DOCSLIB.ORG

Shinzo Abe RE-ELECTED AS JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Shinzo Abe RE-ELECTED AS JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER INTERNATIONAL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014 Second Christmas in ruins in Philippine disaster zone TACLOBAN: Thousands of residents of the typhoon- in the city on the central island of Leyte. government rebuilding plan. vendor Maria Fe Cajara, 37, told AFP as she planned weary city of Tacloban in the mainly Catholic “We’ve managed to put up a ramshackle shelter Pope Francis is to visit Tacloban next month dur- her family of four’s Christmas Eve dinner, the year’s Philippines prepared yesterday to mark their second out of 20 pieces of roofing sheets donated by a ing a four-day tour of the Philippines, Asia’s Catholic most eagerly awaited meal for Filipino families. Christmas in ruins following two giant storms. A huge Catholic charity, but we still don’t have a door and bastion. This month Tacloban was hit again-this time “My husband and I are planning to buy roasted streetside Christmas lantern was the sole sign of the proper beds,” the mother of three told AFP. by Typhoon Hagupit, the most powerful to hit the chicken. Last year we had relief goods to celebrate nation’s most festive holiday in the city’s Magallanes Haiyan, the strongest typhoon ever to hit land, country this year, which destroyed more houses and Christmas,” she added. In Manila President Benigno district, where shanties have replaced a community left 7,350 people dead or missing, and the coastal tents provided by aid agencies to Haiyan survivors. Aquino urged Filipinos to observe Christmas as a flattened by tsunami-like waves whipped up by Super neighbourhood of Magallanes highlights the slow However, prompt evacuation of nearly 1.7 million day of thanksgiving for the limited damage caused Typhoon Haiyan 13 months ago. pace of reconstruction. people living in vulnerable areas in several parts of by Hagupit. “Let us not forget to thank God for, Magallanes shopkeeper Aida Comendador, 46, Roughly a million people need to be moved away the country prevented more deaths. Hagupit killed although (Hagupit) caused some damage, more lined up at the nearby local social welfare office to from Magallanes and other coastal areas deemed just 33 people elsewhere in the country, according people were saved and now have the opportunity to collect up to 10,000 pesos ($224) in government vulnerable to the monster waves generated by to the Philippine Red Cross. “We already feel a lot celebrate Christmas with their loved ones,” he said in subsidies for repairs to her severely damaged house Haiyan, according to a 160-billion-peso ($3.6 billion) better compared to last year,” Magallanes vegetable a televised message. — AFP Australian charged over terror plot targeting govt SYDNEY: An Australian man was charged land, unveiling an Islamic flag. He was killed yesterday with possessing documents con- as armed police stormed the eatery after 16 nected to a planned terrorist attack on gov- hours. Two hostages also died-mother-of- ernment targets in Sydney, but police insist- three Katrina Dawson, 38, and 34-year-old ed people should not be afraid. Lindt cafe manager Tori Johnson-while sever- Sulayman Khalid, 20, who also goes by al were injured. “A briefing from the security the name Abu Bakr, was arrested following agencies today indicated that there has been raids last week which uncovered a large a heightened level of terrorist chatter in the number of documents, a rifle, and two shot- aftermath of the Martin Place siege,” Abbott guns. He was charged with being in “posses- said Tuesday. “That’s why it’s important that sion of documents designed to facilitate a people remain alert and aware as well as terrorist attack”, while a 21-year-old, who reassured that our police and security agen- cannot be named for legal reasons, was cies are doing everything they humanly can accused of breaching a control order that to keep us safe.” prohibited him making phone calls. Their arrests come on the back of a series Ideology linked to IS of pre-dawn raids across Sydney and Australia has not officially branded the Brisbane in September as concern mounts Sydney siege a terrorist attack and Abbott about the flow of people to Iraq and Syria to declined to speculate on any potential new join the Islamic State group and other threat. Phelan said police had been monitor- jihadists. After that operation, police said ing a particular group of between 15 and 20 they had foiled a plot to “commit violent acts” people with 11 of them charged since the in Australia, including a plan to behead a September raids, some for “serious terrorism member of the public.More than 70 offences”. Australians are currently fighting for Islamic “It is a group of people here in Sydney militants overseas. At