The Yomiuri Shimbun
Feb 11, 2008
The split in the Democratic Party of Japan over a planned bill to grant permanent foreign residents voting rights in local elections has further deepened, with groups of advocates and skeptics holding separate meetings on the issue.
DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama has tried to bring the two sides of the conflict closer together, but with the issue tied to speculation over September's party presidential election, it will be difficult to successfully resolve the problem.
Twenty-two DPJ lawmakers, including Vice President Katsuya Okada and House of Councillors member Yoshihiro Kawakami, attended the first meeting of proponents of the bill on Jan. 30.
Okada, who heads the group, indicated his determination to have the bill submitted.
"We're going to put forward this issue so that as a party we can submit it as a bill," Okada said.
The proponents' group has invited outside experts to participate in its regular Tuesday study meetings. The group hopes that after discussing the matter at departmental and other party meetings, the bill will be submitted during the current Diet session.
On the same day the proponents' group met 23 lawmakers, including senior House of Representatives member Kozo Watanabe--the party's top adviser--and upper house Rules and Administration Committee Chairman Takeo Nishioka, attended the first meeting of a group of skeptics over the issue.
This group is also holding study meetings with outside experts when needed.
The skeptics group is calling for the party leadership not to apply a whip forcing lawmakers to vote in favor of the bill should it be submitted.
With both sides again scheduling separate meetings on Tuesday evening, the matter is shaping up as a leadership battle within the main opposition party.
In light of this situation, Hatoyama and Policy Research Committee Chairman Masayuki Naoshima met Thursday and agreed it was not good to have two groups opposed to each other in this way.
At a press conference Friday, Hatoyama advocated discussion through an official party body such as a working group of a party departmental meeting.
However, the implications of the issue for September's leadership election are complicating matters since the group advocating the bill was formed with the support of party President Ichiro Ozawa.
Some senior party members who support the granting of suffrage to permanent foreign residents have declined to join the proponents' group out of concern that the group is tarred with the brush of Ozawa.
At the same time, other party members resisting to Hatoyama's proposal to create an official party body to discuss the matter.
"Wasn't it the party leadership who decided it would be better for the matter to be discussed by groups [within the party] rather than an official party body?" one party executive asked.
Lawmakers in favor of Okada taking over the party reins from Ozawa have also expressed concerns.
"[Mr. Ozawa] chose Mr. Okada as head [of the advocates' group] so that any resulting confusion within the party could be blamed on him," one lawmaker said. "Mr. Okada should quickly extract himself from this predicament."
(Feb. 11, 2008)
Showing posts with label Domestic issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Domestic issues. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Controversy arises over police crackdown on Iwate 'naked festival'
Mainichi Daily News
Feb 9, 2008
OSHU, Iwate -- Controversy has arisen over a festival at a temple here in which one participant holding a central role traditionally appears completely naked, with police threatening for the first time to take action against any acts of public indecency.
The Somin Festival, held at Kokusekiji Temple in Oshu, features men in loincloths who participate in scrambles for a sack called "sominbukuro." Every year one participant who plays the central role in the festival appears completely naked, in line with tradition.
This year, however, police said that appearing naked constitutes public indecency, and added that they would take action against such behavior.
The threat has met resistance from some of the 16 managers of the festival who say that they will "protect tradition" even if it means getting arrested.
In the festival, one designated participant appears naked and climbs the lattice of the temple's main hall with a knife in his mouth. When the sominbukuro sack comes close, he jumps down on top of the crowd of men and, after glaring in four directions, he slices the sack open, bringing the scramble to a climax.
Originally, all of the participants were naked, but the number of female spectators increased and some participants took part for the purpose of flashing their private parts, prompting temple officials several years ago to rule that people were not to appear naked outside of the festival, and that ordinary participants should wear loincloths. However, it still permitted for the participant playing the central role to show up stark naked.
Police said they could not allow activities that were against the law.
"It may have been thought that it was silently approved because it was a religious ritual, but if there are actions that run counter to the law, our stance of taking the action that we should take does not change," a police representative said. The representative added that because the festival had spectators it was of a public nature.
Feb 9, 2008
OSHU, Iwate -- Controversy has arisen over a festival at a temple here in which one participant holding a central role traditionally appears completely naked, with police threatening for the first time to take action against any acts of public indecency.
The Somin Festival, held at Kokusekiji Temple in Oshu, features men in loincloths who participate in scrambles for a sack called "sominbukuro." Every year one participant who plays the central role in the festival appears completely naked, in line with tradition.
This year, however, police said that appearing naked constitutes public indecency, and added that they would take action against such behavior.
