Public-Policy Lab

Japan’s general election was held on Februa ry 8, 2026. It was a gamble for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to call a snap election. Under Japan’s constitutional practice, the prime minister may dissolve the House of Representatives (the lower house) and call a general election. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was elected prime minister by the Diet last October, succeeding former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. However, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), to which she belongs, did not hold a majority in the lower house. Her personal popularity remained high after she took office. Against this backdrop, she suddenly announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives earlier this year. The LDP then won a historic landslide in this election. Its total seats increased from 198 to 316, meaning the party now controls more than two-thirds of the seats in the lower house. With a two-thirds majority, the LDP can override legislation rejected by the upper house and enact it under the overri...

  Today (October 21, 2025) marks a historic day in Japanese politics. Sanae Takaichi, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has been elected as the first female prime minister by the National Diet. When we consider the history, women didn’t have the right to vote for election and could not be candidates for politician including local assembly or mayor.  Before World War 2, there was a movement by Fusae Ichikawa to require the political participation rights for women. But Japan has to wait for it until 1945 by the new legislation which is strongly guided by the occupied armed force (general head quoters; GHQ).  It took 80 years after that.  If we observe the case of Britain, the first woman prime minister was Margaret Thacher seated in 1979. At that time, she was regarded as a lucky lady and had little power as a leader, especially with senior Members of Parliament.  But she had a strong will to win the Falkland dispute at Alzentine and could achieve vict...

 I visited the Hyogo Prefectural  Library , which is located in the area of Akashi Castle. It reminds me of the famous Japanese poem by Fujiwara no Toshiyuki in Kokin Wakashu, 9th century. “It is not clearly to be seen that autumn has come; yet in the sound of the wind, I am startled into knowing it.” Translated by  Donald Keene (Anthology of Japanese Literature, 1955)

 SNS, which contains Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube, etc, affected the result of this year's upper house general election in Japan. The main reason is that the younger generation uses SNS more than the elderly generation.  source) https://news.ntv.co.jp/category/politics/9ed3fc8bd0124a25a89b308a72553cdd What are the pros and cons of SNS? Pros of SNS Information spreads instantly compared with mass media. Anyone can post or access content without expensive infrastructure. As everyone posts their opinion, a variety of voices can be delivered.  Minor opinions that are not adopted by the mass media prevail in society. SNS can react to opinions, such as comments, shares, and discussions. SNS is a tool that is more difficult for the government to control the opinion. This is especially important for democracy. Algorithms can deliver content based on user interest. Cons of  SNS Lack of fact-checking by professionals allows misinformation and rumors.  As anyone can...

This May, I visited  Boston , a city known for its rich history, academic excellence, and vibrant culture. One reason for my trip was to meet my son, who works at the Boston branch of a Japanese pharmaceutical company. But beyond the family visit, I had another goal, such was to observe how  Toastmasters clubs  operate in the United States. A City of Knowledge and Tradition Boston is famous as a “town of universities.” World-class institutions such as: Harvard University Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are located here. It's also home to Fenway Park , the oldest baseball stadium in the United States and the home ground of the Boston Red Sox . Harvard university MIT Fenway Park Over 50 Toastmasters Clubs in Boston As a regular Toastmasters participant in Japan, I was curious about how clubs function in other countries. I was surprised to find that there are over 50 clubs within 10 miles of central Boston —a reflection of the city's strong academic a...

This chart displays the Japanese birth numbers and total fertility rate. It means the average number of babies born per woman. The baby was born nearly 3 million just after World War Ⅱ. But it decreased by around 1 million.  Annual Live Births and Total Fertility Rate(TFR) Source)The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research (IPSS),  This is the recent movement of the former chart. Despite government policy to give incentives such as supporting the education fee or fulfillment of nursery facilities, the total fertility rate hit a record low of 1.15 in 2024, and the number of newly born babies finally fell below 700 thousand. This number is around one-fourth of the baby boomer generation. Source) produced by kanagawa by using national statistics This represents the change in population by age and future projections. The elderly ratio is expected to increase to around 40%. When I returned from abroad, I felt the safety of Japan, but from around 2000, I began ...

Last Monday, I had the pleasure of skiing amidst some of the finest snow conditions I have ever experienced here in Hyogo Prefecture. The previous week brought an extraordinary amount of snowfall to our region, creating a winter wonderland that is quite rare for this area. The Japan Meteorological Agency had warned of heavy snowfall not only along the Sea of Japan coast but also on the Pacific side, where snow is rare. This exceptional weather resulted in pristine powder on the slopes, making for an unforgettable skiing experience. It is not often that we see such conditions here, and I feel fortunate to have taken full advantage of them. While regions like Hokkaido experienced record-breaking snowfalls, with Obihiro City recording 124 cm (48.8 inches) of snow in 72 hours, our local snowfall, though less extreme, was still significant and contributed to the excellent skiing conditions. As I carved my way down the slopes, surrounded by the serene beauty of freshly fallen snow, I couldn...

