Japan's Policy Research Articles

Climate security and Japan’s new national security strategy: a policy analysis

Japan’s National Security Strategy makes it clear that the Government of Japan is more climate-security minded than before, although its overall tone is dominated by geopolitical and traditional security issues. The Government of Japan, and the Ministry of Defense in particular, should address climate security particularly in close cooperation with its international partners. Military-to-military cooperation should be accelerated mainly on the response and adaptation of the military forces to the impacts of climate change. Japan’s effort will contribute to the international efforts to build a new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific. The Ministry of Defense established its Response Strategy on Climate Change. This is important as it clearly shows the Ministry’s recognition that the effort to address climate change is compatible with national security efforts, including military efforts. As climate security is a truly global agenda, Japan’s international security cooperation to address climate change should be pursued globally. As it is quite new for Japan, there is much room for expansion in response, adaptation and reduction. Climate security should not be viewed as any political movement in disguise. Scientific integrity should be respected. Additionally, Japan’s international cooperation on policy study on climate security must be promoted to advance climate security policy in Japan.

Rethinking change in Japan's security policy: punctuated equilibrium theory and Japan's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine

ABSTRACT Change in Japanese foreign and security policy has long been characterized as “incremental”. However, Japan’s response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine provides an opportunity to reconsider this paradigm. In the aftermath of the 2014 annexation of Crimea, then-Prime Minister Abe Shinzō chose not to put Crimea on the agenda, prioritizing instead relations with Russia. However, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio responded to the 2022 invasion by increasing ties with NATO, promising to double Japan’s military spending, and acquiring capabilities that were once considered off-limits, including cruise missiles. This dramatic policy shift is analyzed using punctuated equilibrium theory (PET). We find that the 2022 invasion became a focusing event, shifting public and elite opinion in unison. Where Crimea was played down, Ukraine was clearly linked to Asia, to a possible invasion of Taiwan, and as a threat to the entire liberal international order under which Japan had prospered. We argue that overall change in Japan’s policy has not been continuous, rather, focusing events, such as Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, 9/11, and the 2012 “national security crisis” have precipitated fundamental change. Thus, we conclude that PET provides a better understanding of policy change than incrementalism.

Updating the analysis of rice import liberalization in Japan: a dynamic-stochastic CGE modelling approach

ABSTRACT Food self-sufficiency is a central pillar of agricultural policy in Japan, and a high import tariff strictly protects the domestic rice market. Most existing studies investigate the deterministic impacts of the rice trade liberalization policy in the country; one, in particular, developed a static-stochastic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to estimate how risky the policy would be in securing the food supply, which fails to account for the long-term effects of a free trade policy. We analyse the impacts of rice trade liberalization in Japan, constructing the first global-scale dynamic-stochastic CGE model. We update the policy analysis of the previous study by extending the static-stochastic model to a dynamic-stochastic framework that allows us to analyse the long-term impacts of the policy in a probabilistic manner. The primary findings are that household welfare converges at a higher level in the long term than in the short term. Second, the shocks to household welfare from abroad persistently become more significant over time. Finally, we have determined that the optimal level for government strategic rice reserves is 300 thousand tons. Therefore, it is apparent that the current stock level of 1000 thousand tons is not cost-effective.

Tradeoff between Gender and Class Equality: An Analysis of Tax Policy in Japan

Abstract Although conservative parties in developed countries are becoming more positive about women’s labor force participation, serious economic gender gaps persist in some conservative welfare regimes. By focusing on Japan as a most-likely case, this article reexamines the view that emphasizes conservative parties’ preference for traditional gender roles as a key factor contributing to policies that negatively affect gender equality. Analyses using text data from parliamentary statements reveal that parties’ preference for class equality, held by both conservative and leftist parties, contributes to a tax policy that suppresses women’s labor force participation. The findings illuminate a tradeoff between class and gender equality and provide implications for how conservative welfare regimes can achieve higher levels of economic gender equality.

Analyzing Disaster Mitigation Policies in Japan and China from an Eco-DRR Perspective: A Comparative Study of Shanghai and Tokyo

Global climate change-induced natural disasters require international efforts and the adoption of Eco-Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) policies for sustainable development. This study examines the status of Eco-DRR in disaster prevention policies through word cloud analysis, providing insights for policymakers to enhance disaster prevention amid increasing climate-related challenges. Tokyo and Japan prioritize soft aspects, while Shanghai and China emphasize engineering for flood prevention, revealing a gap in Eco-DRR application. Despite these differing approaches, the shared focus on water-related disasters indicates a shift towards urban resilience. Future research should assess policy effectiveness and the impact of Eco-DRR on disaster risk reduction and ecosystem protection.

