recycled plastic bottles. It was designed and built by architect Arthur Huang for the Taipei International Flora Expo. The nine-story building imitates the honey-comb structure of beehives, making it strong enough to weather sub-tropical typhoons and survive Pacific Rim earthquakes. The air pockets in the recycled bottles provide natural insulation, and an aerodynamic design captures prevailing winds to provide a no-energy solution to air conditioning. The entire 21,500 square-foot exhibition hall can be disassembled and re-assembled anywhere in the world.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule December 8

2011-12-11T17:45:00.000-05:00

AM
08:11 The office of PM
08:14 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
08:48 Mr. Tezuka leaves
09:51 Parliament
08:21 Ministerial meeting
10:00 The Upper House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense
11:06 Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM
11:46 Mr. Teruhiko Mashiko, Chairperson of the Upper House Special Committee on Reconstruction after the East Japan Earthquake, Mr. Suematsu, Special Advisor to PM is also present.

PM
12:08 The residence of PM. Luncheon with Mr. Soichiro Okuno and other DPJ Lower House members.
12:50 Parliament
01:00 The Upper House Special Committee on Reconstruction after the East Japan Earthquake
04:13 The office of PM
04:18 Ruling party leaders talks with Mr. Kamei, Leader of the People’s New Party (Kokumin Shinto), Mr. Koshiishi, DPJ Secretary General, and Mr. Shimoji, Secretary-General of the People’s New Party, are also present.
05:09 Three DPJ/Government Executive Meeting
05:36 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
05:56 Mr. Sugiyama, Director-General of Asia and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
06:33 Top level meeting with President Laura Chinchilla of the Republic of Costa Rica
07:08 Joint press announcement with President Chinchilla
08:30 Send off President Chinchilla at the PM’s office entrance
09:11 Attend a local supporter’s funeral ceremony with Mrs. Noda, Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture
09:57 The residence of PM

Thank You World

2011-12-08T23:23:00.000-05:00

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule December 5-7

2011-12-08T12:34:00.001-05:00

December 7, 2011

AM
08:01 Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
08:55 Mr. Nagahama leaves
09:25 Mr. Tezuka leaves
09:49 Parliament
10:00 The Upper House Plenary Session
11:40 The office of PM

PM
12:51 The office of PM
01:00 The Upper House Audit Committee
05:00 The Lower House 2nd Diet Members’ Building
05:03 Tour the photo exhibition of Ms. Megumi Yokota, one the abduction victims, attended by Mr. Shigeru Yokota, Mrs. Sakie Yokota, and Mr. Yamaoka, Minister for the Abduction Issue
05:23 The office of PM
05:31 Mr. Omura, Governor of Aichi Prefecture
05:38 Mr. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM, was also present
06:15 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
07:40 Waseda University, Okuma Lecture Hall
08:00 Give a lecture at the Waseda Politics Festival
08:42 The residence of PM

December 6, 2011

AM
07:01 Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
08:11 Both leave
08:15 Parliament
08:21 Ministerial meeting
08:29 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy
09:00 The Lower House Special Committee on Reconstruction from the East Japan Earthquake

PM
12:03 The office of PM
12:54 Parliament
01:03 The Lower House Plenary Session
01:22 The office of PM
01:52 Parliament
01:55 Mr. Kawabata, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
02:00 The Upper House Budget Committee
05:44 The office of PM
05:46 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
06:04 Mr. Yamaoka, Minister for the Abduction Issue; Mr. Mitani, Deputy to the Minister in charge of Abduction Issue
07:00 Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
07:26 The residence of PM

December 5, 2011

AM
07:31 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
08:00 Mr. Tezuka leaves
08:20 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
08:52 Parliament
08:59 The Lower House Budget Committee

PM
12:03 The office of PM
12:53 Parliament
01:00 The Lower House Budget Committee
01:35 The office of PM
03:24 Mr. Fujii, DPJ Head of Tax Research Commission
03:35 Mr. Suematsu, Special Advisor to PM
03:46 Mr. Suematsu leaves
05:00 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
05:48 Mr. Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
06:04 Three DPJ/Government Executive Meeting
07:02 The meeting of the Headquarters of the Government and Ruling Parties for Social Security Reform
07:36 The residence of PM

The date that will live in infamy

2011-12-06T23:58:00.003-05:00

President Obama's Proclamation

In the wake of the bombing of our harbor and the crippling of our Pacific Fleet, there were those who declared the United States had been reduced to a third-class power. But rather than break the spirit of our Nation, the attack brought Americans together and fortified our resolve. Patriots across our country answered the call to defend our way of life at home and abroad. They crossed oceans and stormed beaches, freeing millions from the grip of tyranny and proving that our military is the greatest force for liberty and security the world has ever known. On the home front, dedicated civilians supported the war effort by repairing wrecked battleships, working in factories, and joining civilian defense organizations to help with salvage programs and plant Victory gardens. At this time of great strife, we reminded the world there is no challenge we cannot meet; there is no challenge we cannot overcome.

70th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Attack Website

JAPANESE DIPLOMACY AND MILITARY MANEUVERING PRIOR TO THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR. 12/5, 12:30-1:45, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Sigur Center, GWU. Speaker: Takeo Iguchi, Former Ambassador; Professor Emeritus, Shobi-Gakuen University.

THE CAPTAIN ELLIS ZACHARIAS AND PEARL HARBOR ATTACK. 11:00am, Washington, DC. Sponsor: National Archives. Speaker: David Pfeiffer, archivist; discusses the intelligence officer featured in his article “Sage Prophet or Loose Cannon?” published in Prologue magazine. (The lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD.

FREEDOM BETRAYED: HERBERT HOOVER'S SECRET HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH. 12/6, Noon-1:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Heritage Foundation. Speakers: George Nash, author, historian, book offers a revisionist reexamination of the war and its Cold War aftermath and a sweeping indictment of the “lost statesmanship” of Franklin Roosevelt.

PACIFIC GIBRALTAR: US-JAPANESE RIVALRY OVER THE ANNEXATION OF HAWAII 1885-1889. 12/7, Noon-1:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: National Archive. Speakers: William Michael Morgan, author, discusses his book Pacific Gibraltar and the results of the Japan–U.S. crisis of 1897, when the Japanese sent warships to Honolulu to oppose the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands by the United States during the Spanish-American War. As Japan began pushing for voting rights for its nationals living and working on the islands, tensions rose between the two countries. A book signing will follow the program.

IN THE LAST GOOD WAR: THE FACES AND VOICES OF WORLD WAR II. 12/7, Noon–1:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: National Portrait Gallery. Speaker: Thomas Sanders combines imagery and narrative to tell the story of the courageous men and women who accomplished extraordinary feats in defense of freedom. This book provides a unique window into American history and the lasting legacy of World War II veterans.

PEARL HARBOR CHRISTMAS.12/7, 6:00–7:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: National Portrait Gallery. Speaker: Stanley Weintraub marks the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor with a talk in the exhibition, followed by a signing of his new book Pearl Harbor Christmas.

