Category: Japan

For a long time, Japan has been known for its distinct lack of natural resources such as oil, gas, metals and other traditional energy sources, depending highly on imports for energy and raw materials for activity such as construction (Owuor, S. 2019). In this economy, manufacturing, agriculture and fishing are the main sectors, and has continued to flourish owing to cultural factors and existing infrastructure allowing for the continued growth of these industries (Stokke, 1991). Manufacturing remains the most prominent activity, comprising 29% of the country’s GDP (Statista, 2016). Primary manufactured exports include consumer electronics, optics and automobiles. Agriculture, despite being characterized by the decreasing availability of arable land and low agricultural income, has remained one of Japan’s significantly distinct industries, contributing to 1.2% of the national GDP. However, only a fifth of the total geographical landmass is suited for agriculture, with this sector’s products remaining highly subsidized (Wise, 2004). It should be noted that these subsidies signify the Japanese government’s acknowledgement of these industries as key drivers of their economic performance. The proportion of arable land has decreased consistently over the years but farming remains an important economic activity. Fishing also remains one of Japan’s biggest contributors to the economy. Internationally, Japan boasts the largest fishing fleets which accounts for an estimated 15% of the total fish caught globally (Miyake, 2005).

Production Output Performance Analysis

The value of all final goods and services produced within geographical boundaries of a country in a given time period is defined as the gross domestic product (GDP). By definition, economic growth refers to an increase in the production of goods and services in an economy, which translates to a concurrent growth of the national income.

In 2017, Japan’s GDP was worth 4872.14 billion USD, representing approximately 8 percent of the world economy. GDP in Japan averaged 2704.95 billion USD between 1960 to 2017. Against this statistic, economists have noted that Japan has reached a record high of 6203.21 billion USD in 2012, indicating reasonably solid performance in recent years in comparison to that of the past half-century. Japan’s GDP grew 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018 over that of 2017, indicating current levels of stagnation. Japan’s GDP annual growth rate remained at an average of 1.98 percent from 1981 until 2018, reaching a record high of 9.4 percent in the first quarter of 1988 and an all-time low of – 8.8 percent in 2009’s first quarter, caused by global developments such as the financial crisis.

The consistent level of growth in the Japan economy has primarily been fueled by external demand from international trade partners Japanese exports (Ellyatt, 2018). However, it has been slowing down in recent years. This has been attributed to a number of factors, including a globally weaker demand from the 2008 global financial crisis, from international demand slowdowns and challenges in the Japanese manufacturing industries arising from stricter pollution standards arising from environmental agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol.

To address the problem of depleting agricultural farmland, the Japanese diet has embarked on a program to consolidate farmlands in the 2014 Reform Package. This included the deregulation and re-distribution of farmland as a government initiative, introducing ‘farmland banks’ to administrate land transfers to expanding farms which include larger corporations, which were previously outlawed from farmland access in Japan (Jentzsch, 2017). These have the effect of reducing overall tax levels on aggregate levels for the farming industry (Aoyagi & Ganelli, 2015), contributing to a greater level of market efficiency and reduction in per-unit cost. On the macroeconomic level, this represents a rise in per-capita productivity and supposedly contributes to a greater level of national income.

Abenomics is a term coined by economists to describe the Japanese government’s current stance on ensuring economic growth. This entails monetary policy in the form of quantitative easing, discretionary fiscal policy, and structural reforms. The government has adopted monetary easing in the form of quantitative easing and negative interest rates. Initially, quantitative easing was attempted in order to stimulate greater levels of growth in the Japanese economy. In 2013, the BoJ’s quantitative easing program was announced, in which ¥60 to ¥70 trillion of bonds a year would be purchased (Bank of Japan, 2013). The BoJ announced the growth of its bond buying program in October 2014, increasing its expenditure to purchase ¥80 trillion of bonds a year (Bank of Japan, 2014). In response to slowing growth which reportedly had little effect on overall production output levels in the Japanese economy, the Japanese government began experimental loosening of monetary policies in January 2016 with the use of negative interest rates. Primarily, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) imposed artificially low interest rates to encourage borrowing, spending and investment. However, not much effect has been observed, with no observable or significant levels of growth in GDP as much as six months later in June 2016.

In 2013, fiscal stimulus in the form of expanding public investment and increased government expenditure by 2% of GDP caused an increase in the deficit to 12% of GDP (Wolf, 2013). Theoretically, discretionary fiscal policy in the form of government expenditure leads to an increase the aggregate demand for goods and services, inducing additional consumption spending arising from the initial increase in government spending in a phenomenon known as the multiplier effect. The is done with the intent of closing the deflationary gap, thereby increase levels of income on the whole.

Structural reforms in the form of lowered corporate taxes on large firms were enacted by the Japanese diet, reducing the barriers of entry for added investment expenditure. This has the effect of financially incentivizing these corporations to increase investment activity, thereby increasing aggregate demand and therefore expenditure in the economy. Assuming the presence of spare capacity, to an actual increase in real national income will be realized.

The Japanese government has also allowed for the continual reliance of the Japanese economy on domestic exports through free trade agreements as a member of the World Trade Organization, fueling its continued growth of real national income. This is realized through the maintenance of its diplomatic position in the WTO on the international sphere, and its free trade agreements (Baldwin, 2016).

Labor Market Analysis

Typically, there exist three main forms of economic unemployment. Namely, these are frictional, structural and cyclical unemployment. Each form of unemployment is different in nature as they each hold different underlying causes. Frictional unemployment refers to the unemployment that arises as workers search for suitable jobs and firms for suitable workers. This results from market imperfections such as imperfect knowledge of existing market conditions. Structural unemployment can exist even when the economy is not in recession, referring to chronic long-term unemployment that arises from a change in economic structure, resulting in occupational immobility of labor. Workers must retrain themselves to find unemployment. This can also manifest as geographical immobility of labor where people are unwilling or unable to move to places with job opportunities. Cyclical unemployment is closely tied with economic recessions, which is defined as falling national output for at least 2 consecutive quarters, and can be caused in a decrease in aggregate demand.

