2015 Januar Professor Alexis Dudden released an article entitled The Shape of Japan y 16th to Come that discussed the Abe administration over Japan’s territorial disputes with its Asian neighbours in the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/17/opinion/the-shape-of-japan-to- come.html?gwh=06F79B353CBCAA4C45980BF3F72FE0F9&gwt=pay&as setType=opinion (Accessed April, 29, 2015) Januar Okada Katsuya was elected president of the DPJ. Okada defeated Hosono y 18th Gōshi to won the election. Okad, 61, headed the party between 2004 and 200. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/01/18/national/politics- diplomacy/okada-defeats-hosono-win-dpj-leadership- election/#.VVu18EZKCUl (Accessed May 19, 2015) Februa Crown Prince Naruhito called on the nation to consider the past in the 70th ry 23rd anniversary year of the end of World War II in his statement to mark his 55th birthday. http://ajw.asahi.com.ezp- prod1.hul.harvard.edu/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201502230030 (Accessed April 29, 2015) March Shinichi Kitaoka, deputy chairman of an advisory panel on the statement 9th for the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War II, implored Abe to clearly state that Japan “invaded” neighbor countries in his statement. http://ajw.asahi.com.ezp- prod1.hul.harvard.edu/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201503100063 (Accessed April 29, 2015) March PM Abe and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met at the Prime Minister’s 9th office in Tokyo. They agreed about Japan and Germany cooperatively working on the Ukraine problems and economic ties between the two counties.During a joint news conference after their meeting, Merkel also touched upon the importance of historical recognition for reconciliation. http://ajw.asahi.com.ezp- prod1.hul.harvard.edu/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201503100011 (Accessed April 29, 2015) March It was declared there was an argument over the definition of “aggression” 13th inside of the expert panel that was discussing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. The panel released the record of their second meeting on the 13th. http://ajw.asahi.com.ezp- prod1.hul.harvard.edu/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201503240044 (Accessed April 29, 2015) March The Asahi Shimbun published an interview with former PM Murayama 16th Tomiichi. The statement he made in 1995 to remark the 50th anniversary of the end of World War offered “deep remorse” and a “heartfelt apology” for the suffering Japan caused during the war especially in Asian countries, and it is known as “Murayama statement”. In the interview, Murayama talked about his 1995 statement and PM Abe’s one remarking the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War II. Murayama expressed worries that the new statement might deviate his statement. He concluded the interview, quoting a phrase from his statement, “It is said that one can rely on good faith”. http://ajw.asahi.com.ezp- prod1.hul.harvard.edu/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201503160024 (Accessed May 4, 2015) March Japan and China agreed to cultivate recovering bilateral ties in the security 19th talks, which had been halted for four years mainly for the historical issues. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/19/us-japan-china- idUSKBN0MF0C920150319 (Accessed April 29, 2015) March The ruling coalition parties, the LDP and Komeito, officially made an 20th agreement based on the document on national security. The coalition partners released a joint document which allow the SDF to perform its missions abroad and enable Japan to exercise the right of collective self defense. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201503190082 (Accessed April 29, 2015) March The Nagoya High Court decided that the disparity in the value of votes 20th between large and small districts is unconstitutional.. http://ajw.asahi.com.ezp- prod1.hul.harvard.edu/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201503210023 (Acceessed April 29, 2015) March Thousands of protesters chanted outside the Diet building in Tokyo, 22nd holding up placards that read “Abe administration NO”. They opposed the Abe administration’s policies on security and nuclear issues. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201503230035 (Accessed April 29, 2015) March Japan and China agreed to avoid provocations in the 70th anniversary year 23rd of the end of World War II at the first top-level political exchange since February 2009. The Japanese side persuaded China that it should not have any concerns about PM Abe’s statement to mark the anniversary. The arrangement was achieved between Japanese lawmakers and Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. He ranks No. 4 in the Communist Party hierarchy. Sadakazu Tanigaki, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and Yoshihisa Inoue, secretary-general of the LDP’s junior coalition partner Komeito, explained the Japanese government’s thoughts. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201503240070 (Accessed April 29, 2015) March Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said it has been decided that PM 23rd Abe will have a week-long US tour next month. Mr. Abe will address the U.S. Congress during the visit. Japanese Asian neighbours, especially China and Korea are closely watching what Abe says in his statements in the 70th anniversary since World War II ended in 1945. http://news.yahoo.com/japan-pm-abe-set-one-week-us-tour- 165913727.html (Accessed April 29, 2015) March A committee of the LDP discussed a local governmental ordinance 25th proposal in Shibuya Ward,Tokyo, to issue certificates approving same-sex couples. The regulation will not provide the certified couples legal rights including inheritance rights, which conventional married have. The LDP special committee aims to protect traditional "family value" and it declared wariness on the case in Shibuya Ward. The committee members indicated that the act might contradict the Article 24 of the Constitution that states “marriage shall be based only on the mutual consent of both sexes." http://ajw.asahi.com.ezp- prod1.hul.harvard.edu/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201503260030 (Accessed April 29, 2015) March Koga Shigeaki, a commentator of a popular news show, Hodo Station, 27th insisted that he was leaving the program under pressure from the prime minister’s office. Mr. Koga formerly worked at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as a bureaucrat and he is famous for his criticism against the Abe administration. He claimed his arguments on air, hindering the moderation of the host, Furutachi Ichiro. http://ajw.asahi.com.ezp- prod1.hul.harvard.edu/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201503290021 (Accessed April 29, 2015) March On March 27, the Washington Post published an interview with PM Abe 27th Shinzo in which he expressed comfort women had been “victimized by (need human trafficking”. check) http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/03/31/national/politics- diplomacy/abe-confirms-called-comfort-women-victims-human- trafficking/#.VR7x6eHrWUk (Accessed April 29, 2015) March Yoshino Bunroku, former chief of the American Affairs Bureau of the 29th Foreign Ministry, died at 96. He testified that Japan and the US concluded a secret pact over the 1972 revision of Okinawa in court. http://ajw.asahi.com.ezp- prod1.hul.harvard.edu/article/views/vox/AJ201504030025 (Accessed April 29, 2015) March The assembly of Shibuya Ward in Tokyo l approved the ordinance to 31st recognize same-sex partnership. The ordinance does not have legal force but it aims to protect the rights of sexcual minorites. In the assembly session, members of the Japanese Communist Party, Komeito and the DPJ voted for the ordinance. On the other hand, the LDP members voted against it. http://ajw.asahi.com.ezp- prod1.hul.harvard.edu/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201504010033 (Accessed April 29, 2015) April former PM Murayama Tomiichi declared that he would attend the 3rd ceremony to mark Chinese 70th anniversary of the end of the World Ward II in September. Mr. Murayama released a statement for the 50th anniversary of the war’s end, which has been favorably accepted by China and other countries. In the so-called Murayama statement, he expressed apologies to the people in neighbouring countries for Japan infecting suffers concerning its war- time initialization and aggression. Japanese government has officially followed the statement until now, but Japan’s Asian neighbors are anxious whether PM Abe might change the spirit of the statement in the 70th anniversary year. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/04/03/national/politics- diplomacy/ex-prime-minister-murayama-to-attend-chinas-wwii-anniversary- ceremony/#.VR7zouHrWUk (Accessed April 29, 2015) April Approximately 600 intellectuals and activists assembled in Chōfu, Tokyo, 3rd mourning the death of Okudaira Yasuhiro. Okudaira is a well-known constitutional scholar for his leading effort to protect of the Constitution, mainly stressing the importance of the war-renouncing article 9. Nobel- winning novelist Ōe Kenzaburo sweared to tread Okubayasi’s footsteps in his speech. http://ajw.asahi.com.ezp- prod1.hul.harvard.edu/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201504040036 (Accessed April 29, 2015) © Constitutional Revision in Japan Research Project Current: 05.18.15 .