least 20 have died and that we’ve been actively monitoring for a there are fears that increasing numbers of long period of time now and any action they youths are being radicalised and could take we want to try to get ahead of them,” he mount attacks at home. “Certainly the docu- said. Asked if they had a name, he replied: ments talked a little bit about potential gov- “No. Certainly their ideology is linked to IS ernment targets,” said Australian Federal overseas.” Phelan added that they had no Police Deputy Commissioner for National direct link with Monis but “certainly since the TOKYO: Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) waves to journalists upon his arrival at his official residence in Tokyo after being re-elected as Security Michael Phelan. tragic events of last week, this group had prime minister at parliament yesterday. Japan’s parliament yesterday confirmed Abe for another term as prime minister after his election tri- He said the targets were in Sydney, but ongoing conversations and activity”. umph, but the return to power stirred warnings from China over a bid to change the pacifist constitution. — AFP did not go into detail. “I am confident that Australia raised its threat level to high in we’ve disrupted the activity that they were September, which means an attack is likely. planning. And that is all I’m prepared to say New South Wales Police Deputy at this particular point.” Khalid and the sec- Commissioner Catherine Burn stressed peo- Shinzo Abe re-elected as ond man were both remanded in custody ple should not be afraid. “This should not dis- and will face court again in February. rupt our way of life in any measure at all,” she The arrests follow warnings on Tuesday by said. “We’re clearly vigilant and everybody Prime Minister Tony Abbott of heightened should be vigilant. However, I think that the Japanese prime minister “terrorist chatter” in the aftermath of a fatal activity that we have undertaken has put us cafe siege in Sydney’s financial hub last week. in a very, very good position.” Following the Iranian-born gunman Man Haron Monis, who cafe siege, security across Sydney was had a history of extremism and violence, stepped up with hundreds more officers on PM to appoint Gen Nakatani as new defence minister took 17 hostages in the city’s financial heart- the streets. — AFP TOKYO: Japan’s parliament yesterday re-elected himself will decide on personnel matters”. Japan’s highly regulated economy-has sent the Shinzo Abe as prime minister with an over- Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition yen sharply lower and boosted stocks. whelming majority following the conservative swept the ballot, winning a two-thirds majority But Abe’s failure to implement some of the leader’s mid-December election triumph. The in the lower house election. The upper chamber tough changes economists say are needed-re- powerful lower house voted for the 60-year-old is also controlled by his ruling bloc. imagining the labour market and tackling an Abe with 328 votes against 73 for acting opposi- The conservative leader billed the election as inefficient agricultural sector-has left the pre- tion leader Katsuya Okada. a referendum on his Abenomics growth plan, mier open to the charge that he is pursuing style The vote was followed by an upper house and pledged to concentrate on resurrecting the over substance. Analysts say the election victory poll that officially confirmed Abe’s reappoint- economy, calling it his “top priority”. was less a resounding endorsement of Abe and ment as premier. Abe’s incumbent cabinet Japan had appeared on track for recovery his policies than a symptom of a weak and frag- resigned en masse yesterday morning, following after Abe swept to power in late 2012, but an mented opposition offering few credible alter- the ruling coalition’s victory in December 14 April sales tax rise slammed the brakes on natives. According to a post-election opinion polls billed as a referendum on the pro-business growth and plunged the economy into reces- poll conducted by the Yomiuri, just seven per- Abe’s economic growth blitz, dubbed sion. “We heard people’s voices calling for me to cent of respondents thought his economic Abenomics. push on with Abenomics,” he told a news confer- measures were the reason for the victory, while He will announce his new cabinet later, which ence following the election. “I will carry out eco- 55 percent said the LDP should have won fewer local media said would be largely unchanged, nomic measures powerfully and boldly.” seats. In addition to the economy, Abe has also and include deputy premier and finance minis- vowed to pursue a nationalist agenda, including ter Taro Aso as well as foreign minister Fumio Style over substance trying to persuade a sceptical public of the need Kishida.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Thickening Web of Asian Security Cooperation: Deepening Defense
