<p><a href="mailto:J@pan">J@pan</a> Inc Newsletter</p>
<p>The 'JIN' Japan Inc Newsletter<br>A weekly opinion piece on social, economic and political trends<br>in Japan.<br>Issue No. 451 Wednesday February 6, 2008, Tokyo</p>
<p>------Metropolis Magazine Valentine`s Glitterball-------</p>
<p>Glitterball is back!<br>Tokyo's favorite party makes its triumphant return on<br>February 14, 2008-Valentine's Day.<br>An institution for nearly a decade, the Metropolis-hosted<br>Glitterball was on hiatus this year due to the closing of<br>
Velfarre nightclub, but 2008's version promises to be better<br>than ever.</p>
<p>Roppongi hotspot Alife will host over 1,000 V-Day revelers<br>for a night of eating, drinking, dancing, making friends-and<br>who knows what else.<br>Prize drawings, swag bags, and Tokyo's funnest crowd will make<br>
the reborn Glitterball the highlight of the Tokyo social calendar.</p>
<p>CORPORATE SPONSORS WELCOME<br><a href="http://www.metropolis.co.jp/glitterball">www.metropolis.co.jp/glitterball</a><br>----------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Right-wing issues</p>
<p>By and large, Japanese people are characteristically quiet. It <br>is rare to hear an angry argument in the street, loud <br>exclamations of surprise, or even boisterous singing at night. <br>Such cacophonous activity tends to be kept the confines of the <br>
home or the soundproofed walls of a private karaoke box. All of <br>this changes however, when it comes to politics. At election <br>time there are campaign vans bellowing out slogans from <br>loudspeakers, disturbing office workers and hurting the <br>
eardrums of passers by, with their noisy, megaphoned <br>announcements about new plans to improve road safety and the <br>incompetence of the opposition.</p>
<p>On the whole, such electioneering may be irritating but is <br>essentially harmless, often accompanied by smiling people <br>in white gloves, whose main goal is to inform voters of their <br>existence. However, there is a less benign form of political <br>
activity that is equally loud perpetrated predominantly by <br>extreme right-wing associations who have little form of <br>official representation. For example, take a trip to the embassy<br>of South Korea on a Sunday morning and you will hear the <br>
deafening dogmatism of one right-wing group lambasting the <br>Koreans for polluting Japanese society and crudely telling <br>Koreans to get out of Japan. They often pop round the corner <br>to the Chinese embassy to say something similar and other <br>
groups, or even lone members, can occasionally be heard <br>shouting their nationalist version of twentieth century history <br>at crowds around the capital's busy districts of Shibuya, or <br>Shinjuku. Normally they travel in convoys of black trucks and <br>
self-consciously set out to intimidate.</p>
<p>In the past, members of the extreme right have been actively <br>violent, their actions easily fitting into the category of <br>'terrorism' even before its post-9/11 stretching. For example, <br>last June, Masahiro Horigome was sentenced for burning down the <br>
house of LDP lawmaker Koichi Sato's mother—apparently because <br>of her son's criticism of Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni <br>shrine. Indeed, most of the extreme right's actions and <br>attention seemed to be focused on a series of issues, many of <br>
which relate to history. In addition to the shrine, which they <br>believe all politicians have a duty to visit, right wing-groups <br>get their knickers in a twist about the following:</p>
<p>History Textbooks</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, nationalists believe that Japan fought 'a good <br>war' and that many of the reports of atrocities, such as the <br>Nanking massacre, are the fabrications of anti-Japanese media; <br>they believe Japan should be proud of its imperialism and that <br>
today's leaders should emulate those of the 1930s and 1940s. <br>Last weekend, the Teacher's Association, whose left-wing <br>credentials have often brought it into confrontation with the <br>right, had to abandon its general meeting at its annual National<br>
Conference on Educational Research after the Grand Prince Hotel <br>in Takanawa forced it cancel, citing right-wing threats to cause<br>disturbance as the reason <br>(<a href="http://tinyurl.com/374os9">http://tinyurl.com/374os9</a>). Teachers have also bothered the <br>
rightists by refusing to sing the national anthem <br>(<a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080205a3.html">www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080205a3.html</a>).</p>
<p><br>Dokdo/Takeshima</p>