“It Is No Joke—It Is a Real War”: HOW AMERICANS FIRST LEARNED OF PEARL HARBOR. 12/7, 7:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: National Archives. Speaker: Marvin Kalb, journalist. uses film, audio, and photographic records from the National Archives and the Newseum to discuss how the media informed Americans of the 1941 attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule December 1-4

2011-12-06T23:04:00.002-05:00

December 4, 2011

AM
08:23 JR Tokyo Station
08:30 Depart Tokyo Station on Nozomi Shinkansen #17
10:50 Arrive at JR Kyoto Station
11:26 Kyoto International Conference Hall, Sakyo- Ward, Kyoto

PM
12:33 Tea ceremony by Mr. Soshitsu Sen, Ura Senke Tea Master, Mr. Somavia, Director- General of International Labour Organization (ILO); Mr. Gutierrez, Deputy Prime Minister of East Timor.
01:11 Mr. Nobuaki Koga, President of Japanese Trade Union Confederation; Ms. Komiyama, Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare; Mr. Ota, Councilor of the Ministry of Health Labor, and Welfare.
01:57 Everyone leaves
02:50 Attend and gave a speech at the ILO Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting
03:35 Mr. Keiji Yamada, Governor of Kyoto
04:14 JR Kyoto Station
04:35 Depart Kyoto Station on Nozomi Shinkansen #376
06:56 Arrive at Tokyo Station
07:12 The residence of PM

December 3, 2011

AM
Spend the morning at the residence of PM

PM
05:56 Attend an ordinary meeting of Seikei Club (Politics and Economics Club) at Hotel Le Port Koujimachi ib Hirakawa-cho, Tokyo
06:24 The residence of PM

December 2, 2011

AM
07:52 Parliament
08:16 Ministerial meeting
08:47 The office of PM
09:52 Parliament
10:14 The Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee

PM
01:01 The Office of PM
01:04 Mr. Shinichiro Furumoto, DPJ Lower House member
01:24 Mr Ishii, Chairperson of the Upper House Budget Committee; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
01:54 Parliament
02:02 The Lower House Plenary Session
02:11 The office of PM
02:18 Mr. Koichiro Watanabe, DPJ Lower House member
02:47 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy
02:58 Mr. Maehara, chairperson of DPJ Policy Research Council
03:43 Mr. Maehara leaves
04:30 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
04:52 Mr. Nakagawa, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
05:41 Ms. Clark, UNDP Administrator
06:01 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Edano, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry; Mr. Tatsuo Hirano, Minister for Reconstruction in the response to the East Japan Earthquake; Mr. Hosono, Minister of State for the Nuclear Power Policy and Administration; Mr. Nakagawa, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
06:47 The residence of PM

December 1, 2011

AM
08:59 The office of PM
09:11 Zhao Qizheng, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
09:25 Mr. Saito and Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to

Prime Minister

09:57 Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance; Mr. Katsu, Administrative Vice-Minister of Finance; Mr. Manago, Director-General of the Budget Bureau, Ministry of Finance; Mr. Tanaka Director-General of Financial Bureau, Ministry of Finance.
10:55 Mr. Sugiyama, Director-General of Asia and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
11:25 Mr. Ritsuo Hosokawa and Shoichi Kondo, DPJ Lower House members; Mr. Yuji Fujimoto, DPJ Upper House member.
11:50 Everyone leaves

PM

12:53 Parliament
01:02 The Lower House Plenary Session
01:23 The office of PM
02:30 Mr. Uematsu, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
03:15 Mr. Shimojo, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense; Mr. Nishi, Director-General of the Bureau of Defense Policy, Ministry of Defense; Admiral Masahiko Sugimoto, Chief of Staff, Maritime Self-Defense Force
04:01 Mr. Shunsuke Hasegawa, Mayor of Nemuro, Hokkaido, and others
04:20 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
05:07 Mr. Fujimura leaves
05:30 Press conference
06:40 Mr. Tsuneo Nishida, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations 07:04 The residence of

Contrasts on the Right

2011-12-06T22:43:00.000-05:00

PERSPECTIVE TOWARD A RENEWED U.S.-JAPANESE ALLIANCE. 12/12, Lunch, 11:30-12:30pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Hudson Institute. Speaker: Nobuteru Ishihara, Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP).

MAINTAINING AMERICA’S GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN AN AGE OF AUSTERITY. 12/13, 8:00am-2:00pm, Breakfast, Lunch, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Foreign Policy Initiative. Speakers: U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC); U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL); Congressman Mike Rogers (R-MI); Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty; U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH).

It's the Economy

2011-12-06T22:25:00.002-05:00

Remarks by the President on the Economy in Osawatomie, Kansas, 12/6/11

I’m here in Kansas to reaffirm my deep conviction that we’re greater together than we are on our own. I believe that this country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot, when everyone does their fair share, when everyone plays by the same rules. (Applause.) These aren’t Democratic values or Republican values. These aren’t 1 percent values or 99 percent values. They’re American values. And we have to reclaim them.
....
We simply cannot return to this brand of “you’re on your own” economics if we’re serious about rebuilding the middle class in this country. (Applause.) We know that it doesn’t result in a strong economy. It results in an economy that invests too little in its people and in its future. We know it doesn’t result in a prosperity that trickles down. It results in a prosperity that’s enjoyed by fewer and fewer of our citizens.
....
Inequality also distorts our democracy. It gives an outsized voice to the few who can afford high-priced lobbyists and unlimited campaign contributions, and it runs the risk of selling out our democracy to the highest bidder. (Applause.) It leaves everyone else rightly suspicious that the system in Washington is rigged against them, that our elected representatives aren’t looking out for the interests of most Americans.

But there’s an even more fundamental issue at stake. This kind of gaping inequality gives lie to the promise that’s at the very heart of America: that this is a place where you can make it if you try. We tell people -- we tell our kids -- that in this country, even if you’re born with nothing, work hard and you can get into the middle class. We tell them that your children will have a chance to do even better than you do. That’s why immigrants from around the world historically have flocked to our shores.

Asian Economic Monitor, Asian Development Bank, 12/6/11.

Semi-annual again downgrades next year's growth forecasts for emerging East Asia, warning of the impact of the European debt crisis. It now expects 14 economies in the region to grow by 7.2% in 2012, instead of the 7.5% it estimated in September. The ADB has maintained its forecast for 2011 at 7.5%.

Growth in the PRC is likely to moderate even as domestic demand continues to rise, and is now forecast at 8.8% in 2012 after expanding 9.3% this year. In September, ADB had forecast growth of 9.1% in 2012.

The newly industrialized economies of Hong Kong, China; the Republic of Korea; Singapore; and Taipei, China, will see slower growth both this year and next year in large part because they are more dependent on international trade than their neighbors. This leaves them highly vulnerable to an economic contraction in Europe and the US.

ASEAN’s economies will also grow more slowly than previously expected. Thailand, hit particularly hard by the recent floods, should recover from supply disruptions next year. ADB now sees Thailand’s economy growing a smaller 2.0% this year, but is maintaining its 4.5% growth forecast for 2012.

Japan’s economy is forecast to bounce back from the effects of the recent natural disasters as supply chains are rebuilt, but the strong yen will likely hurt exports while domestic demand is likely to remain weak. As such, ADB continues to forecast a contraction of 0.5% this year followed by a 2.5% expansion next year.

Report examines if Asia can weather another economic downturn in the West. The prognosis is guarded.

Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising, OECD, 12/5/11.
The gap between rich and poor has grown in most of the world's major economies, and now stands at its highest level in 30 years. The gap between the income of the richest 10 percent and the poorest 10 percent has risen in nearly all OECD member countries. The biggest gap is in Chile and Mexico, where the richest make 25 times more than the poorest. The gap is 14-to-1 in the United States, Turkey and Israel; 10-to-1 in Japan, South Korea and Britain; and 6-to-1 in Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria said the study shows that "the social contract is starting to unravel in many countries." Gurria said the study shows that the benefits of economic growth in countries do not automatically trickle down to the poor. The OECD attributed the rising income gaps to several factors, including changes in tax and benefits policies and differences in education and training.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule November 29 & 30

2011-12-06T22:15:00.001-05:00

November 30, 2011

AM
09:30 The office of PM
09:31 Press interview

11:55 Attend the National Convention of Town and Village Mayors

PM
12:37 The office of PM
02:53 Parliament
03:00 Debate among party leaders
03:54 The office of PM
04:07 The National Policy Unit meeting
05:10 The meeting adjourned
05:35 Meeting with Prime Minister Gruevski of Macedonia
06:08 The Government Revitalization Unit meeting
06:51 The meeting adjourned
07:00 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
07:30 The residence of PM

November 29, 2011

AM
07:49 Parliament
07:51 Ministerial committee on global warming
08:16 Ministerial meeting
08:42 The office of PM
08:44 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
08:57 Mr. Tezuka leaves
10:16 Japan Firefighters Hall (Nissho Hall), Toranomon, Tokyo
10:30 Attend a memorial service for the victims to their duty in the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami at Nissho Hall.
11:25 His office at the First Member’s Office Building of the Lower House
11:42 The office of PM

PM
12:54 Parliament
01:02 The Lower House Plenary Session
01:11 The office of PM
01:18 Three DPJ/Government Executive Meeting
02:08 Parliament
02:10 Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance , the Upper House Second Committee Room
02:13 The Upper House Committee of Financial Affairs the Upper House Third Committee Room
05:16 The office of PM
05:32 Attend “Forum for Consultations between the National and Regional Governments”
05:45 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
06:14 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy
06:36 Headquarters for the Reconstruction from the East Japan Earthquake
06:54 “Government and Ruling Parties Council on the Formulation of the Budget”
07:22 The residence of PM

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule November 24-28

2011-12-01T11:48:00.000-05:00

November 28

AM
09:31 Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, Embassy of Japan in the U.S.
09:55 Mr. Tarutoko, DPJ Acting Secretary General
10:45 Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to PM; Mr. Ihara, Director-General of North American Affairs Bureau; Mr. Nishi, Director-General of the Bureau of Defense Policy
11:13 Mr. Hosono, Minister of State for the Nuclear Power Policy and Administration; Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy; Mr. Yamane, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs; Mr. Kitagami, Parliamentary Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; Mr. Hiramatsu, Director-General for Global Issues, Ministry for Foreign Affairs; Mr. Sugawara, Director-General of Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Mr. Suzuki, Director General of the Bureau of Global Environment, Ministry of the Environment
11:20 Mr. Fukano, Director-General of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, joins
11:36 Mr. Yamane, Mr. Kitagami, Mr. Hiramatsu leave
11:52 Mr. Fukano leave

PM
12:13 Everyone leaves
02:23 Mr. Sasae, Administrative Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
03:12 Mr. Kittiratt, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
04:00 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
05:00 Mr. Tezuka leaves
05:31 Mr. Masahiro Yonekura and Mr. Jean-Yves le Gall, Co-Chairpersons of the Japan-EU Business Round Table, Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, and Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor to the PM, are also present
06:55 The Residence of PM

November 27

AM
The Residence of PM

PM
03:55 ANA Intercontinental Hotel Tokyo, attend the assembly of the Matsushita School of Government and Management members.
05:03 The Residence of PM

November 26
Spent the day at the Residence of PM

November 25

AM
07:03 Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
08:03 Parliament
08:12 Ministerial Meeting
08:23 Mr. Kawabata, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications; Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
08:57 Everyone leaves
08:58 Mr. Yamaoka, Chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission
09:18 The Office of PM
09:20 Mr. Honda, Special Advisor to PM
10:03 Parliament
10:16 The Upper House Plenary Session

PM
12:05 The Office of PM
01:40 Aoyama Sougisho (Funeral Hall)
02:00 Funeral of Mr. Nishioka, Ex-Chairperson of the Upper House
02:48 The Office of PM
03:32 Mr. Toshiyuki Shiga, Chairperson of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc.; Mr. Koichiro Nishihara, President of Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers’ Unions, and others.
03:51 Mr. Uematsu, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office; Mr. Nishi, Director-General of the Bureau of Defense Policy; Mr. Shimohira, Chief of Defense Intelligence Headquarters
04:04 Mr. Nishi and Mr. Shimohira leave
04:15 Mr. Uematsu leaves
04:18 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy
04:26 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary, joins
05:01 Captain Shinji Nakamura and Captain Takuhiko Hosokawa of GSDF who will be dispatched for the South Sudan PKO operation.
05:17 Regional Revitalization Council
06:11 Mr. Taizo Nishimuro, Chairperson of the New Japan-China Friendship Committee for the 21st Century, and others
06:31 The Residence of PM
06:32 Dinner with Mr. Koshiishi, Chief of the DPJ Upper House caucus, and other DPJ Upper House executives, Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, and Mr. Mizuoka, Special Advisor to PM, are also present
08:00 Everyone leaves

November 24

AM
07:19 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor to PM
08:03 Mr. Tezuka Leaves
08:45 The Office of PM
09:00 Mr. Li Xiaolin, President of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, accompanied by Mr. Yamaguchi, Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs.
09:30 Council for Science and Technology Policy, Cabinet Office
10:07 Ministerial Meeting regarding Monthly Economic Report
10:32 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance; Mr. Katsu, Administrative Vice-Minister of Finance; Mr. Manago, Director General of the Budget Bureau; Mr. Furuya, Director-General of the Tax Bureau
10:49 Mr. Fujimura leaves
11:02 Everyone leaves
11:15 Mr. Yuhei Sato, Governor of Fukushima Prefecture, and others
11:47 Mr. Tsunekazu Takeda, President of Japan Olympic Committee

PM
12:53 Parliament
12:55 Mr. Igarashi, Senior Vice-Minister of Finance
12:58 Mr. Makino, Senior Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
01:02 The Lower House Plenary Session
03:32 The Office of PM
05:11 The Parliamentary Museum, Nagatacho, Tokyo
05:34 Talkfest of the DPJ Members of Both Houses of the Diet
06:53 Talkfest adjourns
07:11 Zojoji Temple, Shibakouen, Tokyo, Funeral of Mr. Jurou Matsumoto, Former Director-General of the Defense Agency
07:24 The Residence of PM

Japan and TPP

2011-12-01T11:36:00.000-05:00

JAPAN AND THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP

December 2, 20012

8:45am-12:30pm

Washington, DC

Sponsors

Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA

Brookings Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies

8:45 AM -- Introduction
Richard C. Bush III
Director, Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies

Junko Chano
President
Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA

9:00 AM -- Panel 1: TPP: Views from Tokyo and Washington

Moderator:

Timothy Keeler
Partner
Mayer Brown LLP

Wendy Cutler
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

William C. "Bill" Lane
Director, Washington Office
Caterpillar Inc.

Michitaka Nakatomi
Principal Trade Negotiator
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

10:00 AM -- Panel 2: Japan, TPP, and the Global Trade Regime

Moderator: Edward Lincoln, APP Board Member

Former Director, Center for Japan Business and Economic Studies, Stern School of Business
New York University

Mike Moore

Ambassador of New Zealand to the United States

Tami Overby
Vice President for Asia
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Clayton Yeutter
Senior Advisor, Hogan Lovells
Former U.S. Trade Representative and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

11:15 am -- Panel 3: Japan’s Perspectives on TPP

Moderator: Daniel Bob
Senior Fellow and Director of U.S.-Japan Programs
Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA

Kiyoaki Aburaki
U.S. Representative, Keidanren
Visiting Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Richard Katz
Editor-in-Chief, The Oriental Economist
Special Correspondent, Weekly Toyo Keizai

Heizo Takenaka
Director, Global Security Research Institute, Keio University and Senior Research Fellow, Japan Center for Economic Research
Former Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy

Takashi Terada

Professor of International Relations
Waseda University

Late November Monday

2011-11-26T20:12:00.000-05:00

U.S. Congress returns

TRADE LIBERALIZATION AND EMBEDDED INSTITUTIONAL REFORM: EVIDENCE FROM CHINESE EXPORTERS. 11/28, 11:30-1:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: International Economics Seminar, Georgetown University. Speaker: Amit Khandelwal, Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

KEY THREATS: U.S. READINESS IN PERILOUS TIMES. 11/28, Noon-1:30pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: The Aspen Institute. Participants: former Director National Intelligence retired Adm. Dennis Blair.

NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY AT 15: A STATUS UPDATE. 11/28, 2:00-3:30PM, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Arms Control Association (ACA). Speakers: Linton Brooks, former administrator at the National Nuclear Security Administration; Marvin Adams, HTRI Professor of nuclear engineering at Texas A&M University; Jennifer Mackby, fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association; and Tom Collina, ACA research director.

MAKING HOMES, BUILDING BASES: THE POLITICS OF DOMESTICITY IN THE U.S. OCCUPATION OF OKINAWA. 11/28, 4:00-5:15pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC). Speakers: Mire Koikari, Woodrow Wilson Center Japan Scholar, Associate Professor, University of Hawaii.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule November 21 & 22

2011-11-24T11:27:00.000-05:00

November 22

AM
07:02 Mr. Tezuka, Assistant to PM
08:04 Mr. Tezuka leave
08:07 Parliament
08:14 Ministerial Meeting
08:29 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Genba, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
09:00 Interview with government publicity
09:36 Mr. Fujii, DPJ Head of Tax Research Commission
10:02 The Lower House Financial Affairs Committee
11:52 The office of PM
11:54 Mr. Tsuda, a ministerial aid for the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, Mr. Moriyama, Chief of Employment Security Bureau

PM
01:03 Three DPJ/Government Executive Meeting. Mr. Jojima, DPJ Deputy Secretary General, was also present.
02:07 Commend persons of child-support and youth-training merit. Ms. Renho, Minister of State for Measures for Declining Birthrate, and Gender Equality, and other were also present.
02:25 Mr. Naoshima, DPJ Vice President
02:48 Mr. Hirano, Minister for Reconstruction in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake, Mr. Suematsu, Assistant to PM
03:24 Observe the screening process at the Sunshine City, Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Accompanied by Mr. Tezuka, Assistant to PM.
04:02 Press interview
04:27 The office of PM
04:32 Mr. Jojima, DPJ Deputy Secretary General.
05:00 Mr. Tezuka, Assistant to PM
06:03 Meeting with Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki, accompanied by Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
06:33 Dinner party hosted by Prime Minister
07:39 Send-off Prime Minister ai-Maliki
07:42 The residence of PM

November 21

AM
06:46 Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Tezuka, Assistant to PM
08:38 Both leave
08:47 Parliament
09:00 The Upper House Budget Committee

PM
01:01 The Upper House Plenary Session
02:54 Visits to Mr. Hirata, Chairperson of the Upper House, Mr. Otsuji, Vice-Chairperson of the Upper House, and parliamentary groups of ruling and opposing parties, accompanied by Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance.
03:10 The office of PM
04:07 Meeting of prefectural governors
05:03 Meeting of the National Policy Unit
06:10 Imperial Palace, report of return from Indonesia.
06:24 The office of PM
06:26 Ms. Harumi Takahashi, Governor of Hokkaido, and others, petition to bolster restitution of the northern territories. Mr. Kawabata, Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, was also present.
06:59 The residence of PM
07:00 Mr. Okada, former DPJ Secretary General
08:20 Mr. Okada leaves

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule November 18, 19 & 20

2011-11-20T07:26:00.001-05:00

November 20

AM
06:50 Arrived at Haneda Airport, return from ASEAN summit in Indonesia
07:26 The Residence of PM

PM

Spent the whole day at The residence of PM

November 19 (Local Time)
AM
Japan, China, and South Korea Summit at Ayodya Resort, Bali, Indonesia.

PM
Meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao of PRC at the Bali International Convention Center
East Asian Summit (EAS) Meeting
EAS Luncheon
EAS Summit
Press Conference
Meeting with Prime Minister Gillard of Australia
Departed from Ngurah Rai International Airport.

November 18 (Local Time)
AM
Leave the hotel.
ASEAN Summit at Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC)
Japan-ASEAN Business & Investment Summit at the Bali International Convention Center.

PM
Meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck of Thailand at BNDCC.
Lunch party of ASEAN + 3 leaders (Japan, China, and South Korea).
ASEAN + 3 Summit.
Meeting with Prime Minster Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore.
Press interview at the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel.
Conversation with the accompanying reporters.
Meeting with President Thein Sein of Myanmar at BNDCC.
Mekong-Japan Summit at the Hotel Ayodya Resort.
Dinner party hosted by President Yudhoyono at BNDCC.
Stay in the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel

November 17 (Local Time)
PM
Arrive at the Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, Indonesia.
Stay in Nusa Dua Beach Hotel.

Brooks to talk November 22 in Tokyo

2011-11-18T09:13:00.001-05:00

THE FUTENMA ISSUE - AN UPDATE. 11/22, 7:00-9:00pm, Tokyo, Japan. Sponsor: Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies (ICAS), Temple University Japan Campus. Speakers: Dr. William L. Brooks, APP Senior Fellow, former head of Media Analysis & Translation, US Embassy Japan; Most recent monographs: The Politics of the Futenma Base Issue in Okinawa: Relocation Negotiations in 1995-97, 2005-2006 (SAIS, 2010), and Cracks in the Alliance (fall 2011). Location: Temple University, Japan Campus.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule November 17

2011-11-18T09:05:00.000-05:00

AM
08:33 Office of PM
09:15 Mr. Tezuka, Assistant to PM
10:15 Mr. Tezuka leaves
10:54 Parliament
10:58 Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Policy
11:28 Mr. Hirata, Chairperson of the Upper House, Mr. Mizuoka, Assistant to PM
11:39 Mr. Hiraoka, Minister of Justice

PM
12:11 Welcome reception for King and Queen Wangchuck of Bhutan.
12:38 Office of PM
01:48 Parliament
02:02 The Lower House Plenary Session
04:06 The Office of PM
04:25 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary
05:02 Press interview
05:25 Haneda Airport
05:50 Took off for Indonesia to attend ASEAN summit.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule November 16

2011-11-17T00:54:00.001-05:00

AM
07:15 Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary and Mr. Tezuka, Assistant to PM
08:19 Mr. Nagahama and Mr. Tezuka leave
08:56 Imperial Palace, with Mrs. Noda, welcome party of King and Queen Wangchuck of Bhutan
09:52 Parliament
10:00 The Upper House Budget Committee
11:59 The office of PM

PM
12:51 Parliament,
01:00 The Upper House Budget Committee
04:53 The office of PM
05:14 Mr. Uematsu, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
05:58 ANA Intercontinental Hotel Tokyo, Akasaka. Gave remarks at the assembly of “Toumonkai,” an organization of Diet members who graduated from Waseda University.

06:13 The Residence of PM
06:40 Imperial Palace, with Mrs. Noda, attended State dinner party for the King and Queen Wangchuck of Bhutan.
09:53 The Residence of PM

Manufacturing & Trade

2011-11-16T06:17:00.000-05:00

CREATING MANUFACTURING JOBS
11/16 – 2:00pm, 216 Hart Senate Office Building. Joint Economic Committee, Full committee hearing on "Manufacturing in the USA: Paving the Road to Job Creation," focusing on the impact of infrastructure investment on job creation, particularly in the manufacturing sector. Witnesses: Andrew Herrmann, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers; Veronique de Rugy, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Arlington, Va.; Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute; Robert Puentes, senior fellow in the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program.

