A Problematic Issue: The visit to Yasukuni?

Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine has been reported widely, applauded broadly and criticized harshly among the nations since Aug. 15, the surrender day. I am neither for nor against the visit, or I don't care about such a thing. If I say that, I might have any criticism for my unconsciousness of the past invasion by Japanese militalism. Of course, I have learned the history of Japanese militalism' s aggression. And the history has been taught well at school in Japan although it is criticized by the intellectuals of the China, the Republic of Korea and the left-wingers of Japan that the history is taught wrongly in Japan.

As Ichiro Ozawa, the representative of the Democratic Party of Japan, said on TV yesterday and Prime Minister Koizumi has been saying, the past aggression and ruthless battle against the U.S. and the Britain is wrong and then leaders of Japanese militalism, who have been the Class-A war criminals and honored to Yasukuni Shrine, has been responsible for them. I think so, too. Koizumi, Ozawa and a candidate for next prime minister, Shinzo Abe, all say that such past war will never be repeated again. Even Mr. Abe hopes for no war although he is doubtful of the Tokyo trials which punished then Japanese leaders and said to be a hawkish militalist. (In that point, I don't think so. Mr. Abe is a very considerate and prudent statesman.)

It has been reported to be a big problem that the Prime Minister Koizumi went to Yasukuni Shrine, which is said to justify the history of invasion and define it as a battle for the Asians' independence from being controlled under the Western Power. However Koizumi insisted that he visited Yasukuni not to justify the past aggression but to respect the war dead. To the Chinese and Korean people, it may seem to be an applause of the aggression. To Koizumi, it is never that.

In part Koizumi is reported to have less interest in the diplomacy with the Asian countries because his visit made much worse the political relationship with them. And Koichi Kato, a member of the Diet who has insisted on building a friendship with China and raised an objection against Koizumi's visit, suffered from his house being burned by a member of the right-wing group in Tokyo. About this atrocious case, Makoto Sataka, a left-leaning commentator, said on TV that Koizumi's visit stimulated the fervor of the right-wingers and led to Mr.Kato's house being burned. This comment seems to me that Koizumi burned Mr.Kato's house. I think that this case is a problem of terrorism against the freedom of speech rather than the visit. Mr.Sataka's comment has a logical jump.

Is the visit problematic? I think it is more problematic that the visit has been reported heavily on TV, in the newspapers and through the internet than that the visit harms the hearts of Chinese and the Republic of Korea. It is a big problem that the visit is reported heavily to hurt the deplomatic relations with the Asian countries. Certainly the visit will make worse the feelings that Chinese and Koreans have toward Japan. However publicly exaggerating the visit would also make worse the relationship with China and Korea and be problematic.

By not raising it as a big diplomatic problem, it would take less time to discuss the issue and more time to make a strategic plan for building the peaceful community in the Asian area in the future. Discussing wether the visit is appropriate or not is not fruitful but harmful because it needs to dig into the historical facts and religious matters. Discussing for building peaceful and wealthy community is much more gainful for our future world.

Surrender Day

Today is the 61st anniversary of the end of World War II, which is the Japanese way of expression, that is, the surrender day. That day Japan became a loser against the Allied Power. That 61-year-ago war doesn't seem an old and forgettable but still-alive memory for those who have undergone that disgusting event.

And today it has been paid attention to whether prime minister would visit Yasukuni Shrine, which was once a symbol of imperialism and played a high-profile role in promoting wartime fervor.

After all, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited the shrine this morning. That news has disturbed me since I got up in this morning. Why did he visit the shrine? According to the report of the Japan Times, Mr.Koizumi told the reporter that it is "to remember and reflect on past wars and renew our resolve never to go to war again". "Today's peace and prosperity are not just because of those who are alive now, but were built based on those who sacrificed their precious lives." also said Mr.Koizumi.

Mr.Koizumi's statement on his visit to Yasukuni and esteem for war dead is very normal as a prime minister. Although I don't know whether his visit to Yasukuni is right or wrong as a prime minister, his worship and respect for those who died for the country is not wrong, but a very natural as a stateman working for the country as well.

This time it is criticized that Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 Class-A war criminals by parts of Asian countries, especially China and South Korea. During the war, then leaders, who were punished as Class-A war criminals by the Alleid Power, had been highly responsible for that reckless battle against the economically larger countries like the U.S. and Britain, of which the Allied Power consisted, and their crime was very critical. However I think that the worship for war dead is needed even if Yasukuni shrine honored 14 Class-A war criminals as well as 2.5 million war dead. It is because war criminals were also dead from that war and honored.

What does Mr.Koizumi's visit to the shrine harm on the 61st anniversary of the end of World War II? Some commentators say that the visit deteriorates the partnership with the East Asian countries and harms the hearts of the East Asian peoples. They have long criticized the Yasukuni Shrine's secret inclusion of Class-A war criminals. And they say that the visit shows Japan has not repented its past behavior.