<p>Japan's island dispute over a few rocks in the Sea of Japan <br>(East Sea in Korea) has led to protests on both sides. In <br>particular, the 'nihon izokukai' (Japan Association Bereaved <br>Families) and the people of Shimane prefecture (who believe <br>
the islands belong to them) are vocal about this issue. This <br>dispute often makes it into the Sunday morning tirades bellowed <br>outside the Korean embassy and February 22, 'Takeshima Day' sees<br>a wave of demonstrations.</p>
<p>Korea</p>
<p>More broadly, North and South Korea are focus points for <br>right-wing hate. The Kenkoku Giyugun Chosen Seibatsutai <br>(Voluntary Army Unit for Punishing Korea), is the most obvious <br>group dedicated to activism in this regard. Essentially the <br>
group protests North Korean acts of terrorism perpetrated <br>against Japan, abductions and so on. However, it is more <br>generally anti-Korean in ethos and holds Korean immigrants <br>responsible for crime rises, moral degeneration and just about <br>
everything else that they see wrong with Japanese society. <br>In particular, they target the Chongryon (Korea Residents <br>Association of Japan) whose Fukuoka headquarters they attempted <br>to bomb back in 2003.</p>
<p>China</p>
<p>Some of the groups put more of their energy into campaigns <br>aimed against China. Like the Dokdo/Takeshima issue, the <br>Senkaku/Diaoyu island dispute with China is a sore point that <br>tends to get the extremists flared up and occasionally leads <br>
to embassy protests too. Additionally, right-wing groups <br>regularly jump on any negative news stories about China, the <br>most recent gyoza (dumpling) debacle being an obvious example <br>(see the <a href="mailto:J@pan">J@pan</a> Inc blog <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/node/2891">http://www.japaninc.com/node/2891</a>).</p>
<p>The Kuriles</p>
<p>Japan's dispute over territory at the northern tip of the <br>country is another cause of the right and explains the heavy <br>security presence outside the Russian embassy.</p>
<p>Foreigners</p>
<p>Like with most other nationalist groups the world over, <br>foreigners in general are a source of right-wing angst <br>(for more on this see <a href="http://www.debito.org/index.php/?p=394">http://www.debito.org/index.php/?p=394</a>).</p>
<p>[Continued below...]</p>
<p>------------------- Financial Times------------------------</p>
<p>Established in 1888 and published in 23 major cities, the<br>Financial Times is essential reading for the global business<br>community, providing news in print and online around the<br>clock to more than 1.3 million readers worldwide.</p>
<p>In both its print and online versions, the FT has a reputation<br>for authority, balance and depth of coverage.<br>With 400 specialist journalists in 70 offices around the<br>world, and unrivaled access to global business and government<br>
leaders, the FT 's global business intelligence and insight<br>will help you start the day fully briefed on significant<br>events in business, politics and finance.</p>
<p>FT newspaper and FT.com (one year subscription - 310 issues)</p>
<p>Normal retail price:<br>JPY219,647<br>You pay:<br>JPY90,720 ( Saving you 54%.)</p>
<p>If you would like to subscribe please call our dedicated<br>customer service team on 0120-341-468 or<br>visit <a href="http://www.ftasia.net/japaninc">www.ftasia.net/japaninc</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>[...Article continues]</p>
<p>What unites the 'uyoku dantai' (ultra-right groups) over these<br>issues is their belief in Japan's destiny as leader of Asia <br>(if not the world) and their approach—noisy protests and <br>periodic terror–like plots. They also have an interesting <br>
relationship with the yakuza who hold many similar ideals but <br>lack the basic political legitimacy (for more on this see <br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/2ze243">http://tinyurl.com/2ze243</a>). While ultra-right groups are a <br>
minority and very rarely do their plots do much damage, what <br>is striking, is the lack of counter-balance. There are extreme <br>groups on the left but the right is more vocal nowadays. There <br>is a lack however, of any attempt from the centre to confront <br>
the rightist organizations. Their influence on policy is a <br>mysterious but important variable yet it is very rare that any <br>politician makes direct reference to them. In fact, many <br>nationalist politicians have quiet reasons to allow these <br>
groups to continue their activities and they partially drive <br>the media to cover the above issues more regularly than they <br>might. </p>