MANUFACTURING GROWTH: ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND THE FUTRUE OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. 11/16, 3:30-4:30, Washington, DC. Sponsors: Third Way's Schwartz Initiative, Breakthrough Institute. Speakers: House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-MD; Sen. Chris Coons, D-DE; Devon Swezey, project director of the Innovation and Economics Program at the Breakthrough Institute; Ryan McConaghy, director of the Economic Program at Third Way.

CREATING A 21ST CENTURY DEFENSE INDUSTRY
11/18 – 9:00am, 2118 Rayburn House Office Building. House Armed Services Committee, Business Challenges within the Defense Industry Subcommittee hearing on "Creating a 21st Century Defense Industry." Witnesses: The Honorable Jacques S. Gansler, Professor and Roger C. Lipitz Chair, Director, Center for Public Policy & Private Enterprise, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland; Mr. David J. Berteau, Senior Vice President and Director of International Security Program. Center for Strategic and International Studies.

US TRADE POLICY POST APEC 2011. 11/18, Noon-2:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Japan Commerce Association of Washington, DC (JCAW). Speaker: Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky- Partner, WilmerHale. Former United States Trade Representative.

NEXT STEPS FOR THE AMERICAN TRADE AGENDA. 11/30, 9:00am-Noon, Washington, DC. Sponsor: U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Keynote remarks by: USTR Ambassador Ronald Kirk. Followed by a panel discussion with: The Honorable Susan Schwab, Mayer Brown LLP, Former U.S. Trade Representative (2006-2009); The Honorable Charlene Barshefsky, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, Former U.S. Trade Representative (1997-2000); The Honorable Carla Hills, Hills & Company, Former U.S. Trade Representative (1989-1993).

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule November 15

2011-11-16T05:58:00.000-05:00

AM
07:01 Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
and Mr. Tezuka, Assistant to PM
08:39 Mr. Nagahama and Mr. Tezuka left
08:52 Parliament
09:03 The Upper House Budget Committee

PM
12:07 Imperial Palace, report of return.
12:22 The office of PM
12:50 Parliament
01:00 The Upper House Budget Committee
06:08 Ministerial Meeting
06:36 The Guesthouse, Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo
06:38 King and Queen of Bhutan, accompanied by Mrs. Noda
07:09 The Residence of PM
07:10 Mr. Tezuka, Assistant to PM
07:31 Mr. Tezuka left

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule 12, 13 & 14

2011-11-14T14:34:00.003-05:00

November 14 (Tokyo)
PM
10:54 Arrive at Haneda Airport.
11:32 The Residence of PM

November 13 (Local Time)
AM
APEC Summit in the Hotel JW Marriott Ihilani, outskirts of Honolulu.
Conversation with APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) with national leaders.

PM
Lunch party with the APEC leaders.
Photo shoot.
Heads of state summit.
Press conference in the Prince Hotel Waikiki
Depart from Hickam AFB on a government jet.

November 12 (Local Time)

AM
Pay floral tribute at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Pay floral tribute and take a moment of silence in front of the memorial for the victims of Ehime-maru, a training vessel of Ehime Prefectural Uwajima Fishery High School, at Kaka’ako Waterfront Park.
Meeting with President Hu Jintao of the PRC, in the Sheraton Waikiki.

PM
Meeting with President Obama of the U.S. in the Hale Koa Hotel.
Meeting with President Medvedev of Russia in the Hotel Modern Honolulu.
Press interview at the Prince Hotel Waikiki.
Mr. Donohue, President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Meeting with President Humala of Peru.
Mr. Hiromasa Yonekura, President of Keidanren.
Dinner party at the Hale Koa Hotel, hosted by President Oabama and the First Lady.
Stay in the Prince Hotel Waikiki.

TPP Not

2011-11-13T22:32:00.002-05:00

On November 10, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda gave a tentative yes to Japan’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations. He had been advised to approach the issue in a “cautious manner” and his endorsement was far from strong. At his news conference, Noda used indirect language saying, “there is the need to strive to gather further information and to conduct thorough national debates so that Japan can come to a conclusion on whether to join the TPP negotiations from the view point of achieving national interests."

He stressed the need to firmly safeguard Japan's unique health care system, traditional cultures, and farming villages. At the same time, Noda said that Japan "must incorporate the economic growth of the Asia-Pacific region" to pass on to the next generation the current prosperity, and Japan must develop its society into a robust one. From this perspective, he said that he has decided to “begin consultations with the relevant countries. "

"I will do my best to advance the national interest," he vowed. "We will protect what needs to be protected, and win what needs to be won." "

Whereas most Americans interpreted Noda’s vague statement as a definitive yes--thinking (wrongly) that a removal of tariffs heralds open and free trade with Japan--the Japanese understood the nuance in their prime minister's language. Noda simply expressed an intention to join only pre-talk talks. His first task was less to appease the Americans than to defuse discontent among his DPJ opponents, including former farm minister Masahiko Yamada and those who threaten to leave the party.

Why American leaders believed that Japan had said "yes" to joining TPP is unclear. I do not believe Noda had even Cabinet approval to commit to the negotiation. Japan hands, used to the Japan that says "maybe no," were surprised by Washington's innocence. As blogger Shisaku observed, it was a "classic move" where Japan was "not only snookering the opposite side but getting the opposite side to apologize for getting snookered."

Americans failed to understand that what is at stake is not so much the economic interests of the nation as it is Japan's political culture. TPP factors heavily in the court-mandated reapportionment of electoral districts. Although 80% of the people live in urban areas, their votes only comprise about 20% of the Diet. The rural, agricultural political interests are not going to give up power easily. TPP will likely cut more electoral districts than tariffs.

Although divisions are bitter and focused within the political realm, it is unclear where the general public opinion falls on TPP. Polls conducted by two major media outlets reveal split opinions over Japan’s involvement in the U.S.-led TPP negotiations. There is not a majority either way and many simply feel uninformed.

A Kyodo News nationwide telephone-based public opinion survey published on November 6th found that 38.7% of those polled believe that Japan should participate in TPP negotiations and 36.1% believe that Japan should not. When asked if the government had explained the repercussions for participation 78.2% answered in the negative and 17.1% answered in the affirmative. According to this poll Noda’s approval rating has dropped to 47%, down 7.5 points since October.

Mainichi Shimbun’s public opinion survey on November 7th found that 34% of those polled believe that Japan should participate in TPP negotiations and 25% believe that Japan should not. Of those polled 39% said that they did not know. Mainichi reported that Noda’s approval rating is 42%.

To further emphasize Noda’s equivocal stance toward TPP, was the immediate misinterpretation of his decision by the White House and State Department. On November 12, U.S. President Barak Obama tried to clarify Noda’s statement by "welcom[ing] Prime Minister Noda' statement that he would put all goods, as well as services, on the negotiating table for trade liberalization,"

Japan’s Foreign Ministry swiftly denied that Prime Minister Noda had said Tokyo will discuss liberalizing trade in all goods and services. The ministry protested against the U.S. readout and the U.S. side apologized for its misunderstanding, if not over-generous interpretation of Noda’s talks with the President. Yes, all items can be subject to trade liberalization talks, but not all will be seriously considered.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule, Nov 12

2011-11-13T06:34:00.000-05:00

AM
07:25 Haneda Airport (Tokyo).
07:26 Press interview.
07:52 Depart for Honolulu to attend APEC Summit.

