2023年10月

Economy

For the First Time Revealed: The ‘Top 20’ List of Medical Device Money

Medical device manufacturers such as Abbott and Terumo have funneled an annual 34 billion yen into the medical field, with Japan Medtronic at the top with 3.9 billion yen. In September 2023, a bribery scandal surrounding the selection of medical devices at the National Cancer Center East Hospital came to light. A physician formerly employed by the hospital and the former president of medical device maker Zeon Medical were arrested for accepting cash in exchange for product adoption. While incidents of financial misconduct between the medical device industry and healthcare providers have been increasingly reported, the full extent of the money flow from medical device companies to the healthcare sector...
Politics

The Tangle of Politics: How Japan’s Constitutional Democratic Party Got Entwined with Communist Strategy

The Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) has unwittingly fallen into a tactical ploy by the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), as they navigate the political fallout from mixed results in two recent by-elections. Intent on reconstructing a united opposition front to make up for their own failed expansion, the JCP has cleverly capitalized on the situation. On October 23, following the by-elections in Kochi-Tokushima and the House of Representatives’ Nagasaki 4th district, CDP leader Kenta Izumi, along with other party officials, approached various opposition parties seeking policy collaboration and strategizing to maximize opposition seats in the general election—an unusual move for the main opposition party. The JCP didn’t miss this opportunity. Soon...
Politics

Yamagata Newspaper’s Controversial Expansion of Recycling Initiative Ignites Tension Among Distributors and Schools

Yamagata Newspaper’s autocratic Chairman Hiroji Sagae has faced significant criticism for his unilateral editorial decisions. Despite announcing his resignation as President in April and moving to the Chairman position in June, Sagae retained his power as the company’s representative and chief editor, leading to claims that his dictatorship continues. One of the most controversial policies implemented under Sagae’s leadership is the “old paper collection” initiative. Launched during his presidency, this project aims to collect used newspapers from readers and recycle them into new paper, in collaboration with major paper manufacturer Nippon Paper Industries. While this appears to contribute to a sustainable society, local distributors express anger due to the increased...
Politics

Kishida’s Ambiguity on Year-end Dissolution

Despite a confidential poll conducted by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in late September showing a favorable tailwind, suggesting they could secure a number of seats close to their current count… #TaxHikeGlasses#増税メガネ The hashtag emerged on X (formerly Twitter) in late August. It’s a tag associated with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Clicking on it reveals a series of scathing comments on Kishida’s tax hike policy. Derivatives such as “TaxHikeStupidGlasses” have been spawned and continue to spread. “The criticism about the tax hike policy is quite tough to handle…” Kishida lamented to those around him, but it’s essentially a problem of his own making. In December 2021, it was Kishida himself...
Politics

First Female Prime Minister Candidate! Is Yoko Kamikawa the “Quiet Makiko Tanaka”?

Why is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wary of its new minister? “Difficult to handle” and “scary when angered” were the reputations she had. This summer, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a double shock. On September 13th, during the cabinet reshuffle, Yoko Kamikawa, former Minister of Justice (aged 70), was appointed as the successor to the Foreign Minister, Fumio Hayashi. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida served as Foreign Minister during the Abe administration for over four and a half years. Thus, there was a strong belief that Hayashi, who took office in November 2021, would continue in this role. Senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs insisted they had...