Accounting for seasonal adjustment, the unemployment rate in Japan dropped surprisingly to 2.3 percent in February 2019 from 2.5 percent in January as market players expected 2.5 percent. It was the lowest rate of unemployment since September 2018. As a result of Abenomics reforms, entailing greater fiscal expenditure, monetary easing, and structural reform. Falling from 4.0% in the final quarter of 2012 to 3.7% in the first quarter of 2013, it appeared that the unemployment rate was continuing a past trend. This signifies that Abenomics was not entirely successful in reducing unemployment levels. This observation is consistent with the lack of significant change in GDP levels.

Price Level Analysis

Inflation refers to the situation in which there is a sustained increase in the general price level over a specified time period, and is calculated using changes in the consumer price index (CPI). According to Holzman (1960), sources of inflation are generally grouped as inflation demand-pull or cost-push in nature. Demand-pull inflation is caused by persistent increase in aggregate demand. According to the Keynesian school of thought, rises in AD are caused by increases in real variables such as household expenditure, investment by firms, government expenditure, and foreign residents’ demand for the country’s exports. Cost-push inflation attributes the basic cause of inflation to supply-side factors. It is inflation resulting from rising production costs during periods of low unemployment.

Japan is currently seeing an extended period of weak inflationary pressures, or deflation. This can be attributed to the aging population in Japan, in which average spending and demand per citizen would have fallen (Katagiri, 2018). With consumer price inflation standing at 0.2 percent year-on-year in February 2019, Japan saw no change from the previous month’s yearly low, which remained below 0.3 percent which was the market’s expectation. Food, transportation and communication price indices fell for the third month in a row, while trends in housing costs remained flat. In October 2009, inflation in Japan reached an all-time low of -2.5%, spurring additional demand-targeting measures on the part of the Japanese government through the use of negative interest rates to encourage spending.

Under a weaker Yen which were caused by the reforms proposed through Abenomics, imported factor costs of materials such as food, oil and other natural resources, upon which Japan is highly reliant, were increased. By February 2013, the Abenomics policy implementations led to a significant depreciation of the Japanese yen and a 22% rise in the Tokyo stock market index. The Diet, under Abe’s leadership, took the stance that this issue was temporary in nature, as greater export volumes would eventually result from a weaker yen. Additionally, Japan was able to maintain an overall surplus current account due to additional levels of income from overseas investment.

Conclusion

To conclude, Japan faces a series of deflationary issues which has been attempted to be dealt with in a number of methods. However, these methods have not met their targets of closing the deflationary gap and stimulating additional consumption. This is evident in the significant devaluation of the yen, reducing Japanese consumers’ international spending power while contributing to greater levels of imported inflation. The impact on Japanese earning levels and consumer outlook seemed insignificant, with a poll in 2014 finding that almost three-fourths of respondents in Japan did not feel impacted by the effects of Abenomics. Only around a quarter of the surveyed respondents expected a pay raise, and nearly 70% were thinking of cutting back spending as a result of the higher consumption tax. Certain critics argue that factors such as an aging population and an increased dependence on imported sources of energy could have contributed to adverse changes in macroeconomic indicators such as a worsening of the Japanese trade deficit and continued levels of deflation. As such, Japan faces the problem of a weakening domestic demand which could be offset by bolder policy moves such as introducing an influx of foreign talent in order to organically increase workforce productivity and raise aggregate demand levels.

Along with the general elements of wage formation in developed countries, there are national differences. The specificity is typical, for example, for Japan, where the life-long employment system plays an important role. This system is associated with the existence of three types of tariff rates in Japanese companies – personal, labor and synthesized. Personal rate is associated with lifetime employment and is established on the basis of a combination of a number of characteristics, the most important of which are age and length of service. The labor rate takes into account qualifications and labor results, and the synthesized rate combines elements of personal and labor rates. This very rate, which takes into account Japanese and Western experience, is used by 2/3 of companies. Elements of Japan’s traditional lifetime employment system contain distinctive and powerful regulatory forces in the country’s labor market. Although their impact is gradually decreasing, it continues to be quite significant.

The criteria for establishing the minimum wage serve as an economic measure of the cost of unskilled labor, a calculation basis for determining the cost of skilled labor and, above all, the size of wages of public sector workers, as well as a kind of ‘weighting’ of social support for the financial situation of families. The criteria of the minimum wage are used as the most powerful argument in negotiations by social partners: entrepreneurs and trade unions. In addition, the minimum wage criteria to a decisive extent form the level of social and basic pensions, and hence the entire pension provision of the population.

In other words, the minimum wage is the ‘solar plexus’ of the social contract between business and employees, not only for the present, but also for long-term time periods during which workers earn their right to a pension. The criteria for establishing the minimum wage are the most important mechanism in determining the social policy of the state and achieving social harmony in society.

In world practice, two approaches are used to establish the minimum wage. The first one uses the standard-set size of the minimum wage calculated for a certain period of time worked (month, day, hour). The second one uses an estimated method for determining the size of the minimum wage, by comparing it with the average wage in the country, which does not provide for a uniform size of the minimum wage for all sectors of the economy, and its fixed minimum bar is set at the level of individual segments of the economy and occupations of workers.

The normative base of the first method (the normative setting size of the minimum wage) is the subsistence minimum of the employee and his family, which makes it possible to judge the degree of satisfaction of the physiologically important vital needs of the worker for food, clothing, housing, education, medical care, and the use of certain types of services (transport and communication).

It should be noted that this method is used, as a rule, in countries with low wages, in which the cost of food for the majority of the population makes up the bulk of the family budget. The strength of the subsistence minimum method is the detailed-regulated consumption standards for the vital needs of people, which allows, in the presence of strong trade unions, to reasonably build the logic of their position in negotiations with employers and government agencies on the amount of the increase in the minimum wage.

The weak side of this method is the methodological narrowness of the vital needs taken into account, which in practice manifests itself in a meager set of regulated material and cultural needs, which is especially manifested in the underestimation of cultural, educational, medical and spiritual needs.