The threat has met resistance from some of the 16 managers of the festival who say that they will "protect tradition" even if it means getting arrested.
In the festival, one designated participant appears naked and climbs the lattice of the temple's main hall with a knife in his mouth. When the sominbukuro sack comes close, he jumps down on top of the crowd of men and, after glaring in four directions, he slices the sack open, bringing the scramble to a climax.
Originally, all of the participants were naked, but the number of female spectators increased and some participants took part for the purpose of flashing their private parts, prompting temple officials several years ago to rule that people were not to appear naked outside of the festival, and that ordinary participants should wear loincloths. However, it still permitted for the participant playing the central role to show up stark naked.
Police said they could not allow activities that were against the law.
"It may have been thought that it was silently approved because it was a religious ritual, but if there are actions that run counter to the law, our stance of taking the action that we should take does not change," a police representative said. The representative added that because the festival had spectators it was of a public nature.
Voluntary food recalls tripled in '07
Kyodo
Feb 9, 2008
The number of voluntary food recalls more than tripled in 2007 because of false-labeling scandals, according to a food safety inspection body.
The number of recalls initiated by manufacturers and retailers jumped to 756 from 237 in 2006, the Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center said Thursday. In 2005, there were 302, the state-affiliated body said.
Analysts said the number of recalls swelled as consumer confidence in food safety deteriorated following a spate of labeling scandals involving falsely advertised ingredients and altered use-by dates.
But the figure could shoot up further because of the fears being generated by the food-poisoning outbreak involving Chinese-made "gyoza" dumplings, the analysts said.
In 2007, labeling scandals, including falsification of use-by dates, topped the list of reasons for issuing recalls at 322 cases, or 42 percent of the total, followed by incomplete labeling in which additives were omitted, accounting for 111 cases, or 15 percent, and poor quality, which accounted for 102 cases, or 13 percent.
Feb 9, 2008
The number of voluntary food recalls more than tripled in 2007 because of false-labeling scandals, according to a food safety inspection body.
The number of recalls initiated by manufacturers and retailers jumped to 756 from 237 in 2006, the Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center said Thursday. In 2005, there were 302, the state-affiliated body said.
Analysts said the number of recalls swelled as consumer confidence in food safety deteriorated following a spate of labeling scandals involving falsely advertised ingredients and altered use-by dates.
But the figure could shoot up further because of the fears being generated by the food-poisoning outbreak involving Chinese-made "gyoza" dumplings, the analysts said.
In 2007, labeling scandals, including falsification of use-by dates, topped the list of reasons for issuing recalls at 322 cases, or 42 percent of the total, followed by incomplete labeling in which additives were omitted, accounting for 111 cases, or 15 percent, and poor quality, which accounted for 102 cases, or 13 percent.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Japan to Extend Visa Limit to Five Years From Three, NHK Says
By Tak Kumakura
Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Japan plans to extend long-term visa permits to five years from the current three when it changes the registration system for foreigners living in Japan, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The Justice Ministry also plans to simplify the re-entry process for returning foreign residents, NHK reported on its English-language Web site, without saying where it obtained the information.
The government plans a new registration system for foreign residents that requires them to report a change of address to local government offices and requires schools and organizations that sponsor foreigners to update their information.
Legislation for the changes is expected by the end of March to be submitted to parliament next year, NHK said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tak Kumakura in Tokyo at tkumakura@bloomberg.net
Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Japan plans to extend long-term visa permits to five years from the current three when it changes the registration system for foreigners living in Japan, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The Justice Ministry also plans to simplify the re-entry process for returning foreign residents, NHK reported on its English-language Web site, without saying where it obtained the information.
The government plans a new registration system for foreign residents that requires them to report a change of address to local government offices and requires schools and organizations that sponsor foreigners to update their information.
Legislation for the changes is expected by the end of March to be submitted to parliament next year, NHK said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tak Kumakura in Tokyo at tkumakura@bloomberg.net
Monday, February 4, 2008
Age of majority might be lowered
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Feb 4, 2008
Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama will bring up the issue of lowering the age of majority in the Civil Code--from the current age of 20 to 18--in the Legislative Council for deliberation on Feb. 13, it has been learned.
The council, an advisory body to the minister, is expected to take about a year to submit its findings in relation to lowering the legal age of majority to 18. The move is in line with the National Referendum Law, which, in principle, sets the minimum voting age at 18.
The law, passed in May 2007, stipulates procedures for revising the Constitution and will go into effect in 2010.
With 191 laws and ordinances, including the Public Offices Election Law, relating to the age of majority, the council's discussions on revising the Civil Code look likely to have a heavy influence on other laws.