<p>On the other, hand, an outright crackdown or attempt to <br>confront, could play right into their hands, making their <br>causes seem all the more important and attracting sympathy for <br>any perceived persecution. Suppression might only make them <br>
stronger. In a democracy like Japan, the establishment may be <br>criticized for its apathy but it also perhaps allows a <br>sufficient level of venting to keep a lid on. When things do <br>cross the line into violence, the police have a good track <br>
record of prosecuting the culprits. It is annoying that we have <br>to put up with so much unpleasant noise, and it would be wrong <br>to say that the right didn't deliberately aim to make people <br>afraid, but its current existence perhaps saves us from <br>
anything more sinister happening more regularly. </p>
<p>Peter Harris<br>Editor-in-Chief</p>
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<p>++FEEDBACK</p>
<p>Want to comment? It is now even easier to voice your opinion<br>than ever before! Simply post a comment below the article <br>online at <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/jin451">www.japaninc.com/jin451</a>. Alternatively, you can <br>
email it directly to the author at <a href="mailto:peter.harris@japaninc.com">peter.harris@japaninc.com</a></p>
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<p>---------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>++EVENTS</p>
<p>--------------- ICA Event - Feb 21 -----------------------<br>Event: Round Table Discussion - Successful Growth<br>through Planned Execution<br>Speakers: D. Forncrook, J. Glasser and J. Gabriella<br>Details: Complete event details at <a href="http://www.icajapan.jp/">http://www.icajapan.jp/</a><br>
(RSVP Required)<br>Date: Thursday, Feb 21, 2008<br>Time: 6:30 Doors open includes open bar (sponsored by Skillhouse)<br>and light buffet<br>Cost: 3,500 yen (members), 5,500 yen (non-members)<br>Open to all - venue is The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan<br>
<a href="http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map">http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Marcus Evans Events - Supported by <a href="mailto:J@pan">J@pan</a> Inc<br>Customer Relationship Excellence, 15th - 16th April 2008,<br>Hilton Tokyo<br><a href="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13548">http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13548</a><br>
Don't miss out distinguish speakers from American Express<br>International - Hideki Yamanaka, JIMOS - Yohey Hosoda, Family<br>Mart, - Motoo Takada, Zurich Insurance - Yuji Gondo, Astellas<br>Pharma - Masaru Imahori and Nikon - Kazuyuki Kazami. Book early<br>
to avoid disappointment!</p>
<p>Compensation and Benefits, 27th – 28th May, Tokyo<br>This event provides Japanese firms the understanding and<br>'how-to' of investing in their employees for the purpose of<br>sustaining their businesses. Corporations nowadays need to<br>
formulate a business-driven compensation policy that leverages<br>human capital to drive corporate growth.</p>
<p>3rd Annual LNG World, 15th – 16th July 2008, Tokyo<br><a href="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569">www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569</a><br>This event aims to focus on the key operational aspects of LNG<br>
business which helps the professionals to understand the nuances<br>of the current market dynamics and to succeed and gain an edge<br>in this highly competitive market.</p>
<p>"<a href="mailto:J@pan">J@pan</a> Inc readers are entitled to a 10% discount upon <br>registration with Ms. Esther Wong."<br>For further details and brochures, please contact:<br>Ms. Esther Wong<br>Tel No: +603 2723 6736<br>
Fax No: +603 2723 6699<br>Email add: <a href="mailto:estherw@marcusevanskl.com">estherw@marcusevanskl.com</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Start a Company in Japan</p>
<p>Entrepreneur's Handbook Seminar 1st of March, 2008</p>
<p>If you have been considering setting up your own company,<br>find out what it takes to make it successful.<br>Terrie Lloyd, founder of over 13 start-up companies in Japan,<br>will be giving an English-language seminar and Q and A on<br>
starting up a company in Japan.<br>This is an ideal opportunity to find out what is involved,<br>and to ask specific questions that are not normally answered<br>in business books.<br>All materials are in English and are Japan-focused.</p>
<p>For more details: <a href="http://japaninc.com/terrie_lloyd/">http://japaninc.com/terrie_lloyd/</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------</p>
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<p>Please contact at <a href="mailto:sachie.kuroda@japaninc.com">sachie.kuroda@japaninc.com</a> for more details.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>++END</p>