This approach limits the set of people’s needs to the physiological minimum of material resources necessary for survival, and thereby fetters the economic reproductive capabilities of the worker’s family, and thereby deprives it of opportunities for its quantitative and qualitative development.

As the criteria for the second method, a comparison of the minimum and average wages is used, which is called the Keitz index. The proportions of this ratio indicate the degree of approximation to the desired level achieved in the country. Typically, in industrialized countries, the Keitz index is in the range of 48-62%. The recommended proportions of this ratio are 50% by the International Labor Organization and 60% by the European Union.

Thus, the Committee on Social Rights of the Council of Europe, commenting on Article 4 of the European Social Charter (which Russia also signed), emphasizes that the ratio of the minimum and average wages (net of taxes) should not be lower than 60%. Only in some cases is it permissible to lower it to 50%.

The choice of methods and criteria for determining the minimum wage has not only important economic but also social significance. Many experts prefer the applied method based on the subsistence minimum, arguing that in conditions of low economic opportunities of the country at the current stage, it allows setting minimum standards for material support, albeit at a physiological minimum. The average wage rate method is considered to be less clear in the regulatory context. You can only partially agree with this approach. After all, it is possible to apply two methods at the same time. Such a combination will enable a more objective presentation of the picture not only in terms of the minimum subsistence amount, but also to implement measures to smooth the differentiation of wages, which serves as a powerful mechanism for increasing social cohesion in society.

Almost every student thinks about studying outside their country at some point in their education. This isn’t a bad idea. Studying abroad comes with numerous advantages. First, the fact that you went to school in another country somehow gives you some sense of superiority. However, should you just head to any country? Oh no Make sure you learn more about the country you’re going to This will enable you know if you will acquire quality education. Well, is Japan worth a studying destination? Japan is found in Asia. It’s very rich in technology and most of the goods exported from there are cars and electronics. What are the benefits of studying in Japan? Once you step in Japan as a student, you will have amazing experiences in terms of culture, education, nvironment, and recreation. These are some of what you will enjoy in Japan. 1.A rich cultural environment Japan is one country very rich in cultural practices that even foreigners can enjoy and marvel at First, Japanese is a language worth learning. It’s the official language, made up of three scripts; Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. You can also study their religions which are mainly Shintoism and Buddhism. There are lots of foods and Japanese attire that you can explore on your stay as a student.

Wafuku and Yofuku are the main attires that people put on in different festivals, rituals, and cultural events. 2. High quality education This is a country that highly values education, that’s why it’s compulsory. It is home to many intellectuals with brilliant minds. Being the hub of innovation and technology, this is the place you can really learn a lot. In addition, a technical course can be the best to take if you are passionate about it Japan also has a lot of job opportunities where you can work as you study. This will earn you money and better your life. 3. It’s home away from home Japan is an international destination for thousands of students from other countries. Averagely, 140,000 international students are studying in Japan. This makes the education facilities a mixture of races and colors.

Possibility of meeting your former schoolmate is one of the Universities is high. Furthermore, Japanese Universities are very welcoming to international students. Japan is majorly focusing on attracting international students for investment purposes. They take education as the backbone of their country. This means you will highly be welcome to study there. Challenges of studying abroad in Japan As much as you will enjoy a lot of things in Japan, it doesn’t come without challenges. However the small challenges should not deter you from chasing your dream. These are some of the problems you may face.

This is a challenge you will meet in every place that people don’t speak English. However, you can always enroll in Japanese language learning classes to have a glimpse of what it entails. Within several months you may be able to speak Japanese. Nevertheless, your accent may also put you in a bad state. This means you may be speaking Japanese but no one understands you Moreover, many locals pretend they don’t understand what foreigners say. This may give you communication problems.

This can be a big problem especially with language barrier. It can even be worse if you’re an introvert. At some point you will need to make Japanese friends. The best way to meet them is to join clubs and societies. Here, you can meet a few accommodative friends who may understand you even with the little Japanese you know. You can also make friends with international students who speak English if you’re too lonely. This will help you cope with the new culture and education system.

You may be thinking that you will find your favorite food in Japan. However, this may just be a mere wish. Although you may find it, the way it’s cooked may be totally different. Can you imagine familiar food tasting new Finding your real native food may take you a long time, distance, and a lot of money. Don’t worry because you will gradually adjust to the local foods. Within no time, foods that once tasted awful may turn into your favorite.

None of these challenges should scare you Many foreigners have coped with them and complete their studies in Japan. Furthermore, the advantages of studying in Japan are way stronger than the challenges you may face. Search for your favorite course in the best Japanese University and enroll. You won’t regret it.

The formation of a civilized society entails an equilibrium between all stakeholders representing many individuals with common and diverse interests. This equilibrium balances the need and voices of the citizens through negotiation, compromise, and reconciliation so that a responsible government can then accordingly formulate and implement appropriate policies and propose legislation to defuse tension and confrontation. This may facilitate all levels of application, including public welfare, facilities, and education, propelling everyone’s daily life forward. It is therefore important for us to learn how this equilibrium can be accomplished in the study of political science through the critical points of a macroscopic view of negotiation and compromise. It has a more significant meaning to foresee the tendency of the future route of society, country, or the world.

I am fascinated to study the operation of a ruling political party and the clout that affects and commands people, corporations, and communities. I have experienced and witnessed the influence of different political behaviors and public issues in our local communities, national affairs, and international relationships. Born and raised in Hong Kong, I am aware of the day-to-day controversies between the pro-establishment camp and the pan-democratic camp, and I succeed in discovering the importance of political acts, sentiments, and arguments related to national identity, personal views, and polarization. Since I was a child, I was educated that politics form the basis of our daily lives and was accompanied and guided by my parents. I also kept on reading the propagation of the opposite parties’ ideology to study the rationale and the implication in real life. I long to study political science at a prestigious university in Japan in order to learn the skills and broaden my vision to understand not just Hong Kong but also global political phenomena.