PM (Local Time November 11)
Arrive at the Hickam AFB. Reception at the Bishop Museum co-hosted by U.S.- Japan Council and APEC Host Committee. Meeting with Senator Daniel Inouye and Mrs. Inouye. Stay in the Prince Hotel Waikiki.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule, Nov 11

2011-11-12T00:01:00.003-05:00

This is a new feature of the APP blog. We will post the daily schedule of Japan's Prime Minister. It provides a special insight into Japanese policymaking. We also hope to provide occasional statistical analysis. Your comments and observations, as always, are welcome.

AM
06:04 Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Tezuka, Assistant to PM
07:33 Mr. Tezuka left
07:41 Mr. Nagahama left
08:49 Parliament
08:52 Ministerial meeting
08:27 The Lower House Budget Committee

PM
12:05 The office of PM.
12:37 Parliament
12:39 Mr. Kano, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery, Mr. Koshiishi, DPJ Secretary General.
01:00 The Upper House Plenary Session.
04:47 The office of PM
04:51 Three DPJ/Government Executive Meeting.
05:12 The meeting adjourned.
06:02 Government Revitalization Unit meeting.
07:18 Committee of Ministers on comprehensive economic partnership meeting.
08:00 Press conference.
08:21 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary
08:46 Dr. Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State. Accompanied by Mr. Hisashi Hieda, President of Fuji Television.
09:06 Mr. Tezuka, Assistant to PM
09:22 Residence of PM

Order of the Rising Sun

2011-11-08T23:58:00.000-05:00

Dr. Norman P. Neureiter, a board member of Asia Policy Point, was awarded the Emperor's Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star on November 5, 2010. There was a reception honoring him on October 24th at the residence of the Japanese Ambassador in Washington (where the above picture was snapped by APP's director). Senior members of the Capital's science community, includes the head of AAAS and the White House science adviser, attended.

He was honored for his many years of working to advance U.S.-Japan relations and science cooperation.

He is currently Senior Advisor for two Centers at the American Association for the advancement of Science (AAAS): the Center for Science Diplomacy and also the Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy, the latter of which he had previously served as Director for five years.

Dr. Neureiter started working with Japan in 1963, when he became the first permanent U.S. program director for the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Science Program that was initiated under President John F. Kennedy.

From 1989 to 1994, he lived in Tokyo and served as vice president of Texas Instruments Asia. He represented the company during bitter and extended patent disputes with Japanese companies. The Japanese Patent Office took 30 years to grant TI a patent for its Kilby microchip.

In 1994, Neureiter was asked by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to chair the U.S. side of an advisory committee established under the U.S.-Japan Science Cooperation Agreement. He served as U.S. co-chair of that committee, the Joint High-Level Advisory Panel, until 2000.

After retirement from Texas Instruments in 1996, Neureiter served as a consultant until being appointed in September 2000 as the first Science and Technology Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State. He served briefly under Madeleine Albright and then under Colin Powell. Neureiter joined AAAS in 2004 to lead the newly organized Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy.

America's Edge or Not

2011-11-08T18:21:00.000-05:00

Innovation and America's Future. 11/10, 8:00-11:00am, Washington, DC. Sponsor: The Atlantic Magazine. Speakers: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, (R-TX); Assistant Labor Secretary Jane Oates; and Jay Timmons, CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers.

Has the U.S. lost its edge in science and technology and what can it do to reverse this negative trend? 11/10, 9:00-10:30am, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Arizona State University (ASU).Speakers: Thomas Kalil, deputy director for policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Patrick Gallagher, director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Deborah Wince-Smith, president and CEO of the Council on Competitiveness; Jennifer Harper-Taylor, president of the Siemens Foundation; William Kiczuk, vice president of Raytheon; Celia Merzbacher, vice president of innovative partnerships at the Semiconductor Research Corporation; Kathleen Weiss, director of government relations at First Solar; and Mitzi Montoya, dean and vice provost at Arizona State University Polytechnic campus.

Can America Get Its Entrepreneurial Groove Back? 11/15, 8:15am-1:15pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Brookings Institution. Speakers: Martin Neil Baily, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies; Joseph L. Rice, III, Chairman, Private Capital Research Institute; David Brooks, Columnist, New York Times; Martin Neil Baily, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies; Aaron Chatterji, Associate Professor, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University; Michael Klein, Former Chairman, Citi Institutional Clients Group; Richard P. Jaffe, Member, Executive Board, Association for Corporate Growth, Partner, Duane Morris LLP; Joncarlo Mark Founder, Upwelling Capital; Heather Slavkin, Senior Legal and Policy Advisor, Office of Investment, AFL-CIO; Harry Wilson, CEO, MAEVA Advisors; Mark Wiseman, Executive Vice President, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board; Josh Lerner; Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking, Harvard Business School, President, Private Capital Research Institute; Robert E. Litan, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies; Carl Shapiro, Member, President’s Council of Economic Advisers; Ron Bloom, Former Assistant to the President for Manufacturing Policy; Joel Kurtzman, Chairman, The Kurtzman Group, Senior Fellow, the Milken Institute; A.G. Lafley, Former CEO, Procter & Gamble, Member, President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness; Karen Mills, Administrator, Small Business Administration.

India Rising

2011-11-08T18:06:00.000-05:00

Throughout Washington's think tanks there has been a growth of programs and research on India. In part, this is supported by a willingness of Indian interests to support these endeavors. The American security community is also encouraging this work as a way to explore if Indian is a viable counter-weight to China's rise in Asia. More interesting is Japanese funding of a number of major projects to study a security partnership with India.

Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns' speech (noted below) heralding a tri-lateral India, Japan and US relationship reflects this activity. In October, both India's Ministers of External Affairs and Defense visited Japan. Prime Minister Noda is expected to visit India at the end of December.

This month, November 12-14, Mumbai hosts the World Economic Forum's India Economic Summit 2011 to showcase the nation's economic might.

Asia, the Americas, and U.S. Strategy for a New Century, Remarks by William J. Burns, Deputy Secretary, Remarks at World Affairs Councils of America National Conference, November 4, 2011, Washington, DC.

India’s rise will reshape the international system. The President has said that India will be “one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.” We also want it to be one of the defining partnerships in the Asia-Pacific….That’s why, last year, our two countries launched a strategic dialogue on the Asia-Pacific to ensure that the world’s two largest democracies pursue strategies that reinforce one another. And we are launching a new U.S.-India-Japan trilateral consultation on regional issues.

US-INDIA ENGAGEMENT: LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS OF A NEW ASIAN SECURITY ARCHITECTURE. 11/14, 3:00-4:30, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Asian Studies, Heritage Foundation. Speakers: Bharat Karnad, Research Professor, National Security Studies, Center for Policy Research, New Delhi, Dr. Daniel Twining, Senior Research Fellow for Asia, The German Marshall Fund; Lisa Curtis, Senior Research Fellow, Asian Studies Center, Heritage Foundation; Walter Lohman, Director, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage Foundation.

INDIA-JAPAN TIES: ASIA’S FASTEST GROWING RELATIONSHIP? 11/15, 3:30-5:30, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Asia Program, Wilson Center (WWC). Speakers: K.V. Kesavan, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation (India); Takenori Horimoto, Professor of Contemporary South Asia Politics, Shobi University; Daniel Twining, German Marshall Fund.

THE US-INDIA ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP: ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES. 11/16, 10:30am-Noon, Washington, DC. Sponsor: East-West Center. Speaker: Pravakar Sahoo, Visiting Fellow, East-West Center, Associate Professor, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi University, India.

