SNA (Tokyo) — The following stories were reported in the last half of June 2020 by the Shingetsu News Agency.

Rolling Coverage: Covid-19

—Health Ministry survey tests 8,000 people for Covid-19 antibodies in Tokyo, Osaka, Miyagi prefectures. The positive rates were 0.1%, 0.17%, and 0.03% respectively. That suggests real number of infections in Tokyo has been about 14,000 people (3x higher than official number).

—As of June 18, there is officially no longer any Covid-19 “restrictions” on moving between prefectures, not that there was ever any enforcement of this policy in the first place. Events with up to 1,000 people in attendance are also now permitted.

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reaffirms that his government is trying to negotiate with Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Vietnam to ease Covid-19 travel bans. It’s unclear why Taiwan isn’t on this list. Also, Japan has far more new cases than most of these countries do.

—Now that people’s attentions are wandering to other issues, something interesting is going on with regard to Covid-19: The number of cases is ticking upward somewhat, but the policy response has been to loosen restrictions, not to reinstitute warnings like “Tokyo Alert.”

—Covid-19 infection cases have appeared at Misawa Air Base in Aomori. The US military earlier imposed a news blackout on the extent of the spread of the coronavirus at its Japan bases, but it was revealed that perhaps half a dozen new infections have occurred at Misawa.

—Health Ministry pleased as the Covid-19 contract-tracing mobile phone app that it released this week has already been downloaded by millions of Japan residents. The security and effectiveness of such apps is being questioned in other countries that use them.

—Michael Mroczek, president of the European Business Council in Japan, warns that international businesses may move their Asia headquarters out of Japan if policies such as blocking long-term and permanent foreign residents from reentry are maintained.

—The government reports that, as of June 19, almost 58% of households in Japan have received their ¥100,000 Covid-19 relief payments.

—June 25 to be the date of Japan’s first step toward reopening to international travel. In a very limited fashion, flights between Japan and Vietnam will resume for some Japanese businesspeople.

—In what may be a very poorly-timed gesture, Japanese Olympic Committee chief Yasuhiro Yamashita sends letters to national Olympic committees worldwide declaring that Japan is “slowly stepping out to restart our social lives,” suggesting that the Covid-19 crisis is ending.

—The panel of medical experts advising the Abe government on Covid-19 measures (which was never really given a handy name) is to be disbanded and replaced by a new “subcommittee” mixing medical experts with local government people and so-called “crisis management experts.”

—For the first time in a month and a half, the total daily number of new Covid-19 cases reported across Japan reached triple digits, or 105 people to be precise. An upward trend is clearly visible, though it is not dramatic.

—Although there has been no announcement to this effect, speculation is growing that the Koike administration has quietly shelved its “Tokyo Alert” system, probably under pressure from the business community, and with the Tokyo gubernatorial election campaign now underway.

—Japan’s number of active Covid-19 cases is now on the rise as well. A week ago the number of active cases had fallen below 700 people, but now it has risen back above 800 people and appears set to climb.

—This week confirmed that new Covid-19 cases are again on the rise. While it may be too early to declare a “second wave” because the acceleration remains modest, all current indicators, including active cases, are beginning to climb again.

—Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga confirms what had already become apparent: the rising numbers of new Covid-19 cases is not going to result in the government reinstituting any emergency measures. Unless the number of cases skyrockets, they’ll just let it ride.

—Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura apparently coordinated with almost no one when he announced that the Covid-19 experts panel would be scrapped and replaced with a new organization. He’s been forced to backtrack and explain that it is an evolution to a broader advisory group.

—Concerned about the trend of a rising number of new Covid-19 cases, Saitama Governor Motohiro Ono calls on residents of his prefecture to avoid going to restaurants in the Tokyo Metropolitan District and patronize local restaurants instead.

—The number of active Covid-19 cases in Japan has now climbed back over 1,000 as the number of new cases continues to accelerate.

Rolling Coverage: Aegis Ashore Cancelled

—The factor which finally killed Japan’s commitment to Aegis Ashore was the realization that booster rockets from the missiles could fall on residential areas of (Shinzo Abe’s home district) in Yamaguchi Prefecture. On top of all the other problems, they gave up.