Apparently, the Japanese political landscape is more stable in comparison with other developed, democratic and capitalist countries over the years. However, politically transformative events have brought about a new atmosphere in recent years. For example, in July 2016, Japan lowered the minimum voting age to 18 for a constitutional referendum. Recently, there was an emergence of new political parties such as the Reiwa Shinsengumi and the Anti-NHK Party. During the 2019 election, two severely disabled candidates won seats in the Upper House. Although there is no drastic policy change in Japan so far, it is undeniable that the aforementioned incidents have reflected the rising diversity of the Japanese government. I am so curious about the new phenomenon that I intend to analyze during my studies here what has caused such a change and how this will impact Japanese society in the new Reiwa era.

Looking into the world, globalization has become internationally dynamic and is rapidly growing. This has created an opportunity for multinational cultural interaction and communication. Waseda University has fascinated me with its open-minded attitude towards students with different ethnic backgrounds, chances for students from all over the world to explore their various codes of ethics, and permission for students to view from a global macroscopic perspective. Being one of the topmost developed countries in the world, Japan has a long history of leading the rapid process of globalization. To achieve this objective, proper diplomatic communication with the multiple cultures of different states will be first and foremost. I am confident that with the skills I learn from SPSE at Waseda University and my personal experience in a collaborative environment of capitalism, I can harmonize stakeholders of multiple parties and contribute to maintaining the political and social stability of Japan and the future world.

Ever since my childhood, I have been immersing myself in Japanese culture, thanks to Japanese media and pop art. I always yearn for the amazing Japanese wonders and attractions and have been studying the Japanese language for 6 years with the achievement of N2 qualification in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. I always dream of continuing my tertiary education at one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. Waseda University is famous for nurturing talents. Its alumni consist of prime ministers, ministerial officials, and reputable politicians. With its fame and admirable history, I decided to select Waseda SPSE as my preferred choice to study in Japan without hesitation. I have visited the open campus of Waseda University for the past two years to acquire a better understanding of this university life and preliminary preparation for enrollment. My elder sister is a year 3 SPSE student at this university at present. She told me how much she enjoyed her school life and what she had gained as a Waseda student. These messages further consolidate my dream of having the honor to be a glorious Waseda member.

Studying in Japan, namely at Waseda University, is my ultimate dream and main purpose at the moment. I believe that if I am accepted as an SPSE student, my hard work will definitely work to achieve all my goals and contribute to the global reputation of Waseda University.

Along with the general elements of wage formation in developed countries, there are national differences. The specificity is typical, for example, for Japan, where the life-long employment system plays an important role. This system is associated with the existence of three types of tariff rates in Japanese companies – personal, labor and synthesized. Personal rate is associated with lifetime employment and is established on the basis of a combination of a number of characteristics, the most important of which are age and length of service. The labor rate takes into account qualifications and labor results, and the synthesized rate combines elements of personal and labor rates. This very rate, which takes into account Japanese and Western experience, is used by 2/3 of companies. Elements of Japan’s traditional lifetime employment system contain distinctive and powerful regulatory forces in the country’s labor market. Although their impact is gradually decreasing, it continues to be quite significant.

The criteria for establishing the minimum wage serve as an economic measure of the cost of unskilled labor, a calculation basis for determining the cost of skilled labor and, above all, the size of wages of public sector workers, as well as a kind of ‘weighting’ of social support for the financial situation of families. The criteria of the minimum wage are used as the most powerful argument in negotiations by social partners: entrepreneurs and trade unions. In addition, the minimum wage criteria to a decisive extent form the level of social and basic pensions, and hence the entire pension provision of the population.

In other words, the minimum wage is the ‘solar plexus’ of the social contract between business and employees, not only for the present, but also for long-term time periods during which workers earn their right to a pension. The criteria for establishing the minimum wage are the most important mechanism in determining the social policy of the state and achieving social harmony in society.

In world practice, two approaches are used to establish the minimum wage. The first one uses the standard-set size of the minimum wage calculated for a certain period of time worked (month, day, hour). The second one uses an estimated method for determining the size of the minimum wage, by comparing it with the average wage in the country, which does not provide for a uniform size of the minimum wage for all sectors of the economy, and its fixed minimum bar is set at the level of individual segments of the economy and occupations of workers.

The normative base of the first method (the normative setting size of the minimum wage) is the subsistence minimum of the employee and his family, which makes it possible to judge the degree of satisfaction of the physiologically important vital needs of the worker for food, clothing, housing, education, medical care, and the use of certain types of services (transport and communication).

It should be noted that this method is used, as a rule, in countries with low wages, in which the cost of food for the majority of the population makes up the bulk of the family budget. The strength of the subsistence minimum method is the detailed-regulated consumption standards for the vital needs of people, which allows, in the presence of strong trade unions, to reasonably build the logic of their position in negotiations with employers and government agencies on the amount of the increase in the minimum wage.

The weak side of this method is the methodological narrowness of the vital needs taken into account, which in practice manifests itself in a meager set of regulated material and cultural needs, which is especially manifested in the underestimation of cultural, educational, medical and spiritual needs.

This approach limits the set of people’s needs to the physiological minimum of material resources necessary for survival, and thereby fetters the economic reproductive capabilities of the worker’s family, and thereby deprives it of opportunities for its quantitative and qualitative development.

As the criteria for the second method, a comparison of the minimum and average wages is used, which is called the Keitz index. The proportions of this ratio indicate the degree of approximation to the desired level achieved in the country. Typically, in industrialized countries, the Keitz index is in the range of 48-62%. The recommended proportions of this ratio are 50% by the International Labor Organization and 60% by the European Union.

Thus, the Committee on Social Rights of the Council of Europe, commenting on Article 4 of the European Social Charter (which Russia also signed), emphasizes that the ratio of the minimum and average wages (net of taxes) should not be lower than 60%. Only in some cases is it permissible to lower it to 50%.

