Japan needs another Meiji revolution, not PM Abe

Kornelius Purba, Jakarta | Opinion | Wed, January 09 2013, 1:06 PM

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe started his first official day at work on Monday by singing the Japanese national anthem, Kimigayo, which Reuters said has often been perceived as a symbol of Japan’s past imperialism and militarism.

The hawkish leader has often talked about revising the country’s constitution so that Japan can develop its military without restrictions. There are fears that rightists and even ultranationalist politicians may come to dominate Japanese politics, sparking possibilities of a revival of a militaristic state.

However, Japan needs more than shallow slogans from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to restore its position in the forefront of international community. Japan’s political system and its political elites are too rotten to undertake the massive changes that the nation needs.

Japanese people need to launch another Meiji Revolution to bring revolutionary reform to every aspect of Japanese life, just as that nation did in the 19th century.       

Only when the whole of the Japanese people are sufficiently united to say enough is enough will the nation develop the power to regain its position as a global leader.

Only when the Japanese are ready to humble themselves by following the examples and aspirations of developing countries, including those that went through the “Arab Spring”, will Japan be strong again.

Only when the Japanese find the wherewithal to undertake difficult and large-scale structural reforms, as has happened in several Southeast Asian nations, including Indonesia, will Japan stand tall again.

The results of the elections in December have unfortunately showed that the Japanese people are still not ready to transform their nation.

It is weird, indeed unbelievable, that voters awarded a landslide victory to the old-fashioned and corruption-tainted LDP and its chairman, Abe, who abruptly resigned as prime minister in 2007, to lead the nation to recover from economic stagnation.

For Japanese voters, the economy remains the most urgent issue, as continuous deflation, stagnant economic growth and rampant unemployment have hurt them for far too long. They hope that the LDP can find a recipe for economic success, although so far Abe has only talked about the necessity of reviving gigantic public works programs and of forcing the central bank to allow inflation to rise by increasing the money supply.

For Japan’s neighbors, especially China, North Korea and South Korea, the LDP’s return will have little impact, although Abe and his government will likely be more irritating for them. Abe’s government will likely use old tactics: Showing off Japan’s military strength and defending the history of Japan’s colonial rule over East Asia.

They will speak loudly, and the Chinese and Korean people will feel agitated. However, such games would only further isolate Japan in international arena.

For the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the new government of Japan does not bring significant hope, especially in terms of foreign direct investment. Japan’s generously funded official development assistance (ODA) is much less popular now, especially in Indonesia, although Myanmar is now enjoying robust economic cooperation with Japan.

China has been very proactive in providing economic incentives for ASEAN members. The association’s member nations need China as an export destination and as a source of cheap loans, although at the same time, imports from China are often deadly for their domestic growth.

 But why have the Japanese voters entrusted their future to the LDP again? The people know very well that the LDP and Abe have little capacity to improve the state. The voters clearly wanted to punish opposition parties whose politicians have been even greedier and more corrupt than their LDP counterparts.

The people know that revolutionary changes are the only way to get rid of prolonged social political and economic problems. But it seems that the Japanese people are still in the process of searching for the right model of revolution, while at the same time they are not ready to leave their comfort zone.

When asked to mention a few reasons to be proud as the citizens of Japan, many will face difficulties in giving a firm answer. It is much easier to make a long list of the negative aspects of their nation and their government. A strong sense of skepticism, anger, frustration, even desperation, is evident among many Japanese now.

The Japanese people feel they can no longer endure the severe and prolonged pain they have had to bear from the humiliation and bullying of its former colony China over territorial disputes, while the country’s economy has remained stagnant for the last 15 years.

It is also painful to see how the once mighty economic power and influence in the world that the Japanese wielded in the world is also continuing to decline.

From the 1970s until the mid-1990s, Japan was the world’s leading lender, a generous grant provider for the developing world and top manufacturing investors, especially in Southeast Asia. People across the globe were once amazed by Japan’s corporate management philosophy, which became a nearly endless source of discussions and inspiration for people in the Third World. Japan was a role model for many other nations.

That enthusiasm has long since dissipated.

The government of Abe will not be able to bring about the significant changes needed to better Japan. Only the Japanese people can do that. The Japanese people should not hesitate to follow the path of poorer nations in creating a new Japan, although it could be very costly and painful for a long period of time.

Will the people have enough gut to launch another Meiji Revolution? Without dramatic change, Japan will only face more humiliation from its East Asian neighbors, like China, South Korea and North Korea.

The writer is senior managing editor at The Jakarta Post.