Article 4 of the code stipulates: "The age of majority is when a person reaches the age of 20." This fundamental stipulation has not changed in the more than 100 years since its enactment.
Regarding minors, the code also stipulates that the consent of a legal representative is required when signing contracts, and the contract may be terminated without this consent; males may marry at 18 and females at 16 with parental consent; and a minor may not become a parent through adoption.
Some problems would arise from lowering the age of majority to 18. For example, should an 18-year-old male and 16-year-old female marry, only the female would require parental consent, and differences would arise in their treatment.
On the other hand, lowering the age at which a person is deemed to be an adult could have advantages such as stimulating economic activity among young people and encouraging social independence.
"I can't make any predictions as to what the Legislative Council will conclude," a senior ministry official said.
The council will select a wide range of people for a committee to debate lowering the age of majority. The committee will include not only legal scholars, but also sociologists, owners of small, midsized and large companies, and representatives of the press, family courts and high school teachers.
The council plans to focus debate on points such as the age that a person becomes a psychologically mature adult in modern-day society, and the age until which a person should be legally protected as a minor.
The National Referendum Law sets the minimum voting age in principle at 18, but this is not consistent with the current minimum voting age of 20.
For this reason the law, before its enforcement in 2010, has a supplementary provision to take necessary legislative measures, including examination of the Public Offices Election Law, the Civil Code and other laws and ordinances.
In light of this, a government exploratory committee set up to review articles relating to the age of majority decided in November to create panels in each of the ministries and agencies responsible for laws related to the lowering of the age of majority, before examining the benefits of such a move.
Each ministry and agency will monitor the council's discussions on the revision of the Civil Code, and ready themselves to examine the pros and cons of any changes to the age of majority.
(Feb. 4, 2008)
Feb 4, 2008
Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama will bring up the issue of lowering the age of majority in the Civil Code--from the current age of 20 to 18--in the Legislative Council for deliberation on Feb. 13, it has been learned.
The council, an advisory body to the minister, is expected to take about a year to submit its findings in relation to lowering the legal age of majority to 18. The move is in line with the National Referendum Law, which, in principle, sets the minimum voting age at 18.
The law, passed in May 2007, stipulates procedures for revising the Constitution and will go into effect in 2010.
With 191 laws and ordinances, including the Public Offices Election Law, relating to the age of majority, the council's discussions on revising the Civil Code look likely to have a heavy influence on other laws.
Article 4 of the code stipulates: "The age of majority is when a person reaches the age of 20." This fundamental stipulation has not changed in the more than 100 years since its enactment.
Regarding minors, the code also stipulates that the consent of a legal representative is required when signing contracts, and the contract may be terminated without this consent; males may marry at 18 and females at 16 with parental consent; and a minor may not become a parent through adoption.
Some problems would arise from lowering the age of majority to 18. For example, should an 18-year-old male and 16-year-old female marry, only the female would require parental consent, and differences would arise in their treatment.
On the other hand, lowering the age at which a person is deemed to be an adult could have advantages such as stimulating economic activity among young people and encouraging social independence.
"I can't make any predictions as to what the Legislative Council will conclude," a senior ministry official said.
The council will select a wide range of people for a committee to debate lowering the age of majority. The committee will include not only legal scholars, but also sociologists, owners of small, midsized and large companies, and representatives of the press, family courts and high school teachers.
The council plans to focus debate on points such as the age that a person becomes a psychologically mature adult in modern-day society, and the age until which a person should be legally protected as a minor.
The National Referendum Law sets the minimum voting age in principle at 18, but this is not consistent with the current minimum voting age of 20.
For this reason the law, before its enforcement in 2010, has a supplementary provision to take necessary legislative measures, including examination of the Public Offices Election Law, the Civil Code and other laws and ordinances.
In light of this, a government exploratory committee set up to review articles relating to the age of majority decided in November to create panels in each of the ministries and agencies responsible for laws related to the lowering of the age of majority, before examining the benefits of such a move.
Each ministry and agency will monitor the council's discussions on the revision of the Civil Code, and ready themselves to examine the pros and cons of any changes to the age of majority.
(Feb. 4, 2008)
Friday, February 1, 2008
DPJ holds opposing meetings on foreigners voting in local elections
January 31, 2008
TOKYO — Members of the Democratic Party of Japan on Wednesday held two separate meetings, one involving lawmakers and proxies who support allowing foreigners with permanent residence status to vote in local elections and another involving those opposed to the idea.
While DPJ members emphasize that they will not allow the issue to create an intra-party division, the development apparently shows that members of the largest opposition party do not see eye-to-eye on the matter.