—Defense hawks within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are in near rebellion over the decision to cancel the Aegis Ashore program. Rightwing lawmaker Masahisa Sato among those leading the charge, demanding that the missile defense system is absolutely necessary for Japan.

—Local political leaders in Akita Prefecture express anger at the Defense Ministry for giving them false information about the safety of Aegis Ashore system, and making them use their own political credibility on behalf of a half-baked deployment plan that has now collapsed.

—Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gives cautious response to Japan’s suspension of Aegis Ashore deployment; says it is unclear from Kono and other officials’ statements whether the planned deployment has been abandoned or not. Russia will continue to observe the situation.

—Jiji Press reports that the Defense Ministry knew “months ago” that falling booster rockets from Aegis Ashore could pose a serious risk, but they lied to the proposed host communities in Akita and Yamaguchi, continuing to insist that the system was entirely safe.

—Asahi Shinbun Editorial: “If the Aegis Ashore system has been deemed ‘impractical’… surely that is the case with the Henoko project, now that the presence of soft ground has been confirmed on the construction site. We demand that the relocation project, too, be stopped.”

—Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai criticizes Defense Minister Taro Kono and the Defense Ministry for failing entirely to consult with the ruling party before announcing that the Aegis Ashore deployment would be scrapped.

—Japan’s suspension of Aegis Ashore unlikely to make big difference to Japan-Russia ties. Russia strongly opposed the deployment yet its suspension doesn’t change fact that Japan is a close US ally. Russia also concerned about possible post-INF missile deployments in Japan.

—Indications are that the US government does not accept Japan’s decision to cancel deployment of the Aegis Ashore facilities, and they plan to try to talk the Abe government into reversing its recent decision.

—Defense Minister Taro Kono begins his Aegis Ashore apology tour, first going to Yamaguchi Prefecture and apologizing for “reaching a conclusion like this.” Local leaders say that their communities had been divided over the matter and it was all unnecessary.

—Defense Minister Taro Kono’s Aegis Ashore apology tour makes its second leg, this time to Akita Prefecture, where he once again seeks forgiveness for the central government’s botched deployment plans.

—Reading in the Japanese media that decision to cancel Aegis Ashore “has created a hole in air defense.” In the first place, it hasn’t “created” anything as it never existed in this country. Secondly, the news media should not uncritically report fearmongering posing as fact.

Rolling Coverage: US Troops in Japan

—Environment Ministry survey effectively confirms that US military bases throughout Japan have been dumping cancer-causing PFOS and PFOA, including at Yokota and Atsugi bases in the Tokyo area. Some Japanese factories are also breaking regulations.

—A fire broke out at a storage building for hazardous materials at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. Kadena authorities suggest that chlorine gas may have been released into the atmosphere, and those who feel breathing or vision problems should seek immediate treatment.

—Okinawa officials say the fire that broke out at a hazardous materials storage facility on Kadena Air Base led to 45 people sickened and needing medical treatment. As usual, US military authorities refused all cooperation with the local government, providing no information.

—Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki: “US Forces have not responded to the prefectural government’s inquiries regarding the impact of the fire on residents living near the air base. This is a very regrettable situation that is causing much anxiety among our local residents.”

—The Mainichi Shinbun survey of all 47 prefectural governors found that 39 of them, or 83%, agree with the statement that the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement “should be reviewed.” Most of them specified that US military forces should be subject to Japanese law.

—Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu tells the Mainichi Shinbun: “The Status of Forces Agreement is close to an extraterritorial right and it is unequal. To prevent crimes and accidents by US military personnel that repeatedly occur, fundamental revisions are necessary.”

—Former White House National Security Adviser John Bolton claims in his new book that President Donald Trump urged him last July to demand Japan pay US$8 billion a year or else all US troops would be withdrawn from Japan. Reports at the time said basically the same thing.

Rolling Coverage: Arrest of the Kawais

—Lawmakers Katsuyuki and Anri Kawai to submit their resignations from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. They are likely going down over their election bribery scandal in Hiroshima, and this is meant to reduce the political damage to the Abe government.