Nishida Kitaro and Japans Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

No one shaped modern Japanese philosophy as significantly as did Nishida Kitaro, a prominent scholar at Kyoto Imperial University and the author of An Inquiry into the Good. He pioneered the Kyoto School of Japanese philosophy, which combined Western and Eastern thoughts, traditions, and religions to reach a new understanding of the world. Not usually seen as a political figure, Nishida penned a controversial essay in 1943, two years before his death, titled The Principle of the New World Order. The essay was intended for Prime Minister Tojo Hideki's use at the 1943 Greater East Asia Conference in Tokyo, where leaders from East and Southeast Asian countries under the rule of Japanese imperialism discussed future visions for the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, Japan's ostensible war cause. Nishida opposed the militarist government and its oppressive policies at home and abroad, but he hoped to influence its policy through his philosophical writing as Japan's defeat loomed larger than ever. The tense political atmosphere in wartime Japan and Nishida's vision of the world, which was characterized by the harmonious coexistence of the individual and the collective, turned The Principle of the New World Order into a text full of contradictionsthe greatest among them being his uncritical use of Hakko Ichiu (Eight Corners of the World under One Roof), a politico-religious jargon to justify the supreme rule of the Japanese emperor. After WWII, Nishida was posthumously criticized for cooperating with the military government by writing that essay, but a close examination of the text, its historical context, and other works by Nishida reveal that the lone Japanese philosopher was trying to steer Japan's Pan-Asian policy from within, an attempt that was doomed to fail when the government was mobilizing intellectuals for its imperial goals. By focusing on the case of Nishida, this article uncovers the complex dynamic between the Japanese empire and Japanese intellectuals who tried to voice their views different than the government's.

Philosophical reflections on Japan’s Sakoku policy: seventeenth-century English perspectives

ABSTRACT After the expulsion of the Portuguese from Japan in 1639, European trade with Japan was restricted to the Dutch. Doors were closed to other Western nations for the next 215 years. This isolationist policy of Japan’s is commonly known as ‘Sakoku’. This article considers how Sakoku was viewed and judged in the eyes of English thinkers in the seventeenth century working in the natural law tradition. However, such normative philosophical reflections and accounts are virtually unknown in this period. This article takes up Charles II’s letter written to the Japanese ruler in an effort to reopen trade with the Japanese in the 1670s, and draws attention and analyzes its appeal to natural law. While the natural law argument in Charles’s letter was commonplace and typically adduced in the context of criticizing trade-limiting policies, the article shows that it can also be seen as an acceptance of Japan’s Sakoku policy.

Effects of Serum Antibody Test Reagent Discontinuation on Diagnosis of Amebiasis in Japan: Interrupted Time-Series Analysis.

Amebiasis is a notifiable infectious disease in Japan, and the number of reported cases had been on the rise, but since the discontinuation of insurance-covered serum antibody testing reagent in 2017, concerns have arisen regarding the decrease in reported cases. This study aimed to investigate changes occurring after discontinuation of the serum antibody test reagent production. We retrospectively analyzed amebiasis cases from January 2014 to December 2019 using the National Center for Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases system. Interrupted time-series regression analysis was used to evaluate trends in weekly amebiasis cases before and after the discontinuation period. The study period was divided into prediscontinuation (2014-2017) and discontinuation (2018-2019) periods. A total of 6,179 amebiasis cases were reported. The average numbers of weekly cases were 21.5 during 2014-2017 and 16.3 during 2018-2019. The frequency of diagnoses decreased in the discontinuation period (prevalence rate ratio = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.89; P < 0.01). Subgroup analysis showed lower diagnostic rates, particularly for extraintestinal amebiasis (prevalence rate ratio = 0.37; 95% CI, 0.22-0.55; P < 0.01). We observed a significant decrease in the number of reported amebiasis cases per week after discontinuation of the serum antibody test reagent in Japan. Our findings hold significance for both public health policy and practice in Japan, underscoring the requirement for enhanced amebiasis diagnostic tools and strategies. To ensure accurate diagnosis, availability of antibody reagents for serum testing, covered by insurance, should be encouraged.

НЕКОТОРЫЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ ГЕОСТРАТЕГИЧЕСКИХ ИНТЕРЕСОВ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ ПОЛИТИКИ ЯПОНИИ В ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЙ АЗИИ В НАЧАЛЕ ХХI ВЕКА

The article presents the features of Japan's economic policy in the five Central Asian republics in 2000-2024 on the basis of materials from authoritative sources in Russian, English and Japanese. On the basis of authoritative sources, the specifics of the geostrategic importance of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan for Japan in a developing multipolar world and Tokyo's vital need for stable partnerships in order to increase its influence are reflected. The main specific trends of economic relations between Japan and Central Asia are revealed. The period 2000-2024 of the study is a logical period of time defining Tokyo's policy in the five republics, as a successor to the previous 1993-1999. This shows the predictability and logic of building schemes for stable economic relations of Tokyo in the region. The specific trends of Japan's policy changes in Central Asia are revealed, taking into account the competitive advantages of the great powers in the region. Seoul's strategies have been taken into account, which are similar to Tokyo's course in the five republics. The main regions in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have been identified, where Japanese companies conduct main and contract economic activities at the beginning of the XX1 century, taking into account the dynamics of the previous period 1993-1999. The forecast of the prospects for the development of the dialogue between Japan and Central Asian countries in the 2030s is given.