About 80 DPJ lawmakers and proxies attended an inaugural meeting of a group supporting the idea shortly past noon, while approximately 50 gathered in the afternoon for a study session opposing it.
Both gatherings, held in the Diet building, were attended by 23 parliamentarians each.
DPJ Vice President Katsuya Okada, who was elected chairman of the group supporting the idea, expressed his readiness to work on drafting a bill to grant local suffrage to permanent residents for submission to the Diet during the ongoing regular session through June.
"This issue has been an ardent wish for the DPJ for many years. There are various opinions within the party, but we want to gain the understanding of many and to present the bill" to parliament, Okada said at the outset of the group's meeting.
In the other gathering, Kozo Watanabe, the DPJ's top adviser, said it was necessary to discuss the issue cautiously while seeking unity among all party members.
"It is a very important issue. We will not start out with a conclusion but rather study how we can gain the understanding of the people," Watanabe said.
Those attending the meeting opposing the idea decided to request that the issue be discussed by the DPJ's shadow cabinet.
DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa has expressed support for the idea to allow permanent residents to vote in local elections and made remarks to that effect when he met with an envoy of South Korea's President-elect Lee Myung Bak in Tokyo in mid-January.
The South Korean government has repeatedly called on Japan to allow permanent residents of Korean descent, who make up the bulk of foreign residents in Japan, to vote in local elections. South Korea allowed foreigners who have lived in the country for more than three years after obtaining permanent residency to vote in local elections for the first time in June 2006.
While many members of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party are opposed to granting local suffrage to permanent residents, its coalition partner, the New Komeito party, has long pushed for the move.
LDP lawmakers who oppose the idea argue it could violate the Constitution, saying the supreme law gives the Japanese people the "inalienable right" to choose electorates in Japan.
Under current laws, only citizens with Japanese nationality aged 20 or over are eligible to vote in local and national elections.
Some municipalities in Japan have passed ordinances to allow foreign citizens with permanent resident status to vote in local referendums.
TOKYO — Members of the Democratic Party of Japan on Wednesday held two separate meetings, one involving lawmakers and proxies who support allowing foreigners with permanent residence status to vote in local elections and another involving those opposed to the idea.
While DPJ members emphasize that they will not allow the issue to create an intra-party division, the development apparently shows that members of the largest opposition party do not see eye-to-eye on the matter.
About 80 DPJ lawmakers and proxies attended an inaugural meeting of a group supporting the idea shortly past noon, while approximately 50 gathered in the afternoon for a study session opposing it.
Both gatherings, held in the Diet building, were attended by 23 parliamentarians each.
DPJ Vice President Katsuya Okada, who was elected chairman of the group supporting the idea, expressed his readiness to work on drafting a bill to grant local suffrage to permanent residents for submission to the Diet during the ongoing regular session through June.
"This issue has been an ardent wish for the DPJ for many years. There are various opinions within the party, but we want to gain the understanding of many and to present the bill" to parliament, Okada said at the outset of the group's meeting.
In the other gathering, Kozo Watanabe, the DPJ's top adviser, said it was necessary to discuss the issue cautiously while seeking unity among all party members.
"It is a very important issue. We will not start out with a conclusion but rather study how we can gain the understanding of the people," Watanabe said.
Those attending the meeting opposing the idea decided to request that the issue be discussed by the DPJ's shadow cabinet.
DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa has expressed support for the idea to allow permanent residents to vote in local elections and made remarks to that effect when he met with an envoy of South Korea's President-elect Lee Myung Bak in Tokyo in mid-January.
The South Korean government has repeatedly called on Japan to allow permanent residents of Korean descent, who make up the bulk of foreign residents in Japan, to vote in local elections. South Korea allowed foreigners who have lived in the country for more than three years after obtaining permanent residency to vote in local elections for the first time in June 2006.
While many members of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party are opposed to granting local suffrage to permanent residents, its coalition partner, the New Komeito party, has long pushed for the move.
LDP lawmakers who oppose the idea argue it could violate the Constitution, saying the supreme law gives the Japanese people the "inalienable right" to choose electorates in Japan.
Under current laws, only citizens with Japanese nationality aged 20 or over are eligible to vote in local and national elections.
Some municipalities in Japan have passed ordinances to allow foreign citizens with permanent resident status to vote in local referendums.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
TechBit: Japan lacks virus laws
By Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer
Jan 30, 2008
TOKYO - Police investigating a man for allegedly spreading a computer virus had to arrest him on a copyright infringement charge because Japan lacks laws against malicious computer programs, a police officer said Friday.
Masato Nakatsuji, 24, a graduate student at Osaka Electro-Communication University, is suspected of illegally copying and distributing over the Internet an image from the Japanese animation film "Clannad" showing a woman walking amid falling cherry blossoms.
