>>Part 1
Explain Japan's position to the world on its behalf
In 1974, Okimoto returned to Japan to write his doctoral thesis, and spent about two years as a researcher at the Institute of Social Science at the University of Tokyo. The "talk show" in April 1975 is a dialogue that took place during that time. The theme of the dialogue was Japanese politics, his specialty, and as a high school student, the English and content were both quite advanced for me, so after watching the program, I had to read the transcribed NHK text with the aid of a dictionary, and somehow just about managed to follow along.
Okimoto explained the uniqueness of the nei-ka, or blood ties, found in Japanese politics, citing concrete figures. Of the 279 LDP members of the House of Representatives at the time, 75 people, or nearly 30%, were connected through nei-ka. This figure does not include cousins or marriage ties, but only counts close relatives up to the first or second degree of kinship, and he stressed that this would never happen in America. Incidentally, a recent survey also showed that the hereditary succession rate in the LDP is high at 35%, while that of the Democratic Party is 14%. If horizontal ties such as nei-ka are included, the ratio would likely be even higher.
The conversation then went on to touch on other interesting topics, such as why hereditary politicians are so prevalent in Japan, the relationship between factions and sectarian cliques, and the nature of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Regarding the LDP, Okimoto says that it is an ad hoc organization with no detailed principles or disciplinary norms to deal with unexpected situations. It has an amoeba structure without a core, but it can respond flexibly and make effective decisions when the time comes. To understand this, he says, Western theories alone are not enough, and that the delicate human relationships between and within factions must be incorporated into the equation.
In 1974, while Okimoto was in Japan, Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei was forced to resign amid mounting suspicions of a scandal, and Miki Takeo was elected as Prime Minister. Even Okimoto, who is well versed in Japan, seemed to think that this was the end of the LDP. Since then, the LDP has weathered many hardships and remained in power for 35 years. But this year, it has collapsed, and for Okimoto, it must have seemed like a real "major earthquake."
In this NHK interview, he also said the following:
"I'm currently researching Japanese foreign policy, and what has always struck me is how important it is for Japan to explain its position to other countries in order to avoid misunderstandings. Western Europe and the United States don't have to do this, but Japan needs to for a variety of reasons...A knowledge of economics is essential for researchers studying Japan. If you want to understand what is happening in Japan in detail, it is absolutely essential to be familiar with both domestic and international economics."
This is probably why Okimoto has chosen "international politics and economics" as his specialty. It is not possible to understand Japan through only one academic field. He says that politics and economics are important, as well as history, sociology, psychology, and linguistics.
Two years after this conversation, in 1977, Okimoto earned his doctorate from the University of Michigan, and later began teaching at Stanford University. In the 1980s, he published a variety of books about Japan and U.S.-Japan relations, and as a Japanese-American, he assumed the responsibility of explaining Japan to the world. He truly is a bridge between Japan and the U.S.
Numerous achievements connecting Japan with the United States
The joint research project, Competitive Edge: The Semiconductor Industry in the US and Japan, published in 1984, featured experts from various fields and discussed the issues surrounding semiconductors from the political, economic, social, and technological perspectives of both the US and Japan. Okimoto was in charge of the political chapter, where he analyzed the role of the governments in the semiconductor industries of both Japan and the US.
In the 1980s, Japan's advance in the semiconductor field was becoming remarkable and it was on the verge of becoming a threat to the United States, so Okimoto probably felt that he had to clearly explain Japan's position.
In Between MITI and Market, published in 1989, Okimoto further explored the Japanese semiconductor industry and analyzed the complex relationship between MITI, the government, and industry. Japan is not a country where the state exercises strong leadership, but rather where active cooperation from industry makes the country stronger, and there is a wide-ranging network that connects public and private interests. In that sense, Okimoto argues that Japan is more appropriately called a relationship-oriented or network-oriented nation, rather than Japan Inc.
Currently a Professor Emeritus at Stanford University, during his 30 years at the university, Okimoto co-founded the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies and played a central role in establishing the Stanford Japan Center.