Examining the Effects of Economic Policy Uncertainties on the Stock Market Index: Analysis by Nonlinear ARDL Method for G7 Countries

Uncertainties are important factors that influence the decisions made by societies. Economic uncertainties closely affect society’s consumption and investment behaviour. Rising stock markets increase investors’ confidence, resulting in more purchases and higher stock prices and, in this context, an increase in consumer spending. When stock prices decrease, company investments are also negatively affected as consumer spending declines. Thus, increases and decreases in stock prices affect the general economy as they affect business confidence and consumers. The study analyses the effect of uncertainty in economic policies on stock markets, leading to a decrease in investor confidence in the economy. Such effects in G7 countries were examined using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model for the period 1998:M05–2020:M09. This method was able to capture symmetries and asymmetries in the relationship between economic policy uncertainties and the stock markets. The results showed that heightened uncertainty in economic policy in Japan has a significantly negative effect on the stock market index, but in Germany and Italy, it has a significantly positive effect. Rising interest rates have negatively affected the stock market index in the United States, Canada, Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The increase in the industrial production index is positively related to the stock market index in the United States, Canada, Japan, Italy, and France. Additionally, uncertainties in economic policy have asymmetric impacts on the stock market index in the United States, Canada, Japan and Italy, and symmetrical impacts in Germany, France and the United Kingdom.

Fiscal and Monetary Policies Interaction in Crisis: An Insight Into Japan

In this study, we explore the interaction between fiscal and monetary policies in Japan over a period including the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and a phase of the Covid-19 pandemic under the presupposition that policy regimes are fixed and there are random switches between the two regimes. Using the Regime switching model, the results show that fiscal policy is more active in Japan than monetary policy, especially during the GFC and the Covid-19 pandemic. By using the Bayesian VAR model, we continue to further analyze the response of macroeconomic factors to an expansionary fiscal policy to verify the above findings once again. The results indicate that government expenditure helps boost the economy in the short-run. The positive impact of a government expenditure shock on GDP, PPI, and Investment lasts about three to four quarters, while private consumption only increases in one next quarter. These positive responses can increase the inflation rate and make the local currency overvalued, reflected in the increase in the effective exchange rate. A fiscal policy shock does not have much impact on the monetary policy, specifically, the money supply and interest rates of long-term government bonds still tended to decrease as expected by Japan. This is the basis for studying policy implications for some countries pursuing similar policies to Japan. JEL Classification: C23, C54, E42, E62, E63

Economic Cooperation Policies of China, Japan and India towards South Asia and Their Implications for Korea

Economic Cooperation Policies of China, Japan and India towards South Asia and Their Implications for Korea

Economic Losses of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Based on Business Characteristics and Regional Policies in Indonesia and Japan

Economic Losses of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Based on Business Characteristics and Regional Policies in Indonesia and Japan

Cultural Contexts and Policy Frameworks: Examining Work-life Balance Initiatives in East Asia

This study presents a comparative analysis of work-life balance (WLB) policies in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and China. Through a qualitative case study approach, it examines the legislative frameworks, implementation strategies, and cultural contexts influencing WLB policies in these countries. The research reveals varying levels of policy comprehensiveness and effectiveness across the four nations. Singapore emerges as a leader with its comprehensive government-led initiatives and strong legislative support for WLB. Japan demonstrates significant policy reforms aimed at addressing demographic challenges, albeit with persistent implementation issues. China shows regional variations in policy implementation, while Hong Kong's approach is characterized as more market-driven with less cohesive government strategies. The study identifies common challenges across the region, including deeply ingrained work cultures, gender disparities, and the need to balance economic competitiveness with employee well-being. The research concludes with targeted recommendations for Hong Kong, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive legislative framework, enhanced gender equality measures, and a cultural shift towards valuing work-life balance. These findings contribute to the ongoing dialogue on improving work-life balance in East Asian economies and offer insights for policymakers and organizations striving to create more balanced and productive work environments.

News coverage of older drivers' fatal car crashes: is it over-represented?