But Nakatsuji also allegedly embedded the image in the "Harada virus," one of Japan's "Big Three" viruses, a Kyoto police officer said on the customary condition of anonymity.
Police said it was the first arrest in Japan involving making or spreading viruses.
Although computer viruses have wreaked havoc around the world for more than two decades, Japan has been slow to pass legislation to crack down on people who make and spread the potentially destructive programs.
In the latest case, police considered other charges, including damage to property and obstructing business, before deciding that copyright violation charges would hold up best in court, the officer said.
Nakatsuji, who is not suspected of creating the virus, was in police custody and not immediately available for comment. Police said he isn't contesting the charges.
Downloading the Harada virus with the animated image destroyed data and spread on the Internet information stored in computers hit by the virus, according to police.
The virus was also spread through an illegal Japanese file-sharing software program called Winny. The extent of the damage has not yet been disclosed, the Kyoto officer said.
Koji Namikoshi, spokesman for the university where Nakatsuji was researching laser technology, said the university is strengthening instruction on ethical uses of the Internet.
"But the only illegality is copyright," he said. "Something is wrong."
The maximum punishment for copyright infringement is 10 years in prison and fines of 10 million yen, or $93,000.
Jan 30, 2008
TOKYO - Police investigating a man for allegedly spreading a computer virus had to arrest him on a copyright infringement charge because Japan lacks laws against malicious computer programs, a police officer said Friday.
Masato Nakatsuji, 24, a graduate student at Osaka Electro-Communication University, is suspected of illegally copying and distributing over the Internet an image from the Japanese animation film "Clannad" showing a woman walking amid falling cherry blossoms.
But Nakatsuji also allegedly embedded the image in the "Harada virus," one of Japan's "Big Three" viruses, a Kyoto police officer said on the customary condition of anonymity.
Police said it was the first arrest in Japan involving making or spreading viruses.
Although computer viruses have wreaked havoc around the world for more than two decades, Japan has been slow to pass legislation to crack down on people who make and spread the potentially destructive programs.
In the latest case, police considered other charges, including damage to property and obstructing business, before deciding that copyright violation charges would hold up best in court, the officer said.
Nakatsuji, who is not suspected of creating the virus, was in police custody and not immediately available for comment. Police said he isn't contesting the charges.
Downloading the Harada virus with the animated image destroyed data and spread on the Internet information stored in computers hit by the virus, according to police.
The virus was also spread through an illegal Japanese file-sharing software program called Winny. The extent of the damage has not yet been disclosed, the Kyoto officer said.
Koji Namikoshi, spokesman for the university where Nakatsuji was researching laser technology, said the university is strengthening instruction on ethical uses of the Internet.
"But the only illegality is copyright," he said. "Something is wrong."
The maximum punishment for copyright infringement is 10 years in prison and fines of 10 million yen, or $93,000.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
DPJ lawmakers to push foreigner suffrage bill
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Lawmakers in the Democratic Party of Japan are stepping up efforts to resubmit a bill that would grant permanent foreign residents the right to vote in local elections, according to sources.
With New Komeito also strongly demanding local suffrage for permanent foreign residents, DPJ lawmakers hope in the upcoming Diet session "to split the ruling camp by submitting the bill to the House of Councillors and call on New Komeito to endorse it," according to one of the sources.
But some conservative lawmakers in the party are determined to block the resubmission.
"Looking at this constitutionally and from the state of the nation, there's no way we can approve this," one party conservative said.
The DPJ previously submitted the bill to the House of Representatives on two occasions--in 1998 and 2002--but it was scrapped after failing to pass both times.
New Komeito also submitted to the lower house in 2005 a bill for granting permanent foreign residents voting rights in local elections, and discussions have spilled over into the current Diet session.
The passing of any bill of this nature has been stopped in its tracks mostly due to deep-rooted resistance mainly in the Liberal Democratic Party.
Yoshihiro Kawakami, a DPJ upper house member, plans to call on supporters in the party and establish a league of Diet members aimed at resubmitting the DPJ's bill.
In the new bill, a "principle of reciprocity" will be introduced, in which local voting rights would only be granted to permanent residents who hold the nationality of a country that allows foreigners to vote in elections.
"New Komeito's proposed bill has for sometime contained the principle of reciprocity, and so New Komeito won't be able to oppose the DPJ's bill," Kawakami said.
Kawakami and his supporters hope to gain approval from the party leadership and submit the bill for prior consideration by the upper house.
(Jan. 7, 2008)
Lawmakers in the Democratic Party of Japan are stepping up efforts to resubmit a bill that would grant permanent foreign residents the right to vote in local elections, according to sources.
