
Japan now the Hades of free speech and investigative journalism - adregan
http://www.japansubculture.com/japan-is-the-hades-of-free-speech-and-woodford-san-does-not-approve/
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ekianjo
Abe is one of the worst politicians ever in Japan. Pushing Keynesians
economics to the max, going on TV everyweek to show his face in variety
programs, and controlling the media to ensure his Abenomics crap get good
press, while pushing for an increase of VAT instead of reducing the
absurbgovernment spending. Now this. This is about as low as you can get.

~~~
coolandsmartrr
Being a Japanese citizen myself, I agree to your sentiments to some extent.
Yes, he is very keen to satisfy media outlets and spread support for
Abenomics. He has been jingoistic, using patriotic rhetoric to amass votes
from nationalistic and conservative people alike.

Yet, when it comes to leadership in Japan's political arena, there are hardly
any viable candidates. I had high hopes for the former-ruling DPJ, which ended
up as three years of abrupt administrations. Voters once believed that DPJ,
with its emphasis on national welfare, can improve Japan, but switched back to
LDP not because the former party appeared attractive, but merely because it is
the least appalling party among the many.

What Japanese voters appear to want is a stable regime while turning a blind
eye to their increasing draconian policy that exploits the diplomatic fear
against our East Asian neighbors. LDP is currently taking advantage of their
most favorable term by passing many legislation to promote their conservative
agenda.

It would be overly simplified to remark that Abe is the worst politician.
Stock market average soared since he returned as prime minister. Despite the
heinous copyright agreements, the TPP ostensibly promotes free trade in other
sectors such as agriculture. And we’re approaching the first anniversary of
Abe’s leadership - and his regime still looks stable unlike the last months of
Fukuda, Aso, Hatoyama, Kan, or Noda. (It would be fair to note that DPJ’s
credibility crumbled partly due to the naturally-occured 3.11 earthquake.)

To improve Japanese politics, as a nation we have to invest in the younger
generation. Hone better leadership skills so that eventually when they too
enter politics, they can influence their colleagues effectively. Make the
youth more interested in politics so that whenever a horrible legislation like
this act on secrecy appears, a massive portion of voters protest, not unlike
when the US Congress tried to pass SOPA/PIPA. Clearly, Japanese politics
doesn’t appear have a bright future as of now.

~~~
rangibaby
The stock market soaring doesn't mean alot to me. Then again, deflation didn't
seem so bad either. Prices going down meant I was able to buy more things at
more shops. Now Abenomics is raising prices on everything without raising my
wage and I get to feel poor again.

~~~
derleth
> Prices going down meant I was able to buy more things at more shops.

Didn't your wages go down as well?

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raverbashing
Japan: stagnated growth, closed society and now their own Chernobyl sized
problem

A younger generation that won't have kids. A government without any sense of
direction and how to improve things.

Immigration is not only governmentaly discouraged, society is against it.
Immigrating to the US is easier.

It's not going to get better.

~~~
yetanotherphd
I suspect toughing out their demographic problem will prove better in the long
run than opening the can of worms that comes with immigration.

And maybe they can institute a program like Israel's to encourage Japanese
nationals living overseas to return to Japan.

~~~
Pitarou
> I suspect toughing out their demographic problem will prove better in the
> long run than opening the can of worms that comes with immigration.

Have you looked at Japan's population profile? We're looking at 40 years of
real hardship, starting right about now.

I quite agree that, in the long term, Japan should plan for a flat demographic
curve, but the two baby booms of the 40s/50s and the 70s, followed by a
plunging birth rate, mean the transition is going to be extremely painful.

> And maybe they can institute a program like Israel's to encourage Japanese
> nationals living overseas to return to Japan.

They did that in the 80s. The outcome did not reflect well on Japan.

In truth, Japan doesn't have an immigration policy. It has a managing
foreigners policy, overseen the Ministry of Justice. Naturalization is
permitted, but not encouraged. For instance, as a British Citizen, I'd have to
officially make myself stateless _before_ I could apply to naturalize.

Japan, as a nation, seriously needs to open its mind a bit if it wants to cope
over the next 40 years. Either that, or start building grim, ultra-low-cost
institutions to house its old folk.

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throwaway_yy2Di
Thanks Obama!

[http://killerapps.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/12/05/in_japa...](http://killerapps.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/12/05/in_japan_s_state_secrets_law_shades_of_red_white_and_blue)

 _" In Japan’s State Secrets Law, Shades of Red, White and Blue"_

~~~
e40
Either you are serious or this is snark. Either way, you get a downvote from
me.

If you are serious, I'm amazed what a grown person tries to pass for logical
thoughts these days. If you are not, please give it a rest. This isn't reddit.

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jb17
Hades is not hell, and actually not such a bad place. It's where all people go
when they die, and only a small part is for torturing bad people.

~~~
SimHacker
Hell itself isn't such a bad place, either. All the interesting people will be
there.

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Groxx
> _... The current administration is slowly trying to create a country that
> has the ability to fight a war. I’ll continue to fight against this law,
> because it is the beginning of such a country. —Unemployed, 53, Yoriko W●●●_

That is a _great_ reason to vote, and an interesting way to look at secrecy
laws.

------
Pitarou
Breaks my heart.

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rhizome
You want my click? Don't insult me with your headlines & titles.

~~~
PavlovsCat
Sadly, both title _and_ headline seem to be fitting here:

> "The law will punish journalists and whistleblowers who divulge government
> secrets with up to ten years in prison, and up to five years for those who
> “instigate leaks” (ask questions about state secrets)."

That's as bad as it gets..

~~~
anoncowherd
> That's as bad as it gets..

North-Korea would beg to differ.

~~~
PavlovsCat
Then let me say it's very far from any desirable state.. there's _always_
something worse, but that doesn't really help, does it. If all countries in
the world were in equally deep shit, the fact that they'd be equal would
hardly be sufficient consolation for them being in deep shit.

~~~
anoncowherd
>> there's always something worse, but that doesn't really help, does it

No, it doesn't. It's really quite sad that the best the people of any nation
can hope for, is that their government doesn't rape them _too_ hard. The US is
quite a police state already, but hey, at least it's not North-Korea.. yet. It
_could_ be in a few years though.

Tyrannical regimes come and go, but that's just business as usual, especially
as long as it "can't happen here".. It's almost as if mankind _could_ do
better than this.. It's almost as if something was wrong on a global scale.

~~~
rhizome
_It 's really quite sad that the best the people of any nation can hope for,
is that their government doesn't rape them too hard. The US is quite a police
state already, but hey, at least it's not North-Korea._

It's pretty interesting why we hear so much about NK but the rhetoric isn't
nearly as harsh when hearing about the crazy societies in East Africa. Such
flexible moralities at work here.