The choice of methods and criteria for determining the minimum wage has not only important economic but also social significance. Many experts prefer the applied method based on the subsistence minimum, arguing that in conditions of low economic opportunities of the country at the current stage, it allows setting minimum standards for material support, albeit at a physiological minimum. The average wage rate method is considered to be less clear in the regulatory context. You can only partially agree with this approach. After all, it is possible to apply two methods at the same time. Such a combination will enable a more objective presentation of the picture not only in terms of the minimum subsistence amount, but also to implement measures to smooth the differentiation of wages, which serves as a powerful mechanism for increasing social cohesion in society.

Almost every student thinks about studying outside their country at some point in their education. This isn’t a bad idea. Studying abroad comes with numerous advantages. First, the fact that you went to school in another country somehow gives you some sense of superiority. However, should you just head to any country? Oh no Make sure you learn more about the country you’re going to This will enable you know if you will acquire quality education. Well, is Japan worth a studying destination? Japan is found in Asia. It’s very rich in technology and most of the goods exported from there are cars and electronics. What are the benefits of studying in Japan? Once you step in Japan as a student, you will have amazing experiences in terms of culture, education, nvironment, and recreation. These are some of what you will enjoy in Japan. 1.A rich cultural environment Japan is one country very rich in cultural practices that even foreigners can enjoy and marvel at First, Japanese is a language worth learning. It’s the official language, made up of three scripts; Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. You can also study their religions which are mainly Shintoism and Buddhism. There are lots of foods and Japanese attire that you can explore on your stay as a student.

Wafuku and Yofuku are the main attires that people put on in different festivals, rituals, and cultural events. 2. High quality education This is a country that highly values education, that’s why it’s compulsory. It is home to many intellectuals with brilliant minds. Being the hub of innovation and technology, this is the place you can really learn a lot. In addition, a technical course can be the best to take if you are passionate about it Japan also has a lot of job opportunities where you can work as you study. This will earn you money and better your life. 3. It’s home away from home Japan is an international destination for thousands of students from other countries. Averagely, 140,000 international students are studying in Japan. This makes the education facilities a mixture of races and colors.

Possibility of meeting your former schoolmate is one of the Universities is high. Furthermore, Japanese Universities are very welcoming to international students. Japan is majorly focusing on attracting international students for investment purposes. They take education as the backbone of their country. This means you will highly be welcome to study there. Challenges of studying abroad in Japan As much as you will enjoy a lot of things in Japan, it doesn’t come without challenges. However the small challenges should not deter you from chasing your dream. These are some of the problems you may face.

This is a challenge you will meet in every place that people don’t speak English. However, you can always enroll in Japanese language learning classes to have a glimpse of what it entails. Within several months you may be able to speak Japanese. Nevertheless, your accent may also put you in a bad state. This means you may be speaking Japanese but no one understands you Moreover, many locals pretend they don’t understand what foreigners say. This may give you communication problems.

This can be a big problem especially with language barrier. It can even be worse if you’re an introvert. At some point you will need to make Japanese friends. The best way to meet them is to join clubs and societies. Here, you can meet a few accommodative friends who may understand you even with the little Japanese you know. You can also make friends with international students who speak English if you’re too lonely. This will help you cope with the new culture and education system.

You may be thinking that you will find your favorite food in Japan. However, this may just be a mere wish. Although you may find it, the way it’s cooked may be totally different. Can you imagine familiar food tasting new Finding your real native food may take you a long time, distance, and a lot of money. Don’t worry because you will gradually adjust to the local foods. Within no time, foods that once tasted awful may turn into your favorite.

None of these challenges should scare you Many foreigners have coped with them and complete their studies in Japan. Furthermore, the advantages of studying in Japan are way stronger than the challenges you may face. Search for your favorite course in the best Japanese University and enroll. You won’t regret it.

The formation of a civilized society entails an equilibrium between all stakeholders representing many individuals with common and diverse interests. This equilibrium balances the need and voices of the citizens through negotiation, compromise, and reconciliation so that a responsible government can then accordingly formulate and implement appropriate policies and propose legislation to defuse tension and confrontation. This may facilitate all levels of application, including public welfare, facilities, and education, propelling everyone’s daily life forward. It is therefore important for us to learn how this equilibrium can be accomplished in the study of political science through the critical points of a macroscopic view of negotiation and compromise. It has a more significant meaning to foresee the tendency of the future route of society, country, or the world.

I am fascinated to study the operation of a ruling political party and the clout that affects and commands people, corporations, and communities. I have experienced and witnessed the influence of different political behaviors and public issues in our local communities, national affairs, and international relationships. Born and raised in Hong Kong, I am aware of the day-to-day controversies between the pro-establishment camp and the pan-democratic camp, and I succeed in discovering the importance of political acts, sentiments, and arguments related to national identity, personal views, and polarization. Since I was a child, I was educated that politics form the basis of our daily lives and was accompanied and guided by my parents. I also kept on reading the propagation of the opposite parties’ ideology to study the rationale and the implication in real life. I long to study political science at a prestigious university in Japan in order to learn the skills and broaden my vision to understand not just Hong Kong but also global political phenomena.

Apparently, the Japanese political landscape is more stable in comparison with other developed, democratic and capitalist countries over the years. However, politically transformative events have brought about a new atmosphere in recent years. For example, in July 2016, Japan lowered the minimum voting age to 18 for a constitutional referendum. Recently, there was an emergence of new political parties such as the Reiwa Shinsengumi and the Anti-NHK Party. During the 2019 election, two severely disabled candidates won seats in the Upper House. Although there is no drastic policy change in Japan so far, it is undeniable that the aforementioned incidents have reflected the rising diversity of the Japanese government. I am so curious about the new phenomenon that I intend to analyze during my studies here what has caused such a change and how this will impact Japanese society in the new Reiwa era.

Looking into the world, globalization has become internationally dynamic and is rapidly growing. This has created an opportunity for multinational cultural interaction and communication. Waseda University has fascinated me with its open-minded attitude towards students with different ethnic backgrounds, chances for students from all over the world to explore their various codes of ethics, and permission for students to view from a global macroscopic perspective. Being one of the topmost developed countries in the world, Japan has a long history of leading the rapid process of globalization. To achieve this objective, proper diplomatic communication with the multiple cultures of different states will be first and foremost. I am confident that with the skills I learn from SPSE at Waseda University and my personal experience in a collaborative environment of capitalism, I can harmonize stakeholders of multiple parties and contribute to maintaining the political and social stability of Japan and the future world.