With New Komeito also strongly demanding local suffrage for permanent foreign residents, DPJ lawmakers hope in the upcoming Diet session "to split the ruling camp by submitting the bill to the House of Councillors and call on New Komeito to endorse it," according to one of the sources.
But some conservative lawmakers in the party are determined to block the resubmission.
"Looking at this constitutionally and from the state of the nation, there's no way we can approve this," one party conservative said.
The DPJ previously submitted the bill to the House of Representatives on two occasions--in 1998 and 2002--but it was scrapped after failing to pass both times.
New Komeito also submitted to the lower house in 2005 a bill for granting permanent foreign residents voting rights in local elections, and discussions have spilled over into the current Diet session.
The passing of any bill of this nature has been stopped in its tracks mostly due to deep-rooted resistance mainly in the Liberal Democratic Party.
Yoshihiro Kawakami, a DPJ upper house member, plans to call on supporters in the party and establish a league of Diet members aimed at resubmitting the DPJ's bill.
In the new bill, a "principle of reciprocity" will be introduced, in which local voting rights would only be granted to permanent residents who hold the nationality of a country that allows foreigners to vote in elections.
"New Komeito's proposed bill has for sometime contained the principle of reciprocity, and so New Komeito won't be able to oppose the DPJ's bill," Kawakami said.
Kawakami and his supporters hope to gain approval from the party leadership and submit the bill for prior consideration by the upper house.
(Jan. 7, 2008)
Parties keen to lift Net campaign ban
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan and New Komeito are angling toward ending the ban on election campaigning using the Internet, according to sources.
The three parties hope to submit an amendment to the Public Offices Election Law during the regular Diet session that convenes later this month, and plan to call on other opposition parties to support the move in an attempt to bring the bill into force from the next House of Representatives election.
The first step will center on allowing candidates and political parties to use Web sites during election campaigns.
Article 142 of the existing law states that the distribution of "documents," except for legally approved postcards, posters and election manifestos, is prohibited after official campaigning begins.
Items displayed on computer screens such as Web sites are considered to be distributed documents under the law, and candidates and political parties are prohibited from updating them during campaigns.
Should the ban be lifted, candidates and parties would be able inform voters of their election pledges, opinions and policies, not only in writing, but also with sound, video and graphics. Site content also could be updated in response to how a candidate is faring in polls.
Lifting the ban would enable voters to compare candidates' policies and messages at any given time.
The DPJ submitted legislation drafted by Diet members on the use of the Internet in election campaigns to the Diet for the fourth time in June 2006.
The submitted legislation would remove the ban on all Web sites, e-mails and blogs, and would require campaigners using the Internet to display their names and e-mail addresses. Punitive measures would be established for campaigners that violate the law.
The LDP's Research Commission on the Election System summarized the points under discussion in December, and the party decided to consider a specific plan regarding the lifting of the ban.
The party has no objection to allowing Internet-based campaigning, but believes that repealing the ban on e-mails or online and e-mail magazines could open the door for imposters to assume the name of candidates and send out messages purporting to be from the actual candidate.
New Komeito agrees on the need to tackle the issue of false Web sites, but is positive about the lifting of the ban.
(Jan. 7, 2008)
The Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan and New Komeito are angling toward ending the ban on election campaigning using the Internet, according to sources.
The three parties hope to submit an amendment to the Public Offices Election Law during the regular Diet session that convenes later this month, and plan to call on other opposition parties to support the move in an attempt to bring the bill into force from the next House of Representatives election.
The first step will center on allowing candidates and political parties to use Web sites during election campaigns.
Article 142 of the existing law states that the distribution of "documents," except for legally approved postcards, posters and election manifestos, is prohibited after official campaigning begins.
Items displayed on computer screens such as Web sites are considered to be distributed documents under the law, and candidates and political parties are prohibited from updating them during campaigns.
Should the ban be lifted, candidates and parties would be able inform voters of their election pledges, opinions and policies, not only in writing, but also with sound, video and graphics. Site content also could be updated in response to how a candidate is faring in polls.
Lifting the ban would enable voters to compare candidates' policies and messages at any given time.
The DPJ submitted legislation drafted by Diet members on the use of the Internet in election campaigns to the Diet for the fourth time in June 2006.
The submitted legislation would remove the ban on all Web sites, e-mails and blogs, and would require campaigners using the Internet to display their names and e-mail addresses. Punitive measures would be established for campaigners that violate the law.
The LDP's Research Commission on the Election System summarized the points under discussion in December, and the party decided to consider a specific plan regarding the lifting of the ban.