    The Thickening Web of Asian Security Cooperation Deepening Defense Ties Among U.S. Allies and Partners in the Indo-Pacific Scott W. Harold, Derek Grossman, Brian Harding, Jeffrey W. Hornung, Gregory Poling, Jeffrey Smith, Meagan L. Smith C O R P O R A T I O N For more information on this publication, visit www.rand.org/t/RR3125 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available for this publication. ISBN: 978-1-9774-0333-9 Published by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif. © Copyright 2019 RAND Corporation R® is a registered trademark. Cover photo by Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. Limited Print and Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute www.rand.org Preface Since the turn of the century, an important trend toward new or expanded defense cooperation among U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • The Limits of Forgiveness in International Relations: Groups
    JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations E-ISSN: 1647-7251 [email protected] Observatório de Relações Exteriores Portugal del Pilar Álvarez, María; del Mar Lunaklick, María; Muñoz, Tomás The limits of forgiveness in International Relations: Groups supporting the Yasukuni shrine in Japan and political tensions in East Asia JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations, vol. 7, núm. 2, noviembre, 2016, pp. 26- 49 Observatório de Relações Exteriores Lisboa, Portugal Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=413548516003 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative OBSERVARE Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa e-ISSN: 1647-7251 Vol. 7, Nº. 2 (November 2016-April 2017), pp. 26-49 THE LIMITS OF FORGIVENESS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: GROUPS SUPPORTING THE YASUKUNI SHRINE IN JAPAN AND POLITICAL TENSIONS IN EAST ASIA María del Pilar Álvarez [email protected] Research Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Salvador (USAL, Argentina) and Visiting Professor of the Department of International Studies at the University T. Di Tella (UTDT). Coordinator of the Research Group on East Asia of the Institute of Social Science Research (IDICSO) of the USAL. Postdoctoral Fellow of the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) of Argentina. Doctor of Social Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Holder of a Master Degree on East Asia, Korea, from Yonsei University. Holder of a Degree in Political Science (UBA).
    [Show full text]
  • JCIE's Annual Report
    JAPAN CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE 2001–2003 Annual Report GLOBAL THINKNET CIVILNET POLITICAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM TABLE OF CONTENTS President’s Message 2 CivilNet 23 JCIE Activities 5 Promoting Civil Society and Philanthropy 25 The Role of Philanthropy in Postwar U.S.-Japan Global ThinkNet 7 Relations 25 Study and Dialogue Projects 9 GrantCraft—Japanese Video Project 25 APAP Forums and Seminars 9 International Survey Project—The Civil Society Global ThinkNet Conference, Tokyo 10 Sector and NGO Activities in Asia and Europe 26 Intellectual Dialogue on Building Survey on the Status of Exchange Programs Asia’s Tomorrow 10 between the U.S. and Japan 26 A Gender Agenda: Asia-Europe Dialogue 11 Seminar Series with Civil Society Leaders 26 Russia-Japan Policy Dialogue 12 Study Mission on American Philanthropy 27 Cooperation with the Asia Pacific Philanthropy Policy-Oriented Research 13 Consortium (APPC) 27 Vision of Asia Pacific in the 21st Century 13 Facilitating Philanthropic Programs of Asia Pacific and the Global Order Overseas Foundations and Corporations 29 After September 11 13 Levi Strauss Foundation Advised Fund of JCIE 29 The Rise of China and the Changing East Asian Order 14 “Positive Lives Asia” Photo Exhibition Tour 31 Asia Pacific Security Outlook 14 Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program 31 Force, Intervention, and Sovereignty 15 Lucent Global Science Scholars Program 32 New Perspectives on U.S.-Japan Relations 15 Civil Society and Grassroots-Level Governance for a New Century: Japanese Exchanges 33 Challenges, American Experience 16 A50 Caravan 33 The Future of Governance and the Role Asia Pacific Leadership Program in Tokyo 33 of Politicians 17 Grassroots Network 34 The Transformation of Japanese Communities Miyazaki Prefecture Commemorative and the Emerging Local Agenda 18 Symposiums on Internationalization 34 The Intellectual Infrastructure for East Asian Community-Building 18 Political Exchange Program 35 Support and Cooperation for Research and U.S.-Japan Parliamentary Exchange Program 37 Dialogue 19 U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • US Military Liberty Restrictions in Okinawa—Falling on Deaf Ears?