 I attended the memorial event commemorating the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which struck 30 years ago(January 17th, 1997). The disaster claimed the lives of over 7,000 people. Personally, I had to commute to work on foot, by bicycle, or via substitute bus services due to the extensive damage to the railway system. Regarding its restoration, the railway took approximately six months to be fully rebuilt. From this incident, people in Japan came to recognize the limitations in the ability and capacity of the statutory sector, as well as the necessity of mutual aid and the role of civil society. As a result, for instance, a new law was enacted to facilitate the incorporation of NPOs, and greater attention was given to the concepts of partnership and local governance.

  This is the best shot of Himeji Castle from Himeji station. Many foreign tourists have visited there recently. The mayor of Himeji is considering raising the entrance fee for foreign tourists. Double-standard fees for this kind of tourist facility  are not rare worldwide.

 Yesterday was Father’s Day. I thought it was a Japanese-original event. However, I recognize that the origin of the day is the movement proposed by Sonora Smart Dodd in 1909 in the US. And her father’s birthday is June.

 I attended the Public Policy Studies Japan, held at Ryukoku University in Kyoto on June 1st  and 2nd. This was my first on-site conference after COVID-19. I could meet a lot of acquaintances. The theme of this year's conference was "Time transformation and public policy," including a historical approach and historical new institutionalism. It was very impressive, and I learned a lot.

 Japanese celebrate the new year with Osechi cuisine. A first visit to a shrine is another important event. osechi　cuisine   Minatogawa shrine Hirota shrine

 During Christmas time, there is a decoration near the small park. It is colorful, and I enjoy the scenery every year. This event is conducted by a neighboring church, but I think it interesting that NHA(Neighborhood Association; Chonaikai) supported it. Recently, there have been some disputes that NHA related to religion, especially shrines. Almost half of the residents participate in NHA, and NHA receives some subsidy from the municipalities in Japan. Japanese constitution enacted article 19, which is called freedom of belief, as was set up the regret that the Japanese army utilized Shinto to proceed with war. But I think the church has a good relationship with the community residents in this area. people enjoy the colorful scenery and sometimes take photos in front of the decorations. It is not so much a problem. ref.) Japanese Constitution Arlicle XIX. Freedom of religion is guaranteed to all. No religious organization shall receive special privileges from the State, nor exerci...

 I heard Cedar's voice for the first time on July 11. Although the weather forecast formally reports that the rainy season continues, cedars move from the earth by feeling temperature and sunrise. Their voices will cease until the end of September at the end of summer. 

Japanese membership employment was introduced after WW Ⅱ and settled around the 1960s. This system has the following characteristics.   l   Prominent in large-scale companies. l   New graduate students select companies as life-long employment places. l   Salary periodically continues to increase, limited only by the total length of time a candidate is employed. l   Employees regularly transfer to different departments and do not refuse job places the company specifies. l   Employment criteria for employees is mainly determined by the rank of the university they graduated from because the company has a high standard of recruitment. l   The company is not primarily focused upon the candidates’ specific area of university study. It's main focus is on a candidate's overall abilities to undergo company training. l   Job is not strictly linked with workers, and generalist is primary. During the pandemic, many workforces introduced rem...

 Book Review Eternal zero (Japanese title is “Eeien-no Zero) English edition   https://www.amazon.co.jp/Eternal-Zero-Naoki-Hyakuta/dp/1939130824 This novel intends to show the reality of World War Ⅱ from the viewpoint of Japanese zero-fighter pilots. This book was originally written in Japanese, and over 5.5 million copies were published, and it was also translated into English and a film. A young adult grandson and daughter, whose grandfather died in WW Ⅱ in a suicide attack by a zero-fighter, are searching and interviewing the surviving pilots who knew the grandfather. Through their interviews, the writer shows the actual shape of the war. Discussion points are as follows. Why war leaders who make serious mistakes were not punished in each organization? Why did Japanese war leaders disregard human life? Those facts are investigated mainly through the comparison of the US. WW Ⅱ is the imperialistic war, but Japan has not experienced war against advanc...

In February, I had an operation on my left eye for a disease called cataract. About the time I returned from The UK as a visiting researcher in 2018, I was finding it difficult to see clearly even with my glasses. At that time, I visited an optician's shop, and a member of staff advised me to see an Ophthalmologist. The eye doctor explained that the reason I could not see clearly through my glasses may be the cataract. After that, my eyesight got worse. Recently it got inconvenient to read books, so I decided to undergo the operation. This disease is quite popular, especially in old age. About 40% of people over 60 years old are said to suffer from this disease in Japan. The operation itself is not so complex because of the advancement of technology. It took about 30 minutes or so. I went into hospital for one night and as we speak. I can see as clearly as I did before.