2008年

Japan SPOTLIGHT: Please send your opinion for Readers' Column

Japan SPOTLIGHT welcomes letters to the Readers' Column for the exchange of opinions among readers. Please feel free to send your opinion or comment about articles and today's world economy. For example, you may comment on the article about the economic crisis by Dr. Madsen. When your letter is to be carried, we will contact you beforehand.

COVER STORY:Plus-sum game in innovative Asia This issue features various regional alliance efforts designed to achieve a win-win relationship in the Asia-Pacific region. Some regional opinion leaders provide their insights into the theme. Now, Japan SPOTLIGHT offers an Asian-wide discussion tool on the important policy issue.

In one of two special articles, Dr. Robert Madsen, a senior fellow at MIT, presents steps to fend off a "once-in-a-century" financial crisis.In the other, Nobutake Odano, Japanese ambassador to the EU and former envoy in charge of TICAD 4, sums up the significance of the conference.

The latest issue also profiles farmer philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka, who passed away this August after making a lifelong effort for greening the desert by clay-ball seeding in Asia and Africa. He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award and was awarded the highest honorary degree of India's Visva-Bharati University by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as well as the Earth Council Award. In his second installment in a new series, Kazumi Murose, an urushi lacquer art producer appointed a living national treasure in July, describes urushi in Japanese culture.

September/October issue features the future of the fast digitalizing global economy. What impact is it causing on the Japanese economy? What about its effects on the Japanese digital industry's competitiveness? These and other points are analyzed in a broad perspective by government academic and industry experts such as Etsuhiko Shoyama, president of Hitach Ltd.. , plus specialists from abroad such as George Scalise, president of the US Semiconductor Industry Association. The Japanese Art & Craft column is featuring traditional handicrafts based on Japanese lacquer urushi. Promenade is featuring Masanobu Fukuoka, a father of Natural Farming, who has just passed away at age 95 for old age on 16th of last month.

This time we will feature White Paper on International Economy & Trade 2008, an annual review of Japan's international economy and trade done by METI officials and specialists:
This year, they focus on how Japanese businesses are adjusting to "globalization." They also highlight the issue of "water shortage," one of the most urgent challenges in the world today.
Also taken up are the rising international status of Japanese food culture, a joint welfare project undertaken by Finland and the Japanese city of Sendai, the world of flower arrangement, social issue like Hikikomori, culture & trends in Japan and various economic analysis.

We registered back number of JAPAN SPOTLIGHT July/Aug 2008 issue in JAPAN SPOTLIGHT website. You can read the articles about White Paper 2008 by METI, The columns of ECONOMIC FOCUS and PROMENADE by JEF for free.

The main theme "Evolving Japanese-style Management and Global Competition". It is focasing on CSR (an important key to corporate governance in the 21st century), changes in Japanese management and its impact on overseas businesses, accented by interviews with business leaders. It also carries special articles on the upcoming G-8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, food culture, arts, and a foreign businessman's viewpoint to shed light on various aspects of Japan.

From outstanding engineering to the creation of products with superior performance, Japan's vigorous economic society is supported by excellent human resources. We will report Japan's cultivation of human resources today with resent movement of university reform, collaboration with industries and universities and concrete examples of business education. On the another column, employment reform, Japan-ASEAN FTA as special articles, food culture, art and view from foreigners etc., we will introduce Japan from various point of view.

How has the web revolution changed Japaense media, business and society? This issue highlights the Internet evolution and its multi-faced effects, including those on TV, advertisement, the ICT industry, copyrights and human rights. Writers presenting their views on these and other topics will have a variety of nationalities such as China, Australia, the United States and Britan in addition to Japan.