Ever since my childhood, I have been immersing myself in Japanese culture, thanks to Japanese media and pop art. I always yearn for the amazing Japanese wonders and attractions and have been studying the Japanese language for 6 years with the achievement of N2 qualification in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. I always dream of continuing my tertiary education at one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. Waseda University is famous for nurturing talents. Its alumni consist of prime ministers, ministerial officials, and reputable politicians. With its fame and admirable history, I decided to select Waseda SPSE as my preferred choice to study in Japan without hesitation. I have visited the open campus of Waseda University for the past two years to acquire a better understanding of this university life and preliminary preparation for enrollment. My elder sister is a year 3 SPSE student at this university at present. She told me how much she enjoyed her school life and what she had gained as a Waseda student. These messages further consolidate my dream of having the honor to be a glorious Waseda member.

Studying in Japan, namely at Waseda University, is my ultimate dream and main purpose at the moment. I believe that if I am accepted as an SPSE student, my hard work will definitely work to achieve all my goals and contribute to the global reputation of Waseda University.

Analyse juvenile delinquency and laws regarding juveniles in Japan from a film perspective and various official data

Although in Japan juvenile crime rates or adult crime rates are quite low when compared to other countries. However, there is an interesting phenomenon that only exists in Japan. According to the chart of crime rates for juveniles and adults worldwide on the Dual website, in 2013, the crime rate data comparison of six different countries which are Japan, the United States, Germany, France, Sweden, and Russia, it shows whether Japan’s juvenile crime rate or adult crime rate overall, much lower than the other five countries. (Japanese juvenile crime rate: 279.6) (Adult crime rate: 192.6) The chart also shows that the overall crime rate in Japan is even five times lower than the United States as it is the country that has the highest crime rate in the chart (U.S. juvenile crime rate:1445.1) (Adult crime rate: 4175.2) However, the most interesting thing is that in Japan juvenile crime rate is actually higher than adults, and this phenomenon only exists in Japan. This shows that most of Japan’s own crimes are blamed on juvenile crime. If Japan wants to reduce the crime rate, it must start with young people. On the other hand, according to the same article on page three from the Dual website, Transition of Juvenile and Adult Crime Rate, the data for this chart is based on adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19, so this data may be higher than previous international statistics. As it clearly shows that from the early 1950s after the war to 2010, the juvenile crime rate in Japan has been higher than adults for 56 years. From the initial period of 1950, the juvenile crime rate was not much higher than adults. However, until the mid-to-late 1950s, the adult crime rate started decreasing while another continued to rise. Since then, the gap between them has grown a lot. Around 1980, the juvenile crime rate was the highest in history, at about 19%, and the adult crime rate was about 3.7%. The juvenile crime rate is about five times higher than that of adults. Until 2010, the juvenile crime rate was about 12%, and about 2.5% for adults. After 30 years, the juvenile crime rate is still five times higher than adults. Although the comparative data from 2010 to the recent year 2018 has not been announced, at least it proves that the crime issues, there are mainly young people this may go on for many years in Japan. There are several main causes of juvenile crimes,le 2, in this Act, the term “Juvenile” refers to a person under 20 years of age; the term “Adult” refers to a person of 20 years of age or older. In Chapter II Juvenile Protection Cases, Article 3, it lists 3 different types of “Juvenile”. Type one, “A Juvenile who has committed a crime”. Type two, “A Juvenile under 14 years of age who has violated laws and regulations of criminal nature”. Type three, “Any of the following reasons exists and a Juvenile, in light of personality or environment of the Juvenile, is likely to commit a crime or violate laws and regulation of criminal nature in the future”. If we suppose there are two young murderers, one of them is less than 14 years of age and the other person is14 years old or older who both have committed a criminal case. What kind of punishment will they get respectively? According to the Japanese Law Translation website, Penal Code, Chapter VII Unpunishable Acts and Reduction or Remission of Punishment, Article 41, “An act of a person less than 14 years of age is not punishable”. For another murderer who is 14 years old or over, according to Juvenile Act, Section 3 Dispositions, Article 51, “In case a person who is under 18 of age at the time of the commission of an offense is to be punished with death penalty, life imprisonment shall be imposed.” Thus, some may think, especially the family of the victims or the victims themselves, it is not fair to them if the murders cannot be punished just because they are still a child. In the film, student A records his posthumous papers. In the video, he says “…The juvenile penal code will protect me. I won’t get the death sentence. What a let-down…” This may justify the voice of many juveniles. Moreover, in the film, Morigichi also mentions the 13-year-old girl Runashi who killed the whole family with potassium cyanide. However, when she wrote the statement of repentance, she is acquitted with no crime, and instead, she got more admirers. Isn’t the existence of juvenile law contributing to more juvenile delinquency? For this reason, juvenile law has always been required to be modified for years.