    US Military Liberty Restrictions in Okinawa —Falling on Deaf Ears? Maj John C. Wright, USAF Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed or implied in the Journal are those of the authors and should not be construed as carrying the official sanction of the Department of Defense, Air Force, Air Education and Training Command, Air University, or other agencies or departments of the US government. This article may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. If it is reproduced, the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs requests a courtesy line. n 21 November 2017, in response to a criminal drunk driving incident Oby a US Marine that resulted in the death of an Okinawan civilian, US military leadership in Japan issued the latest in a series of disciplinary measures for US personnel, designed to show the Japanese that the United States is taking the behavior of its troops seriously. These restrictions were draconian by previous standards: US service members were strictly prohibited from traveling anywhere beyond their work locations and their residences and barred from purchasing or consuming alcohol on or off base, including their own residences. The restrictions were subsequently relaxed on 1 December, then removed on 14 December. Enacting these measures is understandable: faced with the formidable political and diplomatic obstacles challenging the US–Japan alliance, the highest US mili- tary authorities must consistently respond to a bevy of incidents, unfortunately with fewer arrows in their quiver to deal with local personnel crimes and breaches of decorum than those at their disposal for dealing with potential enemies. How- ever, even considering their severity, these disciplinary actions will never achieve their objective—preventing further deterioration of the US–Japan relationship— without the help of the Japanese central government.
    [Show full text]
  • Japan Again Under Abe – Fresh Start Or More of the (Not So Great) Same?
    Japan Again under Abe – Fresh Start or More of the (not so Great) Same? Axel Berkofsky* February 2015 Asia Policy Brief 2015 | 01 After Japan’s snap Lower House elections called on December 14 by old – and now new – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, it will hopefully be the former, but probably the latter. This is the very opposite of what Abe promised would happen after his two-year tenure, which included many missed opportunities to adopt badly needed economic reforms capable of leading the country back onto a path of sustainable economic growth. While the jury is still out on whether Abe will focus this time around on economic reforms as opposed to attempts to boost the country’s defense profile and get rid of Japan’s constitutionally prescribed pacifism, his (very) nationalist and at times revisionist political track record suggests that it could be the latter yet again. Bad Old LDP Power Politics This is what US-based Japan scholar Brad Glosserman ar- two years ago. Calling snap elections as opposed to using gues happened in Japan last December. “The government’s the majorities the LDP already had in both chambers of the difficulties reflected the failure of its policies – for no rea- Japanese parliament to adopt the economic and structural son other than their inability to deal with problems – yet reforms promised since 2012 is arguably an expression of the prime minister called an election to get a mandate to political helplessness at best and incompetence at worst. press ahead with more of the same,” he writes. The prime Indeed, the first thing Abe talked about after the elec- minister’s very own explanation of why he called elections tion victory was the LDP’s allegedly “cherished and is even more to the (cynical) point.
    [Show full text]
  • Should Japan Adopt Conventional Missile Strike Capabilities?
    asia policy, volume 14, number 2 (april 2019), 61–87 • http://asiapolicy.nbr.org • Should Japan Adopt Conventional Missile Strike Capabilities? Kelly C. Wadsworth kelly c. wadsworth is a PhD student in International Security Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focus is on nonproliferation and regional stability in East Asia, highlighting the evolving situation in North Korea. Ms. Wadsworth earned an MBA and an MA in International Studies (Korea Studies) at the University of Washington. She can be reached at <[email protected]>. keywords: japan; security policy; missile capabilities; u.s.-japan alliance © The National Bureau of Asian Research, Seattle, Washington asia policy executive summary This article evaluates the three strongest arguments in favor of Japan obtaining an independent conventional missile strike capability: rising regional threats, the country’s right to defend itself from such threats, and the potential to make a stronger contribution to the U.S.-Japan alliance. main argument With North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities and China’s increasing military assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific, the issue of Japan’s right to defend itself via a conventional first-strike capability has regained salience in the security discourse. High-level interviews and in-depth analysis, however, show that the main three arguments for Japan to seek an offensive strike capability are not justifiable in the current political and economic environments. First, developing a conventional missile strike capability is not a practical solution for Tokyo to abate the North Korean threat, and the move could be perceived by Beijing and Seoul as aiding a U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Japanese Strike Capabilities: Security Advantages for U.S
    BACKGROUNDER No. 3644 | AUGUST 16, 2021 ASIAN STUDIES CENTER Japanese Strike Capabilities: Security Advantages for U.S. Alliance, Challenges to Overcome Bruce Klingner esponding to Asian security threats requires KEY TAKEAWAYS robust U.S. forces in the region and strong alli- ance partners. Japan’s unexpected cancellation Japan acquiring strike capabilities would R of a strategic missile defense system in 2020 triggered a augment the U.S. military in the Indo- resurgence of debate about whether the country should Pacific and encourage other allies to increase their share of the security burden. augment its defenses by acquiring strike capabilities, i.e., the ability to conduct an attack against targets in an opponent’s country. Disagreements raged about However, Japan and the U.S. will need to whether developing such capabilities was a necessary work together to overcome numerous response to escalating regional threats or whether it constitutional legal, budgetary, technical, violated Japan’s pacifist constitution. There was little and bureaucratic obstacles. attention, however, to the modalities of strike systems, how they would be incorporated into Allied strategic Washington should urge Japan to develop plans, or the numerous challenges that will need to be long-range strike capabilities but incor- overcome prior to deployment. porate them into the overall alliance During the subsequent year, the issue faded from structure with combined operational planning. public discussion, due largely to the resignation last This paper, in its entirety, can be found at http://report.heritage.org/bg3644 The Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE | Washington, DC 20002 | (202) 546-4400 | heritage.org Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before Congress.