He has deep ties to Japan. Since 1999, he has been an advisor to the Development Bank of Japan. In the same year, he served as the moderator of a panel discussion entitled "The Impact of the Internet on Global Management" at the Nikkei Forum Global Management Conference, sponsored by the Nikkei Newspaper Company. In 2004, marking the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the United States, he was awarded the Minister of Foreign Affairs Award in recognition of his contributions to promoting Japan-U.S. exchanges.
What does Okimoto think the ideal relationship between Japan and the US should be?
Okimoto's active role in holding Japan to account, primarily in the semiconductor industry, began in the 1980s, when Japan had a stable Liberal Democratic Party government and its economy was booming.
The world economy has changed dramatically in the past 20 years, with Asian countries such as China, Taiwan, and South Korea rising to replace Japan. The semiconductor industry is also not doing well. Japan's share of the global market, which accounted for 51% in the late 1980s, has now fallen to 20%. Glenn Fukushima, another Japanese-American with a good knowledge of Japan, says that when the uses of semiconductors are stable, the Japanese approach of mass production, cost reduction, and quality improvement is effective, but in an era when advances in information technology are accelerating and uses are uncertain, a Silicon Valley-style venture spirit is advantageous. He says that once the uses of semiconductors for information and communications become clear, Japan's semiconductor industry will revive.
Okimoto believes that in order for Japan to recover, it needs to break away from its reliance on exports. Given the aging of the population and the declining savings rate, domestic demand is likely to expand. When that happens, he says, the medical and health care sector, including world-class hospitals, elderly care facilities, and pharmaceutical companies, will be a powerful lever for Japan's economic growth.
He also states that the United States, which plunged the entire world economy into recession following the Lehman Shock in September 2008, needs to reduce its military budget, which accounts for 7% of its gross domestic product, to 5%. If the budget surplus that would result could be redirected to constructive infrastructure such as high-speed rail, clean technology, and the development of alternative energy sources, it would lead to stability not only for the American economy but for the entire world.
When the Obama administration came to power in the United States, a lawyer from California named John Roos was selected as the ambassador to Japan. Okimoto has known Roos for many years and is a sort of brain behind the president.
I hope that Okimoto will continue to play an active role as a spokesperson for Japan to the United States, and vice versa. However, I also hope that young Japanese-American researchers will follow in his footsteps.
It's been 35 years since I first saw Okimoto on "Talk Show" when I was in high school. Masao Kunihiro sends his support to outstanding young Japanese-American researchers, and I have heard his name from friends at Tokyo Metropolitan University who are also pursuing the same academic field. Now that both Japan and the United States are losing their energy due to the "major earthquakes" of politics and economics, I would like to listen to the voices of Japanese-American researchers who can take both sides, or who are in between.
(Titles omitted)
*The translation in the text is taken from "Conversing in Modern Times (Part 1)" by Masao Kunihiro.
Daniel Okimoto's works (translated into Japanese)
* "Masked Americans: Second Generation Japanese-Americans' Views of America and Japan" Simul Publishing, 1971
American in Disguise, John Weatherhill, 1970
* "The Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the High-Tech Industry" Simul Publishing Co., 1991
Between MITI and Market, 1989
Co-author
* "Japan-US Semiconductor Competition" Chuokoron-Shinsha 1985
Competitive Edge: The Semiconductor Industry in the US and Japan, Stanford Univ Press, 1984
References
* "Conversing in the Modern World (Part 1)" Masao Kunihiro, Japan Broadcasting Publishing Church, 1977
A Japanese translation of "Talk Show." 22 stories have been selected in two volumes.
*This article is a reprint of the eighth installment of the column series "From the Perspectives of Two Countries" in the online magazine "Kaze," published by Renso Publishing , which features information about new books, such as articles linking new books to current issues and daily topics, as well as monthly bestsellers and review columns on new books.
© 2009 Association Press and Tatsuya Sudo