The party has no objection to allowing Internet-based campaigning, but believes that repealing the ban on e-mails or online and e-mail magazines could open the door for imposters to assume the name of candidates and send out messages purporting to be from the actual candidate.
New Komeito agrees on the need to tackle the issue of false Web sites, but is positive about the lifting of the ban.
(Jan. 7, 2008)
Friday, January 4, 2008
Japan leader apologizes for pension mess
Jan, 4th, 2008
By YURI KAGEYAMA, Associated Press Writer
TOKYO - Japan's prime minister apologized Friday for a growing scandal over millions of lost pension records and promised to deliver policies focusing on consumers and everyday people.
The government has previously acknowledged losing track of more than 50 million pension records in a scandal that damaged the ruling party, playing a role in its loss of control of parliament's upper house in nationwide elections in July.
"The political responsibility is heavy," Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said at a New Year's news conference. "I offer my apologies."
Japan had long boasted what was widely seen as relatively solid government-backed social security system. But people were stunned to learn that bureaucrats had kept shoddy records, many claims were erroneously rejected and millions of records were missing or incorrect.
Fukuda's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to face an uphill battle when Parliament resumes later this month because of the public anger over the pension scandal.
Fukuda promised to fix the pension mess, saying on national television that "the credibility of our pension system is at stake."
He also promised to take the lead in passing a contentious bill for resuming Japan's naval operations near Afghanistan — a mission the ruling party sees as critical for upholding Japan's relations with its most important ally, the United States, in the global fight against terrorism.
The bill is unpopular with Japanese, who tend to be pacifist because of the bitter memories of Japan's World War II defeat, and fear getting involved in overseas military efforts.
Fukuda has been in office for just three months, replacing his predecessor Shinzo Abe. The Liberal Democrats have ruled nearly continuously for half a century. But their grip on power has been eroded by drastic economic reforms pushed by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who had enjoyed rock-star-like popularity for more than five years until his term ended in September.
Politics here has long been dominated by old-style pork-barrel benefits doled out to construction and farming blocs. The pork dwindled with the reforms, and voters are slowly starting to elect politicians based on their backgrounds and policies.
Fukuda acknowledged not all had gone well under his leadership but promised change.
"What must be tackled has become clear," he said.
By YURI KAGEYAMA, Associated Press Writer
TOKYO - Japan's prime minister apologized Friday for a growing scandal over millions of lost pension records and promised to deliver policies focusing on consumers and everyday people.
The government has previously acknowledged losing track of more than 50 million pension records in a scandal that damaged the ruling party, playing a role in its loss of control of parliament's upper house in nationwide elections in July.
"The political responsibility is heavy," Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said at a New Year's news conference. "I offer my apologies."
Japan had long boasted what was widely seen as relatively solid government-backed social security system. But people were stunned to learn that bureaucrats had kept shoddy records, many claims were erroneously rejected and millions of records were missing or incorrect.
Fukuda's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to face an uphill battle when Parliament resumes later this month because of the public anger over the pension scandal.
Fukuda promised to fix the pension mess, saying on national television that "the credibility of our pension system is at stake."
He also promised to take the lead in passing a contentious bill for resuming Japan's naval operations near Afghanistan — a mission the ruling party sees as critical for upholding Japan's relations with its most important ally, the United States, in the global fight against terrorism.
The bill is unpopular with Japanese, who tend to be pacifist because of the bitter memories of Japan's World War II defeat, and fear getting involved in overseas military efforts.
Fukuda has been in office for just three months, replacing his predecessor Shinzo Abe. The Liberal Democrats have ruled nearly continuously for half a century. But their grip on power has been eroded by drastic economic reforms pushed by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who had enjoyed rock-star-like popularity for more than five years until his term ended in September.
Politics here has long been dominated by old-style pork-barrel benefits doled out to construction and farming blocs. The pork dwindled with the reforms, and voters are slowly starting to elect politicians based on their backgrounds and policies.
Fukuda acknowledged not all had gone well under his leadership but promised change.
"What must be tackled has become clear," he said.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Japan divided by compromise on wartime suicides
Thu Dec 27, 2:35 AM ET
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's deep internal divide over its wartime history shows little sign of narrowing after the government compromised on school textbook references to military involvement in mass suicides in Okinawa in 1945.
Many in Japan's southernmost prefecture were infuriated by a government decision, made under conservative then-prime minister Shinzo Abe this year, to cut from history textbooks a reference to the army forcing people to kill themselves as U.S. troops invaded Okinawa in the final stages of World War Two.
Okinawan leaders guardedly welcomed new wording proposed by publishers and accepted by Education Minister Kisaburo Tokai on Wednesday, which mentions Japanese military involvement but stops short of saying soldiers forced people to kill themselves.