Japan Thursday

2011-11-02T10:21:00.002-04:00

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE POLICY FORMULATION PROCESS IN JAPAN AND US PARLIAMENTS: ROLES OF THE CABINET, CONGRESSIONAL STAFF, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, LOBBYISTS, PARLIAMENTARIANS, AND THINK TANKS. 11/3, 10:30am-Noon, Washington, DC. Sponsor: U.S.-Japan Research Institute (USJI). Speakers: Dr. Mikiyasu Nakayama, Professor, Division of Environmental Studies, University of Tokyo; Dr. Ryo Fujikura, Dean of The Graduate School of Environmental Management, Professor of the Faculty of Humanity and Environment, Hosei University; Mr. Paul Joffe, Senior Foreign Policy Counsel, World Resources Institute.

THE OZAWA PROSECUTION AND JAPANESE DEMOCRACY: THE 2009 AMENDMENTS TO THE PROSECUTION REVIEW COMMISSION LAW AND TURMOIL IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF JAPAN. 11/3, 12:30-1:45pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Sigur Center, George Washington University. Speaker: Carl Goodman, Professorial Lecturer in Law, George Washington University Law School.

PARTNERSHIP FOR RECOVERY AND A STRONGER FUTURE: STANDING WITH JAPAN AFTER 3-11. 11/3, 2:30-4:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: CSIS. Speakers: Thomas R. Nides, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources; Kurt M. Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Video Message from Jim McNerney, Chairman, President and CEO, The Boeing Company; Michael Green, Senior Adviser and Japan Chair, CSIS; Associate Professor, Georgetown University; Tim Adams, Managing Director, The Lindsey Group; former Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs; J. Stephen Morrison, Senior Vice President and Director, Global Health Policy Center, CSIS; Stacey White, Senior Research Consultant, CSIS; Jane Nakano, Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS; Kiyoaki Aburaki, Visiting Fellow, CSIS; U.S. Representative, Keidanren; Stanley Roth, Vice President, International Government Relations, The Boeing Company.

Noda and TPP: Too big, too soon

2011-11-02T10:09:00.002-04:00

It is doubtful that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda can manage Japan’s quick participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. He is likely to miss the deadline promised for the mid-November APEC summit in Hawaii. The Noda government wants to say yes, but it has no way of holding together the party or its government if it does.

Noda is constrained by Japan’s cumbersome and time-consuming decision-making. An increasingly organized opposition to Japan joining TPP also restrains him. There is a deep-seated doubt across the political spectrum that TPP is not in Japan’s national interest.

TPP supporters believe that such views can be countered by a campaign to correct these misunderstandings, but time is not on their side. The DPJ and other parties are split, if not outright opposed. The best that Noda may offer at APEC is a vaguely worded statement to eventually join TPP. The back strategy is a hope that by spring his government can offer a binding commitment.

Consensus manager
Noda is an old-style consensus manager, common among past LDP leaders. He is trying to make decisions based on a consolidation of views in his government at the cabinet level and those in his party, the Democratic Party of Japan. To do so, he has created consensus-creating groups both in his cabinet and party—the National Strategy Council and the Policy Research Council respectively.

The two sets of views will be turned into a unified position by the Joint Government-Party Executive Council headed by Prime Minister Noda. The test of this new process, unfortunately, is TPP. Further, Noda set an internal deadline of November 4, though preferably November 2 to coincide with the G-20 summit conference on November 3-4.

DPJ split on TPP, as is the LDP
The DPJ is split on TPP. The party’s TPP project team, headed by former METI minister Yoshio Hachiro, only started to debate the issue on October 28. Moreover, those in the DPJ opposed or having doubts about Japan joining the TPP have formed their own powerful group, led by former agriculture minister Masahiko Yamada. It is holding hearings that question whether joining the TPP would be in Japan’s national interests.

Former Prime Minister and DPJ Party President Yukio Hatoyama is part of that crowd. He sat in the group’s sessions and commented on October 21: “If we do everything the U.S. tells us what to do, we can’t jump to the conclusion that the country will get better. In my view, we should protect our country.”

Similarly, the leading opposition party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has also found itself facing the same dilemma. Debate has been centered in the party’s Foreign and Economic Policy Liaison Committee, led by former Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura who appears to oppose. LDP secretary general Hidenao Nakagawa, however did issue a report on October 27 calling on the party to seriously consider joining TPP.

The LDP opposition partner, New Komeito, has come out against TPP. It sees membership as a threat to Japan’s agriculture and domestic industry. Worse they accuse the DPJ of pandering to the U.S. with joining TPP only to “please the U.S. at the expense of agriculture” in order to “cover up” its “diplomatic blunders” over the last two years.

Public confused while fear rules
The government ministries are also divided on how joining TPP will affect Japan, both economically and socially. While the Cabinet Office says GDP will be up .48 to .65% from the benefits of joining TPP, the Agricultural Ministry has its own study that claims that GDP will decline by 1.6% from the negative impact of TPP. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has countered with its own simulation that shows GDP will decline 1.53% if Japan does not join.

A Nikkei poll released on October 31 found 45% of the public approving TPP with 32% opposed. They appear to agree with Tokyo University Professor Motoshige Ito who argues that the Japanese economy since the bubble burst in 1990 has been behind the curve in terms of the global trend of trade liberalization. If Japan misses this opportunity, he argues, its economic fate will be sealed for the next decade or two, as other economies continue to grow and Japan’s does not.

Fear mongering by interest groups opposing TPP has spread through the media, spreading myths that everything from agriculture to medical services would be destroyed by TPP membership. The campaign is led by JA Zenchu, The Central Union of Agricultural cooperatives, which has launched a full-blown anti-TPP movement, having accumulated millions of signatures that it presented last week to the Noda Administration. Since those petitioners are potentially votes that could be cast now for the opposition in the next election, the DPJ, already unpopular, cannot ignore that factor. A rally with reportedly 3,000 TPP opponents was held recently in downtown Tokyo.

If Noda is going to overcome such opposition, he needs strong leadership and party support. He also needs more time. A November 15th deadline is simply not realistic.

William Brooks
APP Senior Fellow
October 31, 2011

American Competitiveness Reviewed

2011-11-02T10:04:00.000-04:00

FOSTERING U.S. INNOVATION
11/2 – 10:00am, 2318 Rayburn House Office Building. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Technology and Innovation Subcommittee hearing on "Creating and Growing New Businesses: Fostering U.S. Innovation." Witnesses: Brink Lindsey, senior scholar in research and policy at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; Julian Mann, co-founder and vice president for product development and research at Skybox Imaging; and Steve Dubin, former CEO of Martek Biosciences, senior advisor to DSM Nutritional Products.

U.S. INNOVATION CHALLENGES
11/2 – 10:00am, 2203 Rayburn House Office Building. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, TARP, Financial Service and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs Subcommittee hearing on "America's Innovation Challenge: What Obstacles Do Entrepreneurs Face?" Witnesses: Mr. Eric Koester, CMO and Co-Founder; Zaarly, Inc.; Ms. Lonna J. Williams, CEO, Ridge Diagnostics; Tsvi Goldenberg, Ph.D., CEOeem℞a.

TRANSFERRING AMERICA'S LEADING EDGE SCIENCE TO CHINA
11/2 – 3:00pm, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building. House Foreign Affairs Committee, Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on "Efforts to Transfer America's Leading Edge Science to China." Witnesses: Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee; Thomas Armstrong, managing associate general counsel at the Government Accountability Office; John Holdren, director White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Charles Bolden, administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Rick Fisher, senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center; Elizabeth Economy, senior fellow Council on Foreign Relations.