—Prosecutors reveal that they will soon arrest former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai and his lawmaker wife Anri on bribery charges. Katsuyuki Kawai was a close aide to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe regarding US relations for several years, before his ministerial appointment.

—The arrest of former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai and his lawmaker wife Anri Kawai has now taken place. They are accused of political bribery in their effort to secure Anri’s seat in the Diet.

—Messages on the Line mobile phone app may be the smoking gun in the case against Katsuyuki and Anri Kawai. Prosecutors have leaked to the media (as they do) that the couple tried to destroy evidence by deleting their Line messages, but prosecutors recovered the messages.

—The ruling party is reeling as the utter corruption of its Hiroshima chapter is being revealed by prosecutors. It appears that 94 local politicians received bribes from the Kawais, suggesting how routine cash payoffs within the ruling party has become.

—Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai claims that after the ruling party sent ¥150 million (US$1.4 million) in party funds to Katsuyuki and Anri Kawai, it made no effort whatsoever to track what happened to the money after that.

—As he allegedly handed out bribes to local politicians in Hiroshima, former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai was apparently in the habit of telling the bribe recipient that the money was “from Abe.” It’s not clear yet if there is any substantial basis for this claim.

—Many of the dozens of local LDP politicians who have admitted receiving bribes from Katsuyuki and Anri Kawai are refusing to resign for their illegal and unethical act. Some seem to be waiting to see if prosecutors will come after them, and will only resign if forced.

Rolling Coverage: Tokyo Gubernatorial Elections

—It appears that both of the major left-leaning Tokyo gubernatorial candidates, Taro Yamamoto and Kenji Utsunomiya, advocate immediate cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics. It has become a reasonably popular stance on the Japanese political left.

—Rengo Tokyo labor union federation will support Yuriko Koike for reelection as Tokyo governor. This is the same Rengo that is the main organization that supports the centrist opposition parties at the national level.

—The shape of the July 5 Tokyo gubernatorial election is now clear as campaigning begins. There are a total of 22 candidates, of which five are regarded as more significant: Yuriko Koike, Kenji Utsunomiya, Taro Yamamoto, Taisuke Ono, and Takashi Tachibana.

—Mainichi Shinbun polls suggests that the Tokyo gubernatorial race will be a walkover. Yuriko Koike found to be “suitable” to be governor by 51%. That compares to 10% for Kenji Utsunomiya, 8% for Taro Yamamoto, 7% for Taisuke Ono, and 2% for Takashi Tachibana.

—Scale of Yuriko Koike’s likely landslide in the July 5 Tokyo gubernatorial elections suggested by the fact that, among voters who identify with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Koike is preferred to CDPJ-backed Utsunomiya by a 3-to-1 margin, according to Kyodo News.

Politics

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pushing to use the Covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity to advance digitization within the government: “It is essential to make thorough efforts to cut paper, seal-stamping, and face-to-face procedures at this time.”

—The Mainichi Shinbun and Kyodo News polls both agree that public support for the Abe Cabinet now stands at around 36%. For the Mainichi poll, that’s nine points up; for the Kyodo poll, that’s three points down. But they both ended up about the same place this month.

—The widow of Toshio Akagi leads campaign that gathers more than 350,000 signatures calling for a reinvestigation of the Finance Ministry role in the Moritomo Gakuen scandal. Minister Taro Aso immediately rejects its significance, saying no further investigation is needed.

—Prominent lawmaker Shiori Yamao, who resigned from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan in March, has applied to join the Democratic Party For the People.

—The Democratic Party For the People is divided on whether or not to allow lawmaker Shiori Yamao to join the party. Leader Yuichiro Tamaki is excited about the prospect, but other senior lawmakers are cool to the notion. Discussions are ongoing.

—The main opposition parties join together to call for the Ordinary Diet Session to be extended until the end of the year, taking no summer break, so that the government can better respond in the event of a Covid-19 second wave.

—The ruling coalition rejected the opposition appeal to extend the Ordinary Diet Session until the end of the year, and the session was closed. However, some committee sessions will be held over the recess to discuss the Covid-19 crisis.

—Katsuya Okada warns that “there is not much time left” for the main opposition parties to unite their forces and make proper preparations for the next House of Representatives elections. Rumors in Nagatacho suggest that Abe might call a snap election this autumn.