Back to the film. Regarding to Moriguchi’s revenge, she decides to openly disclose and share the truth of her daughter’s death and point out he murders publicly in the class; using the existing bullying in the class and the unfriendly students to bully them till death. Although she resigns before the next semester, she still keeps reeling the new teacher Terada using him to corner those boys, the murders. She even arranges a secret bullying report to promote further bullying. Regarding the serious school bullying problem in Japan, according to the survey provided in the white paper, about half of the primary school students have experienced typical bullying at school, such as being excluded and ignored by classmates and gossiping. Defense of Japan as known as the White Paper is a policy document approved by the Ministry of Defense. It focuses on juvenile crimes and publicly provides various professional data and survey reports to summarize the annual juvenile criminal records and modus operandi in Japan, and to conduct a more in-depth analysis of juvenile crimes with various data obtained each year. In the 2015 version of the White Paper, the survey was conducted by about 800 students in each grade, from the fourth-grade primary school students in 2007 until they became grade 9. During these six years, the survey was conducted semi-annually. The proportion of students who have not been deceived in the past 6 years is only 13%, those who do not participate in bullying is 12.7%, and nearly 40% of those who both have participated in bullying and became bullied more than 6 times average. The Cabinet Government analyzed that “the victim or the perpetrator is not particularly the same child. Most children have experienced both victimization and harm, appearing in an alternating form.” According to the 2016 version of the White Paper, figure 5, a chart of the rate of bullying, in 2016, Primary school students, junior high school students and high school students in Japan have a total of 323,000 school bullying incidents. The data reflects that school bullying has been mostly seen in lower such as primary school students and junior high school students. Although the numbers of bullying among primary school students and junior high school students have been similar between 1995 and 2005, the number of bullying cases among primary school students has increased by three times between 2006 and 2016, becoming the main target of the current bullying incident. (In 2006, the number of bullying cases for primary school students: was about 150,000, junior high school students: about 80,000) (2016, the number of bullying of primary school students: 237, 256, junior high school students: 71, 309) Besides, the same chart on the right-hand side shows that students in grade 2 and grade 3 have the highest amount of bullying, each accounted for 14%. The following is the students from grade 1, accounting for 13%. It also shows that the higher grade the students from, the less bullying. Figure 5 is a summary of bullying statistics in primary school, junior high school, and senior high school. According to the statistics, between 2002 and 2016, the lowest of reporting school bullying has been always primary school students. According to the above analysis, there were 237,256 cases of bullying among primary school students in 2016, but here it shows only about 50 of them were reported in the same year.

According to the article of “The reason why the juvenile crime rate is higher than adults in Japan” written by Toshihiko Maita on Dual website, he believes that the strange phenomenon and responsibility of the fact that, the juvenile crime rate is higher than the adult’s, it should blame on the society itself. Dr. Maita mentions in the article: 未熟な子どもを大人がとがめるのは常ですが、大人の側も自らを律しないといけません which means adults always take the blame on children, but they should also set an example themselves as a role model. On the other hand, Yoshio Matsumoto expresses his view on the juvenile crime rate is higher than that of adults in his essay of “Peculiarities of criminal circumstances in Japan”, published in 1999. He believes that the main problem is not because of the high rate of juvenile crimes, but because the crime rate of adults is too low. He pointed out that the reason for the difference between the two may be that adults have their own shelves and strict control of their children. Therefore, there may be an unusual structure in the world, such as the emergence of a very small number of juvenile offenders or a very small number of adult offenders. In other words, it is criminalizing to juvenile crimes in Japan, and on the contrary, adult crimes are less criminalizing. This can perfectly explain why this phenomenon only exists in Japan when compared to other countries. Most reasons for the majority of the crime of juveniles, apart from using to protect minors themselves as a shelter, the growing environment also has a certain degree of influence on them. The growth environment of Shinya Watanabe Student A and Naoki Shimomura Student B in the movie are the perfect examples.

In Shimomura’s case, when his mother learns that her son has committed the killing, she is not sympathetic towards the girl who was killed but towards her son. She still believes that Shimomura is still her good boy and thinks he just purely did it for friends only. His mother who gives him excessive love that even thinks he is pitiful when he kills a person. The sarcasm of the film is wonderful. It is difficult for children to recognize their mistakes, besides correcting them. This makes it easier for children to go deeper and deeper and to make more and more mistakes until it is too late. When Shimomura admitted to his mother that he was deliberately murdered, let the mother realizes and let the audience know that B is not innocent at all. Over-love to a child can ruin or damage his or her future. On the other hand, Watanabe’s mother is an outstanding motor scholar/ electrical scientist. She gives up her dreams for the birth of her son, but she soon regretted it. When Watanabe did not meet her requirements, she began to beat and scold him. Because of that madness, she soon divorced with her husband and left his son to return to academic research when Watanabe was small. In order to attract his mother’s attention, he made himself a personal website and uploaded his own inventions, though nobody noticed. On the contrary, whenever more pictures of the dead animals that he killed he uploaded, the more attention and compliments he got. Just as he participated in the science exhibition competition before, all it was for his mother’s attention. Although he eventually won the prize, the headline of the newspaper was robbed by the 13-year-old girl Runashi who killed the whole family, so he decided to kill too. Then, he found Shimomura, a classmate who does not have friends to ask him to point at him to others that he is the murderer. It is seen here that Watanabe’s mother imposes all her wills on him, her violence and abandonment she left him is the most important factor why he becomes distorted.

According to the 2018 White Paper, Chapter 3 Prevention of young victims, Article 3, figure 17, the data of “the number of consultations of child abuse in children consultation centers”, The number of child abuse-related cases in all of the children consultation centers in Japan, from 1999, 11,631 cases reported, until 2016, has increased about 10 times to 122,575 cases. The number of child abuse cases basically increased sharply every year. The same figure on the right shows between 2007 and 2011, the main culprit of domestic violence is biological mothers, which has been accounting for about 60%, but the number of cases of child abuse by biological fathers from 2012 to 2016 has gradually increased. From 2007 to 2010, it accounted for about 25% until recently 2016, accounting for 38.9%, though the main culprit in domestic violence in 2016 is still the biological mothers, accounting for 48.5%. Moreover, before, ‘Parents’ Unknown Whereabouts’ and ‘Parental Divorce’ were the main reasons for staying in childcare facilities, but in recent years, the reason for staying has become ‘Domestic Violence and Parents’ Indulgence and Neglect.’ And in the movie, Watanabe’s mother is almost on the points above. Therefore, it can be inferred that poor family education incredibly affects children’s mental health development and behavior, and domestic violence is likely to be the main cause of child and adolescent crime. Fortunately, the ‘confession’ film does not rationalize the mistakes of Students A and B because of their family and halving their crimes and sins. When Watanabe’s girlfriend pleads with Moriguchi explaining Watanabe is just a lonely child who demands for his mother’s love and attention so decided to plan for killing. However, Moriguchi just laughed after listening to all this. As Moriguchi and some may think that this is not a reason to be deliberately murderous and it is unforgivable. People who should be protected in this matter should be the victims and their families, and surely the murderers should receive the punishment they deserve. However, at the beginning of this article, it has been mentioned that the role of the Juvenile Act has become the most powerful and effective protection for juvenile offenders.