SCIENCE-TECH-ENGINEERING-MATH EDUCATION
11/3 – 10:00am, 2318 Rayburn House Office Building. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Research and Science Education Subcommittee hearing on "STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) In Action: Transferring Knowledge from the Workplace to the Classroom." Witnesses: Michael Beeth, Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh; Christine Sutton, Secondary Math Teacher, Girgil I. Grissom High School, Huntsville City Schools, Alabama; Robin Willner, Vice President, Global community Initiatives, Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs, IBM Corporation; Jason Morrella, President, Robotics Education and Competition Foundation; Jenifer Jones, Principal Clinical Scientist, Abbott Vascular.

Historic Ceremony

2011-11-02T09:46:00.001-04:00

November 2, 2011 at 11:00 am

U.S. Congress holds a ceremony to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Japanese-American veterans * of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442 Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service, United States Army, in recognition of dedicated service during World War II.

Participants: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY; House Speaker John Boehner, R-OH; House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-CA.

Location: CVC-Emancipation Hall, U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC

*This is a collective medal that will be stored at the Smithsonian. Bronze replicas can be purchased.

Connecting to Japan

2011-10-13T17:03:00.000-04:00

HOW DOES JAPANESE RAILROAD TECHNOLOGY CONTRIBUTE TO THE LOW-CARBON SOCIETY? 10/17, 1:00-2:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: US-Japan Research Institute (USJI). Speaker: Mr. Masaki Ogata, Vice Chairman of East Railway Company (JR East).

WHAT COMES AFTER THE GREAT EASTERN JAPAN EARTHQUAKE? IMPLICATIONS ON THE JAPANESEAND EAST ASIAN ECONOMY, AS WELL AS GLOBAL ENERGY SECURITY AND NUCLEAR POLICY. 10/18, 10:30am-Noon, Washington, DC. Sponsor: U.S.-Japan Research Institute (USJI). Speakers: Hironori Kawauchi, Senior Economist, East Asia and Pacific Region, World Bank; Jane Nakano, Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS; Stratos Tavoulareas, Energy Adviser, Energy Technologies Enterprise Corporation; Yosihaki Abe, Operating Adviser, USJI.

NOW AND MORE THAN EVER BEFORE: PROMOTING INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE U.S. AND JAPAN. 10/25, 12:00-2:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Japan Commerce Association of Washington. Speaker: Dr. L. Gordon Flake, Executive Director, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation; Dr. Kent Calder, Director, Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University.

Republican Presidential Hopefuls Views of Asia

2011-10-13T16:35:00.003-04:00

This week, both Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman released their views on foreign policy and gave speeches focused on America’s world obligations. Both seem to acknowledge that maritime security in the Pacific will be a focus of their Administrations. Both believe that Americans must lead. Most interesting, there is nearly no mention of Japan or Korea in their statements. Huntsman even suggests that India, not Japan, should become a permanent member of the the UN Security Council.

Below are links to their statements and papers as well as quotes. Neither Herman Cain nor Rick Perry have yet outlined their foreign policy views. Mr. Cain, however, says he is prepared for those "gotcha" questions by reporters covering his campaign for president. He told a reporter that he plans to simply answer "I don't know" if he is asked, Cain said. "And when they ask me who is the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan, I'm going to say you know, I don't know. Do you know?"

MITT ROMNEY
Speech

US as #1
God did not create this country to be a nation of followers. America is not destined to be one of several equally balanced global powers. America must lead the world, or someone else will. Without American leadership, without clarity of American purpose and resolve, the world becomes a far more dangerous place, and liberty and prosperity would surely be among the first casualties.

China
China has made it clear that it intends to be a military and economic superpower. Will her rulers lead their people to a new era of freedom and prosperity or will they go down a darker path, intimidating their neighbors, brushing aside an inferior American Navy in the Pacific, and building a global alliance of authoritarian states?

No mention of Japan or Korean Alliances
And I will bolster and repair our alliances. Our friends should never fear that we will not stand by them in an hour of need. I will reaffirm as a vital national interest Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. I will count as dear our Special Relationship with the United Kingdom. And I will begin talks with Mexico, to strengthen our cooperation on our shared problems of drugs and security.

Military buildup
Among these actions will be to restore America’s national defense. I will reverse the hollowing of our Navy and announce an initiative to increase the shipbuilding rate from 9 per year to 15. I will begin reversing Obama-era cuts to national missile defense and prioritize the full deployment of a multilayered national ballistic missile defense system. I will order the formulation of a national cybersecurity strategy, to deter and defend against the growing threats of militarized cyber-attacks, cyber-terrorism, and cyber-espionage.

White Paper
Advisers

JON HUNTSMAN
Speech and Video
Advisers

The world needs American leadership now more than ever. Yet we are struggling to provide it.

President Obama’s policies have weakened America, and thus diminished America’s presence on the global stage.We must correct our course.

Only Pakistan can save Pakistan. Only Afghanistan can save Afghanistan. And right now we should focus on America saving America. Our future is not in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan.

I have come to believe that we are embarking on a Pacific Century…in which America must and will play a dominant role....Embracing this reality may bring a dramatic change to the look of our military. The Asia Pacific is a maritime theater whereas Europe was mostly a land theater.

Our relationship with China has been a transactional one for 40 years. We buy their products. They buy our bonds. But for a truly healthy relationship, we need to infuse the relationship with shared values.

And recognizing India’s emerging role, I will also support our ally’s bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, as is fitting a country representing one-sixth of humanity.

Foreign Policy Outline

It’s all about the economy
To be good abroad, we must be great at home. America's competitive advantages are impermanent and can be squandered if we are not wise in the management of our resources and in choosing when and where to exercise our power. Through dramatic overhaul of our tax system and aggressive regulatory reform, we can once again unleash our creative class and give the American entrepreneur the chance to succeed.

Alliances but no mention of Japan or Korea
The international environment is rapidly changing, and the foundation for United States foreign policy should remain rooted in our traditional alliances. But we must also craft wise policies with respect to the new great powers. India can be a more valued strategic partner to the United States, and a better and more effective approach to the China relationship is also needed.

Asia
No distinct sidebar link to Asia but one to “Central Asia” (bet he knows the president of Uzbekistan) and a mention of Asian countries, but not China in “Trade.”

The United States should immediately initiate bilateral negotiations with Japan, India, Taiwan and Brazil, with the goal of concluding new free trade agreements with each.

Addresses Chinese Expansionism

2011-10-13T16:01:00.000-04:00

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA and Asia Policy Point Cordially Invite You To

Addressing Chinese Expansionism

Maritime Security in East Asia

Wednesday, October 26, 2011
4:00-5:30 PM

Dr. Yoichiro Sato

Director of International Strategic Studies

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

Dr. Yoichiro Sato is Professor and Director of International Strategic Studies at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. Previously, he taught diplomats and military officers at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies of the U.S. Department of Defense. He is a co-editor with G. John Ikenberry and Takashi Inoguchi of the new book, The U.S.-Japan Security Alliance: Regional Multilateralism. His other major works include Japan in a Dynamic Asia (co-edited with Satu Limaye, 2006), Norms, Interests, and Power in Japanese Foreign Policy (co-edited with Keiko Hirata, 2008), and The Rise of China and International Security (co-edited with Kevin Cooney, 2008). Dr. Sato received his BA in Law from Keio University, MA in International Studies from University of South Carolina and PhD in Political Science from University of Hawaii.

Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA
1819 L Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC

Reservations Necessary

Contact Mr. Jonathan Bender, apprsvp@gmail.com, with your name, affiliation, and contact information by Tuesday, October 25th or call Asia Policy Point at (202) 822-6040.

Space is limited