Fumiyasu Akegawa, Chair & CEO Devnet International / Japan
The year 2025 has begun. In Japan, it is the 100th year of the Showa era, and it is also the 80th year since the end of World War II. As emphasized in every newspaper and TV news program, the world is in the midst of a historic transformation. The factors behind this are undoubtedly, (1) the re-emergence of Trump in the US, (2) the extreme words and actions of Russia and North Korea regarding the use of nuclear weapons, (3) the crisis in democracy caused by the rise of far-right forces in Europe and, (4) the danger of an outbreak of conflict in Taiwan due to the expansion of Chinese hegemony. In addition, the division at the national level seen in the US and major European countries can be said to be driving this.
The Second World War, which engulfed the whole world, ended 80 years ago, but fighting is still continuing in Russia and Ukraine, and also in the Middle East centered on Israel, and although there is no fighting at the moment, there are places around the world where fighting might break out at any time. Even in local wars, the intentions of the major powers are becoming more and more apparent, and there is a somewhat eerie atmosphere in the air, and if things go wrong, there is a possibility that it could lead to a third world war that engulfs the whole world for the third time.
Fortunately, in Japan, the “social division” seen in the United States and major European countries is not that great. However, the deterioration of politicians is progressing visibly, and I feel “unease” about whether it is okay to leave the helm of the nation in the hands of these people. In my opinion, the two qualities that politicians should have are, (1) ‘noblesse oblige’ (a French phrase meaning that those in high social positions have obligations that come with that status) and, (2) ‘accountability.’ In Japan today, almost all the politicians either lack these qualities or have deliberately abandoned them.
When you see that the people who were calling for “Adherence to the rules” and “Implementation of certain measures” before becoming prime minister say not a word about them once they have taken power, you are struck by the deterioration in the quality of politicians and the lightness of their words. Even when politicians are pursued over “politics and money” issues, all you hear are self-serving excuses, such as “there is nothing wrong with the law” and “I don’t remember it, I don’t know about it,” and from the perspective of ordinary citizens, it is not a situation that can be accepted. Even though they know that this will lead to a loss of trust in politics, there is no sign of any intention to resolve the situation, and it is clear that they are trying to maintain the status quo in order to protect their own vested interests.
However, complaining about it from the beginning of the year won’t get us anywhere. Here, I will put down my pen in the hope that this year, the ruling and opposition parties will work together to resolve the loss of trust in politics.
Although domestic political distrust continues, Japan is the only country to have suffered atomic bombings in war, and last year the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon-Hidankyo) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, so it is important to use this as a tailwind to embark on easing tensions in the world. Specifically, this means ratifying the Nuclear Weapons Convention and participating in the conference. As the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attack, Japan has set the goal of “eliminating nuclear weapons, which is the aim of the Nuclear Weapons Convention,” but at the same time it has also expressed the need to maintain the deterrent power of the United States, which possesses nuclear weapons, under the “nuclear umbrella” of the Japan-US alliance, and it has not only failed to ratify the convention, but also has not participated as an observer. I think that many ordinary Japanese people may not be satisfied with this. There is a logical gap between being protected by the nuclear umbrella of the Japan-US alliance and being the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attack, but it is not acceptable to leave this situation as it is. If nothing is done, it will be as if Japan is admitting that it is the 51st state of the US. We should also mention the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement, which is a major burden for local residents.
All the media are emphasizing that 2025 will be a year of upheaval, but if you recall, similar things were being said last year and also the year before, and to put it in the extreme, things haven’t changed in the last few years. It’s true that the spread of the internet and smartphones has speeded up the pace of change, but it’s also true that 2025 will require an even greater acceleration.
As a cheer for politicians, I hope that they will take on their responsibilities with a sense of pride and awareness that they were elected by the people, and that they will not fall into party politics or populism, but will take on their responsibilities with a view to the big picture. Also, regarding the Japanese bureaucrats who play a role in supporting politicians, I hope that they will continue to make progress in revising, abolishing and updating laws and ordinances. Although bureaucrats are not “elected by the people,” it is certain that many of them have excellent minds, so I have high hopes that by bringing together those excellent minds of these people, they will somehow improve the difficult situation that the Japanese people are currently in, although I don’t think it will be easy. I sincerely hope that 2025 will be a year that brings a little hope, not only for Japan, but also for the world.