—Social Democratic Party is holding internal discussions about the longstanding proposal to merge with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Many local party chapters of the SDP remain hostile to the idea, so the outcome is far from certain.

—Jiji Press poll finds the rather surprising result that Japanese now oppose revision of Article 9 of the Constitution by an over 2-to-1 majority: 69% against revision and 30% in favor. If true, it would seem that eight years of Shinzo Abe only made his dream more distant.

—Abe government preparing to abandon pledge (since 2003) that 30% of Japan leadership positions should be filled by women as of 2020. The ruling party, having done little to achieve the goal, is now thinking about reseting the timeline to 30% women leaders by 2030.

—Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu makes stand against powerful political forces, refusing to give consent for construction of the Tokyo-Nagoya Linear Chuo Shinkansen, scheduled to open in 2027. He cites the possible environmental impact. The line has no stops in Shizuoka.

International

—Human Rights Watch: “Kirin is putting money right into the pockets of Myanmar’s military, which is responsible for countless atrocities against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities,” said HRW Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson.

—South Korea to petition UNESCO to remove World Heritage status from Hashima Island (Gunkanjima) after the Abe government begins promoting historical denialism that there was ever any discrimination practiced against forced laborers there.

—It’s been revealed that the Abe government is trying to block South Korea from becoming a new member of an expanded G7. Abe’s team is arguing that Seoul is not tough enough on China. They also seem to want to remain the only East Asian member of the club.

—Ishigaki City Council approves provocative resolution to change the name of disputed territories to Tonoshiro Senkaku. This is widely expected to produce some kind of retaliation from both mainland China and Taiwan.

—China Foreign Ministry responds to Ishikawa City Council, denouncing the disputed islands name change as “a serious provocation to China’s territorial sovereignty. It is illegal, invalid, and cannot change the fact that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China.”

—Sakhalin Governor Valeri Limarenko uses Victory Day events on June 24 to drum up support for the revised constitution, which includes a clause banning territorial concessions: “It will put an end to the question of ownership of the Kuril Islands.”

—Ground Self-Defense Forces Osprey aircraft to begin deployment to Camp Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture from July 7. The original plan had been to deploy them to Saga Airport in Kyushu, but the local community has refused in light of various military aircraft accidents.

Economy

—Shareholders are trying to force the Mizuho Financial Group board at its annual general meeting to stop financing coal projects around Asia. The Abe government is pushing Japan’s banks to continue to bankroll this form of energy which contributes to climate change.

—Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) raises concern that teleworking in Japan is leading to employees working longer hours. They also call attention to employees paying work-related internet connection and mobile phone fees out of their own pockets.

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reportedly told the Central Minimum Wages Council to limit any hike in the minimum wage due to Covid-19. Abe apparently believes that the unprecedented crisis means that workers should be paid less than what would otherwise be the case.

GreenTech

—The Japanese government has decided to complete its nationwide optical fiber network by March 2022, two years earlier than previously targeted. Currently about 99% of households are within the network, but some isolated rural areas and remote islands are not yet connected.

—Japan celebrates as it has recaptured the title for having the world’s fastest supercomputer after an interval of nine years. The state-backed Riken research institute and Fujitsu played the key roles in developing the latest “Fugaku” supercomputer.

—Japan government has decided to help its companies, especially NEC and Fujitsu, become globally competitive in providing 5G networks. About ¥70 billion (US$650 million) in financial aid to be given. Japan wants to sideline Huawei and compete with Nokia and Ericsson.

Society

—Immigration Services Agency mulling new options to punish foreigners who refuse to abide by deportation orders. Almost one thousand foreigners are being held in detention, 70% of them because they fear even more the consequences of returning to their home countries.

—Some Japanese female-only universities are now beginning to accept transgender students. Japan Women’s University announces that they will begin to do so from April 2024. There are believed to be four universities in Japan who have now accepted these policies.

—Kyodo News survey finds a total of about 900 LGBT partnerships have been recognized by local governments since 2015 when the first certificates began to be issued. Nearly 50 Japanese local governments recognize such partnerships, but the LDP-led national government does not.

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