After a year-long study, the nongovernmental organization Human Rights Watch has issued a letter to Akihiko Tanaka, president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which alleges “a significant gap between official rhetoric on human rights and implementation” in Japan’s foreign aid policies.
While hardly a revelation, a recent series of comments from senior Liberal Democratic Party officials has provided an usually clear example of the ruling party’s cynicism in terms of its approach to academic specialists. It began with what might be called the “Own Goal Incident” that occurred on June 8 in the House of Representatives.
Former Japanese leader says the focus should be on diplomacy and friendly relations.
The issue of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s fringe views on wartime history has become a global topic whenever contemporary Japanese diplomacy is discussed, but the problem of selective, self-serving narratives of the past has also infected his coalition partner, Komeito.
Interview with Sayo Saruta, Director of the New Diplomacy Initiative.
The political consequences of Toru Hashimoto’s failure to convince the Osakans to vote in favour of his unification plan might reach beyond the borders of his constituency. In the aftermath of the referendum it became clear that not only Hashimoto’s own political career was tied to the result.