Japan's stringent licensing policies for older drivers have not been questioned, possibly due to negative perceptions of older drivers potentially influenced by media coverage of their car crashes. We examined whether older drivers' fatal crashes are over-represented in the news articles. To examine the news coverage of fatal crashes that occurred between January 2016 and December 2020, we extracted driver- and crash-related data from articles reporting fatal crashes in the two best-selling newspapers, Yomiuri and Asahi. We obtained the corresponding data of police-reported fatal crashes during the same period. We calculated the proportion of newspaper-reported fatal crashes to police-reported fatal crashes by at-fault driver's age group and crash characteristics. Of 12,987 police-reported fatal crashes, 5,888 (45%) and 2,909 (22%) crashes were reported in Yomiuri and Asahi newspapers, respectively. Excluding 2,098 crashes where at-fault drivers or their ages were not identifiable, Yomiuri reported 39%, 35%, and 31%, and Asahi reported 20%, 16%, and 14% of fatal crashes caused by drivers aged <30 years, 30-69 years, and 70 years or older, respectively. Crashes that caused more fatalities or killed children tended to be reported regardless of at-fault drivers' age groups. Compared with young and middle-aged drivers, older drivers' fatal crashes involving child fatalities were more reported, whereas their single fatal crashes ending in their own deaths were less reported. Older drivers' at-fault fatal crashes were not over-represented in the news coverage of overall fatal crashes, and their crashes killing themselves were under-reported.

Japan's Supply Chain Policy and its Implications for South Korea

Japan's Supply Chain Policy and its Implications for South Korea

Alternative Approaches to Plastic Production and Recycling Policies

Plastics offer convenience to businesses and the supply chain, but their improper disposal and low recycling rates pose significant environmental and health challenges. Each year, millions of tons of plastic end up in oceans, with a recycling rate below 9%. Thus, urgent action is required to tackle this global plastic crisis. This policy brief proposes a Europe-wide ban on colored plastics to promote a circular economy and enhance plastic recycling, drawing insights from successful recycling policies in Japan and South Korea. This approach, despite initial challenges, can yield long-term benefits such as reduced exports, energy conservation, and increased consumer awareness. Collaboration, funding, and material design innovation are key to promoting sustainable practices and combatting plastic pollution. By seizing this opportunity collectively, we can make a lasting impact in the fight against plastic pollution and address the climate crisis before it is too late.

Japan's Energy Policy: Current Challenges and Problems

Japan's Energy Policy: Current Challenges and Problems

Increasing the Resilience of Japanese Companies to Address Multi-hazard Risks

The risk environment surrounding companies has become increasingly complex because of unexpected high-magnitude earthquakes, frequent extreme weather events, adverse effects of climate change, COVID-19, and the impact of the recent Ukraine crisis. Unless companies adequately adapt to the changes in their business environments with their business continuity management (BCM) to address a multi-hazard, they may suffer severe impacts on their business performances and may not survive. Japan is one of the most natural hazard-prone countries with the most corporate assets in the world. However, it currently has various challenges in developing and implementing BCM. This study provides a method to increase the business resilience of Japanese companies for effective management of current and future risks against multi-hazards. This study reviews the hazards faced by Japanese companies and their effects. The recent progress of and challenges to BCM and the related policies in Japan are assessed because a more effective BCM can form the foundation for increasing business resilience. Moreover, this study considers how business resilience can be increased to tackle current and future multi-hazards. The results show that the Japanese companies’ BC plan (BCP) currently tends to focus on single or some particular hazards considering less on fund procurement. Thus, more comprehensive approaches to address unexpected consequences regardless of the hazard type should be highly promoted in the political and practical aspects, and financial strategies should be more mainstreamed on BCM because these improvements will lead to increased business resilience and corporate value.

South Korea's Trade Diplomacy Strategy towards the Netherlands in Dealing with Japan's Semiconductor Raw Material Protection Policy during 2019-2022

The objective of this study was to elucidate South Korea's trade diplomacyendeavors in augmenting trade and investment in the Netherlands during the timeframe of 2019-2022. The author employs the notions of economic diplomacy and trade diplomacy from the Okano-Heijmans conceptual framework to elucidate the essence of the research. During the 2019-2022 timeframe, South Korea has implemented trade diplomacy efforts aimed at enhancing its potential to export products, particularly semiconductors. The implementation of a safeguard policy for Japanese semiconductor raw materials is a response to constraints in the availability of raw materials, as well as the trade conflict between the United States and China, which has repercussions for South Korea's trade ties with Japan. To enhance exports, the South Korean government is implementing several trade diplomacy initiatives, including engaging in commerce through Foreign Trade Agreements and promoting investment through bilateral relations focused on both government and private sector involvement, particularly with the Netherlands. In addition, South Korean representatives visited ASML, a Dutch company that manufactures semiconductor production machinery. Nevertheless, South Korea must confront some obstacles in order to succeed in the semiconductor trade battle, particularly the imperative for quality advancement. In this paper, the author will also explore the investment prospects of South Korea for the Netherlands.