"I think they have more or less done what we asked for, which was to restore the references to the mass suicides," Toshinobu Nakasato, speaker of the Okinawan assembly, which passed resolutions condemning the previous texts, said in a statement.
But he and others remained dissatisfied that direct coercion was not mentioned in accounts of the bloody Battle of Okinawa because historians on a textbook panel said there was no evidence of military orders to commit suicide.
"I think there can be coercion without a direct order," said Kiku Nakayama, a military nurse on Okinawa during the war, who says grenades were handed out when her hospital was disbanded.
"I really want them to include something about how people were forced," she added in a telephone interview.
One of the eight high school textbooks will now include a reference to the military distributing two grenades each to a group of young people, ordering them to use one on the enemy and the other to kill themselves.
Conservative media blasted the revisions, symbolic of changes made under moderate Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who has distanced himself from some of his nationalist predecessor's policies since he took office in September.
Some newspapers said the government had been swayed into a political decision by a September demonstration on Okinawa, which organizers said attracted 110,000 people, although the Yomiuri Shimbun quoted a security firm as estimating the figure was closer to 20,000.
"The government should never repeat the stupidity of allowing political intervention in the textbook screening process," the Yomiuri Shimbun said in an editorial, whose sentiments were echoed by the conservative Sankei newspaper.
Tokyo's dispute with Okinawa, a separate kingdom until the 19th century, is a domestic echo of long-running rows with other Asian countries, especially China, over responsibility for Japan's invasion and occupation of much of the region before and during the war.
Some conservative historians in Japan, for example, deny troops massacred civilians in Nanjing in 1937, where China says 300,000 died. But the issue, along with that of Asian women used as sex slaves by the Japanese military in the early 20th century, also divides the Japanese public.
Japan and China set up a joint panel of historians a year ago, aiming to narrow their differences over history.
As in some other Asian countries, Japan's school textbooks must be approved by central government panels, meaning their contents are often seen as the official government line.
(Editing by Jerry Norton)
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's deep internal divide over its wartime history shows little sign of narrowing after the government compromised on school textbook references to military involvement in mass suicides in Okinawa in 1945.
Many in Japan's southernmost prefecture were infuriated by a government decision, made under conservative then-prime minister Shinzo Abe this year, to cut from history textbooks a reference to the army forcing people to kill themselves as U.S. troops invaded Okinawa in the final stages of World War Two.
Okinawan leaders guardedly welcomed new wording proposed by publishers and accepted by Education Minister Kisaburo Tokai on Wednesday, which mentions Japanese military involvement but stops short of saying soldiers forced people to kill themselves.
"I think they have more or less done what we asked for, which was to restore the references to the mass suicides," Toshinobu Nakasato, speaker of the Okinawan assembly, which passed resolutions condemning the previous texts, said in a statement.
But he and others remained dissatisfied that direct coercion was not mentioned in accounts of the bloody Battle of Okinawa because historians on a textbook panel said there was no evidence of military orders to commit suicide.
"I think there can be coercion without a direct order," said Kiku Nakayama, a military nurse on Okinawa during the war, who says grenades were handed out when her hospital was disbanded.
"I really want them to include something about how people were forced," she added in a telephone interview.
One of the eight high school textbooks will now include a reference to the military distributing two grenades each to a group of young people, ordering them to use one on the enemy and the other to kill themselves.
Conservative media blasted the revisions, symbolic of changes made under moderate Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who has distanced himself from some of his nationalist predecessor's policies since he took office in September.
Some newspapers said the government had been swayed into a political decision by a September demonstration on Okinawa, which organizers said attracted 110,000 people, although the Yomiuri Shimbun quoted a security firm as estimating the figure was closer to 20,000.
"The government should never repeat the stupidity of allowing political intervention in the textbook screening process," the Yomiuri Shimbun said in an editorial, whose sentiments were echoed by the conservative Sankei newspaper.
Tokyo's dispute with Okinawa, a separate kingdom until the 19th century, is a domestic echo of long-running rows with other Asian countries, especially China, over responsibility for Japan's invasion and occupation of much of the region before and during the war.
Some conservative historians in Japan, for example, deny troops massacred civilians in Nanjing in 1937, where China says 300,000 died. But the issue, along with that of Asian women used as sex slaves by the Japanese military in the early 20th century, also divides the Japanese public.
Japan and China set up a joint panel of historians a year ago, aiming to narrow their differences over history.
As in some other Asian countries, Japan's school textbooks must be approved by central government panels, meaning their contents are often seen as the official government line.
(Editing by Jerry Norton)
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