    [Show full text]
  • The Transformation of Japan's Grand
    The transformation of Japan’s grand strategy under the Democratic Party of Japan and the second Abe administration: change and continuity By: Dmitry Filippov A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Sheffield Faculty of Social Sciences School of East Asian Studies December 2019 The transformation of Japan’s grand strategy under the Democratic Party of Japan and the second Abe administration: change and continuity By: Dmitry Filippov A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Sheffield Faculty of Social Sciences School of East Asian Studies December 2019 Abstract This thesis analyses the shifts in Japan’s grand strategy in the last decade, examining the role that the Democratic Party of Japan and the second Abe administration played in Japan’s strategic trajectory relative to the postwar Yoshida doctrine. To determine the extent to which these governments’ reforms were transformative to the direction of the Japanese foreign policy, it uses the concept of grand strategy as an analytical framework and examines the recent changes in Japan’s foreign policy on three levels, including the prime ministers’s views, the foreign-policy making process, and the security environment surrounding Japan. It also engages in a number of contemporary debates regarding the evolution of Japan’s grand strategy and the emergence of a so-called Abe doctrine, as well as its transformative power and ideological foundations. The thesis concludes that the Kan, Noda, and Abe administrations all developed the same trend aimed at adapting Japan’s grand strategy to the post-Cold War security environment and gradually relaxing postwar military constraints by increasing its influence in international affairs, moderately modernising its national defence capabilities, and expanding the geographical and substantive scope of the US-Japan alliance.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 8 Japan: Expanding Strategic Horizons
    Chapter 8 Japan: Expanding Strategic Horizons Tomohiko Satake ne of the distinctive characteristics of Japan’s national security policy in Orecent years is the strengthening of its security relationships with Asia- Pacific countries and organizations such as the Republic of Korea, Australia, India, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in addition to its traditional alliance relationship with the United States. The Shinzo Abe administration has stressed that Japan’s national interests lie in particular in “the maintenance and protection of international order based on rules and universal values, such as freedom, democracy, respect for fundamental human rights, and the rule of law” (National Security Strategy). Accordingly, the Abe government has strengthened Japan’s engagement in the regions from the Western Pacific to Southeast Asia, and beyond the Indian Ocean as far as Africa. Japan has broadened its sphere of geopolitical engagement from mainly Northeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region to an area referred to as the “Indo-Pacific” region. Underlying this broadening of Japan’s strategic horizons is the ongoing power shift in the Asia-Pacific region. The rise of the emerging nations of China and India, while it has brought Japan economic benefits, has posed the challenges of infringements of international rules and norms, such as the freedom of navigation and air transit, and the undermining of their restraining power. While maintaining its strong military presence in the region as the world’s only superpower, the United States—in response to necessary reductions in military spending and the worsening situation in the Middle East and Europe—is seeking an even more active role from its allies and countries in the Asia-Pacific region to ensure regional stability.