Listening to what they say, it seems that such their conjectures have made worse the relationship with Japan rather than the visit. The problem is not the prime minister's visit but China's or South Korea's antipathy toward the visit. I couldn't simpathized with China and South Korea any more. Then Japanese militalism invaded outrageously neighbor countries. Reveiwing our grandfathers' past actions, now Japanese leaders should persuade them that Japan try to keep the world community peaceful and politically free. And we should also tell them the visit to Yasukuni is not to justify the war of invasion but to keep our promise of no war and eternal peace.

金融政策と公定歩合（2）

前回、金融政策の政策目標が「公定歩合」から「短期金利」に変わっていることを指摘した。それでは、政策上「公定歩合」の役割はなくなったのか。いや、そうではない。公定歩合の役割は依然重要なものである。では、いかなるものなのか。2つ考えられている。

①短期金融市場の事実上の上限金利

②手形法や租税特別措置法において、違反金を算定するときの基準金利

①の上限金利とは、2001年に導入された補完貸付制度（ロンバート型貸出制度）という、金融機関があらかじめ日本銀行に差し入れた担保の範囲内で、日銀から短期資金を借り入れられる制度におけるものである。

金融機関はこの制度を使って、日本銀行の誘導目標金利（日本銀行はあらかじめ金利の水準を決めて、その金利に誘導するように市場に資金を供給する）よりも低金利の「公定歩合」で日銀から資金を借りることができる。信用力が足りず、資金が調達できない金融機関にとって、「駆け込み寺」としての機能を果たすこの制度により、「公定歩合」は事実上の短期金融市場の上限金利という役割を果たすようになった。

また、「公定歩合」と短期金融市場の短期金利との差に注目することが政策上重要な意味を持っているとされている。公定歩合は短期金融市場の上限金利としての役割を果たすが、仮に日銀が公定歩合を引き上げれば、日銀が短期金利の上昇を容認した、つまり、金融を引き締めることを市場に受け止められるようにしたことになる。このようなアナウンスメント効果を通じて、金融市場に影響を与えることができるという意味で、公定歩合は金融政策上依然重要であるのだ。

以下年表
1995年3月　金融調節の基本的な指標を無担保コール翌日物金利に変更
1996年1月　日本銀行が金融調節に公定歩合による日銀貸出を行わないと表明
2001年2月 補完貸付制度を導入
2006年3月　量的緩和解除
2006年7月　ゼロ金利解除
（以上で、このシリーズは終わり）

上記ブログの内容は、読売新聞「なるほど！　経済」2006.7.19.を参考文献として、一部引用されている。

The Anonymous Came Here

For a while I have been busy studying English and working for my job. So I can't blog well constantly. Recently I have received some comments sent by the anonymous since some days ago. I am happy with comments given by ones keeping eyes on my blog, but I am not happy with the comments I can't read and understand.

I think that the anonymous name itself "anonymous " for some reason. What kind of reason do they have? If you post some comments that you want to be read, you will put your name on your comments by expressing your handle or real name like me.

Maybe they don't express their names because they have some special reason that is not good. If so, I won't see any links provided by the anonymous.

Anyway I would like everyone to read and respond to what I write and think on this blog even if you name yourself "anonymous". However, I personally think that it would be polite for you to name yourself if you can when posting your comments on any blogs. Please let me know what idea you have and share your thoughts, of course, with your privacy kept on.

A Very Hot Summer

In Japan, we are now in a very hot and humid summer. During the day, the sunshine heats us and makes us continue sweating without doing anything. In Osaka, the average temperature of the day is in the range of 30 to 35℃.

So I sleep with air conditioner on during the night. Because of that I've caught a little too heavy cold; a sore throat and nosy enough for me not to breathe well. I am now having some antibiotic and, thanks to it, getting better.

Although the summer in Japan is normally said to be very hot and humid among foreign visitors, why is it very hot in this summer? Due to global warming? If so, it could be thought the natural consequence of our own deeds. It is because an increase in the average temperature brought about by our production and consumption activities, gives different influences on our natural environment. This is called the "greenhouse effect"

Our economic activities gives rise to a greenhouse-effect gas including CO2 and NOx, which warms up the globe. Global warming probably leads to today's very hot summer and thus my sickness.

Naked News

I found a funny website; Naked News. It doesn't mean that new facts are revealed.
The reporters are revealed! Women or men in the news show, are taking off the clothes, and are all naked.

I don't know why the reporters in this news show are reporting the news with no clothes on. I don't know whether I should see the undressed news or reporters.
Is it because they are hot in the summer? Oh, so I want to be naked in this blog. (Sorry, it's joking.)