Japan Institute for National Fundamentals

Mar 22, 2012 (Thu)

#133 Linking Consumption Tax Hike to Economic Recovery

March 19, 2012 Fiscal consolidation or economic recovery? The unfortunate dichotomy between the two has led Japan to delay a decision. Regarding the government-planned “comprehensive reform of soci...

Mar 12, 2012 (Mon)

#132 Old Wine in New Bottles

March 12, 2012 When politicians are faced with difficult and unpopular decisions they sometimes choose to avoid taking a stand by purporting to stake out new positions which, in reality, are no cha...

Mar 09, 2012 (Fri)

#131 Japan-US-ROK Solidarity Urged to Respond to Lawmaker’s Protest

March 5, 2012 As the United States and North Korea announced their agreement on the North’s nuclear issue on February 29, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed it as “a modest first step...

Mar 01, 2012 (Thu)

#130 Noda Effectively Declares Defeat by Tolerating Unlawfulness

February 27, 2012 Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda made a wrong decision again. As a government advisory panel failed to give recommendations on the revised demarcation of electorates for the House...

Feb 24, 2012 (Fri)

#129 Don’t Follow or Be Afraid of China

February 20, 2012 Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping ended his five-day U.S. visit on February 17, concluding the trip as China describes “completely successful.” Reasons for the conclusion are unce...

Feb 17, 2012 (Fri)

#128 Questioning Conscience of New Ginowan Mayor

February 13, 2012 The choice in the Feb. 12 Ginowan mayoral election came as a lesser evil. I have no choice but to comment that former Okinawa prefectural assembly member and mayor-elect Atsushi S...

Feb 10, 2012 (Fri)

#127 People’s Burden Not to Increase on Consumption Tax Hike

February 6, 2012 A dispute over a hike of 5 percentage points in the consumption tax rate is linked to the possible dissolution of the House of Representatives and the general election. But the 5-p...

Feb 02, 2012 (Thu)

#126 Fight Intimidation by the Weak with Sanctions

January 30, 2012 Iran and North Korea are weak countries that intimidate the world. After the International Atomic Energy Agency gave specific evidence of Iran’s nuclear weapon development in its r...

Jan 26, 2012 (Thu)

#125 TPP to Prosper Japan

January 23, 2012 It is rather abnormal that arguments against the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade initiative, describing the TPP as ruining Japan and branding TPP supporters as traitors, have ...

Jan 19, 2012 (Thu)

#124 Noda Cabinet Should Serve Only as Caretaker

January 16, 2012 Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s appointment of Naoki Tanaka as defense minister might have stunned a large number of people. I was appalled at the appointment. Funny selection ...