    [Show full text]
  • Japan Undercuts Its Defense Against North Korean Missiles Bruce Klingner
    ISSUE BRIEF No. 5093 | JULY 22, 2020 ASIAN STUDIES CENTER Japan Undercuts Its Defense Against North Korean Missiles Bruce Klingner apan’s unexpected cancellation of its major KEY TAKEAWAYS Aegis Ashore missile defense project will hinder its response to the increasing North Japan’s cancellation of a major missile J Korean missile threat, as well as raise significant defense project will hinder its response to doubts about Tokyo’s ability to implement necessary the North Korean missile threat and raise doubts about its security commitments. security agreements with the United States. After warning of a deteriorating security environment, Tokyo has now abandoned a viable means of address- Japan’s sudden move is uncharacteris- ing a threat to the Japanese homeland and U.S. forces tic, but reflects an unwillingness to push stationed there. against local resistance, even at the cost Tokyo will now engage in yet another security of degrading its defense capabilities. review to ponder alternatives while the North Korean missile threat continues to grow. Prime Minister The U.S. should urge Japan to move Shinzo Abe advocates Japan acquiring offensive strike forward with a robust missile defense capabilities as one option. But, due to Japan’s largely plan, and continue to coordinate missile pacifist populace, such a step would be far more con- defense strategy with Tokyo. troversial and difficult to achieve than the defensive Aegis Ashore initiative. This paper, in its entirety, can be found at http://report.heritage.org/ib5093 The Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE | Washington, DC 20002 | (202) 546-4400 | heritage.org Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before Congress.
    [Show full text]
  • Mike Mansfield Fellowships
    The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation THE MIKE MANSFIELD FELLOWSHIPS ADVANCING UNDERSTANDING AND COOPERATION IN U.S.-JAPAN RELATIONS Washington, DC • Tokyo, Japan • Missoula, Montana • www.mansfieldfdn.org “...knowledge is essential for acceptance and understanding. By examining the political heritage, the economic experience and even the national myths that tie people together; by exploring the cultural, religious, and social forces that have molded a nation, we can begin to better understand each other and contribute to the knowledge and understanding that will strengthen our ties of friendship and lead to a better world.” —Mike Mansfield “…a vigorous program of exchanges is the surest way, over the long term, to build a true community of Asia Pacific nations.” —Mike Mansfield 1 The Mike Mansfield Fellowships “It has long been evident that the U.S.-Japan relationship has far-reaching consequences not only for the Pacific region but also for other parts of the world. In establishing the Mike Mansfield Fellowships, the U.S. Congress has taken an important step toward developing a new generation of government officials with a deeper understanding of Japan and close working relationships with Japanese officials. With the strong support of the government of Japan, the Mansfield Fellowship Program gives U.S. government officials a unique opportunity to learn about Japan and its government from the inside. We are pleased to see that U.S. agencies are making significant use of the Fellows who have completed the program, assigning them responsibility for Japan issues and cooperative programs and relying on their expertise and advice on how to work with Japan and foster close coordination on a wide range of issues.
    [Show full text]
  • Japan Calling June, 2015
    June 2015 A quarterly newsletter from the Embassy of Japan, India Mr. Yoichi Miyazawa, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), paid a Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call from the Defence Minister of courtesy call on Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, during his visit to India, Mr. Manohar Parrikar, at the Prime Minister's Office, on March 30, 2015 India from April 27 to May 1, 2015 (Photo: Press Information Bureau, India) (Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office, Government of Japan) CONTENTS Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Visits India P-2 Defence Minister of India Visits Japan P-5 Address by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Asian-African Summit 2015 P-6 Toward an Alliance of Hope P-8 Videos on Japan's Foreign Policy P-9 Japan Participates in the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting P-10 Rajasthan Chief Minister Visits Japan P-11 Padma Bhushan conferred on Mr. Saichiro Misumi, Former Managing Director, Japan-India Association P-12 Japanese Imperial Decorations Conferred upon 4 Indians P-12 Exploring Japan: Sights of Summer in Japan P-13 Japan. Endless Discovery P-14 Updates from Consulates P-16 Embassy of Japan offers the “Hello Japan Program” P-20 Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Visits India From April 27 to May 1, 2015, Mr. Yoichi Miyazawa, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), visited India along with representatives from 25 companies and reached agreement with the Indian government on the doubling of Japan's investment in India and the number of Japanese companies expanding into India, concrete actions aimed at further cooperation in the fields of IT and infrastructure, and promotion of economic integration around the Indo-Pacific region from the Asia-Pacific to the Indian Ocean.
    [Show full text]