[EN] JA 29 – State and Construction in Japan: Permanent Factors Amidst Change – March 2013

Summary

– CLOSE UP ON THE NEWS – 

1. “From concrete to human beings”: the Japanese Democratic Party’s desire to cut public expenditure (Nicolas Morishita)

2. The Tokyo Sky Tree: behind the symbolism, the interests of the large private conglomerates (Raphaël Languillon-Aussel)

– POINTS OF VIEW ON THE NEWS– 

Yamaguchi Jirō, “For a politics in pursuit of ideals, instead of forgetting”, Sekai (Translated by Amélie Corbel)

Kawaguchi Masahiro, “Where is the new LDP government’s energy policy going? For a more dynamic renewable energy sector and a return to using nuclear power stations”, Sekai (Translated by Adrienne Sala)

Editorial 

Although the declining Yen seen in late December 2012 initially corresponded to a correction, the current monetary policy of competitive devaluation used by Japan to take the country out of its deflationary spiral is worrying. Beyond the controversial reactions to the policy, Shinzō Abe’s promise to renew Japan’s aging infrastructure by investing heavily in public works has reawakened the threat of the “Iron Triangle” and its worst effects on Japanese economy and society: corruption, inefficacy and interdependency between the central State and Japanese regions. How is the idea of Japanese development currently evolving?

by Sophie Buhnik

[EN] Japan_Analysis_March2013