Japanese juvenile law (少年法 Shōnen-hō) was established on July 15, 1948 as Law 168. The law should be revised according to the current situation of society and the tendency of the generation. Since the Second World War, Japan has made five amendments to Juvenile Law. The original law stipulates that the age of ‘juveniles’ should be under 18 years old. The most recent amendment to the Juvenile Act was in 2014. Although the number of juveniles under the age of 18 did not apply to life imprisonment, the upper limit of imprisonment was increased from 15 years to 20 years. In September 2015, the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party passed a proposal to reduce the ’20-year-old’ adult age specified in the Civil Code to ’18 years old.’ According to the proposal, the age of the protection of the Juvenile Act should be changed to ‘under 18 years old’. However, after the proposal was submitted to the Prime Minister’s official residence, the civil law was not amended. Japan’s Minister of Justice, Masahiro Uekawa, said that the penalties imposed by Japanese law on juvenile delinquency are becoming more and more strict, but the arguments for reducing the age of the object of protection in the Juvenile Act have never stopped. On the other hand, it is because of the increase in juvenile delinquency. At meanwhile, it is also because the ‘New Public Election Law’ was passed on June 2016. The bill will reduce the age of voting rights from 20 to 18 years old. Since then, the public has hoped to lower the underage age to under 18 years of age. Eventually, on June 13 of last year, the Japanese Senate passed a civil law amendment that reduced the age of adults from 20 to 18 years old. It has been about 140 years since last time in 1876, Japan defined adults as 20 years old. It will be implemented on April 1, 2022.

Before, whenever there was a juvenile murder, the judgment on juvenile offenders had caused a lot of controversies, even now. Between November 1988 and January 1989, there was a horrific killing in Tokyo. The concrete-encased high school girl murder case (女子高生コンクリート詰め殺人事件 Joshikōsei konkurīto-zume satsujin-jiken), so far it is still unforgettable for a lot of people in Japan. The prisoners involved in this case were called ‘absolute crimes that must not be forgotten by the media and nationals at the time. Four high school students aged from 16 to 18 years were involved in cases of kidnapping, imprisonment, rape, murder and corpse abandonment. The four underage murderers were coded by the court in the name of ‘protecting the privacy of minors’, respectively, with A, B, C, and D as their code names, but their full names and family backgrounds were all disclosed by Shūkan Bunshun. Noriyoshi Hanada, the editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine, gave only one reason. He said: ‘The beast has no human rights to speak of.’ (野獣に人権は無い) It can be seen that the viciousness of this case has caused a great blow to society at that time. Due to the seriousness of the situation and finally, the Juvenile Act was specially modified. This case was later made into a movie, Concrete in 2004. On the other hand,

among the four prisoners in this case, three of them were soon found guilty of murder after being discharged from prison and returning to society again. There have been more voices and arguments about aggravating the punishment of juvenile offenders who have committed serious crimes and worrying about if the government agencies are able to assess and guarantee that they will really be able to integrate into society before setting them free. This will lead to deeper social issues and balancing the parallel law of Libra is never easy and never will. It is a very worthwhile question to give Libra a young offender who is guilty of making mistakes and give them a chance to change their self-improvement so that Libra is inclined to the public’s embarrassment and safety. The film is a very good job to bring social issues to the audience. It is still a very worthwhile topic to rethink if Libra should tend to juvenile offenders who make serious mistakes and give them a chance to return to society, or should Libra lean towards national safety more. Films are always an amazing way of bringing social problems to the audience through the screen. Apart from getting more attention to the issues, it can also arouse the audience’s concern about social problems they might be living with, taking care of the country they live in. The film ‘Confessions’ is one of the most successful examples. It does not only represent Japan winning multiple awards, but the most important thing is that although the film is not based on a true story, there are many plots and contexts carried in the film are almost completely corresponding a to the current situation in Japan when compared it with the data. Also, it brought out the grey zone of ​​Juvenile Law, which further highlights its important role in juvenile crimes.

Reference

1. Maida, T. (2019). 少年の犯罪率が成人の犯罪率より高い理由 | 舞田敏彦のデータで読み解くDUALな疑問 | 日経DUAL. “Reasons why the crime rate of juvenile is higher than that of adults in Japan” [online] 日経DUAL. Available at: https://dual.nikkei.co.jp/article/081/93/ [Accessed 22 Apr. 2019].
2. Japaneselawtranslation.go.jp. (2019). 日本法令外国語訳データベースシステム – [法令本文表示] – 少年法. “Japanese Law Translation Database System-[Law text] – Juvenile Act>” [online] Available at: http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail/?vm=04&re=01&id=1978 [Accessed 22 Apr. 2019].
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4. Japaneselawtranslation.go.jp. (2019). 日本法令外国語訳データベースシステム – [法令本文表示] – 刑法. Penal Code, Chapter VII: Unpunishable Acts and Reduction or Remission of Punishment, Article 41 [online] Available at: http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail/?id=3130&vm=02&re= [Accessed 22 Apr. 2019].
5. www8.cao.go.jp. (2019). 第2章 全ての子供・若者の健やかな育成｜平成30年版子供・若者白書（概要版） – 内閣府. Figure 4 and 5, Chapter 2, DEFENSE OF JAPAN (2018 Version White Paper), the rate of bullying (occurrence) 2018 Version, Cabinet Office [online] Available at: https://www8.cao.go.jp/youth/whitepaper/h30gaiyou/s2.html [Accessed 22 Apr. 2019].
6. YouTube. (2019). 女子高生コンクリ事件 ４人の犯人のうち３人が再犯. “The recidivism of three out of four criminals in high school girl Concrete case” [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouE22X12uJU&t=5s [Accessed 22 Apr. 2019].