2014年

Japan SPOTLIGHT November/December 2014 issue

COVER STORY: The Tokyo Olympics & Paralympics in 2020
~A Message from the Japanese Sports Community
For this issue, we highlight "Tokyo Olympics & Paralympics in 2020".
The Olympics and Paralympics could have a wide-ranging impact on the future of Japan in terms of its economy, business and culture. As our first attempt at an analysis of this possible impact, we will start by discussing the future of Japanese sports and sports business.

Japan SPOTLIGHT September/October 2014 issue

COVER STORY: New Media Culture in Asia
The Internet revolution has two major aspects, one on the technology side and the other on the cultural side. Japan SPOTLIGHT highlighted its technological aspects in the Jan./Feb. 2008 issue.
Having noted its creation of a new culture in our globalized world, we now highlight its cultural aspects in our Sept./Oct. issue of 2014, and broaden the story from Japan into other parts of Asia, since new media culture in Asia today is greatly interlinked.

Japan SPOTLIGHT July/August 2014 issue

COVER STORY: METI's White Paper on International Economy & Trade
It is a tradition every summer that we highlight METI's White Paper on International Economy & Trade. For this issue, of course, the focus is on White Paper 2014.
Assessing the world's economic performance during these past five years since the financial crisis, it is clear that all the major economic powers are pursuing different growth strategies to restore their economies after the global recession. Japan is thus not the only country planning and devising a growth strategy. The third arrow of "Abenomics" may well be reexamined against this background of various efforts by major nations to create a better business and economic environment for their growth.
METI's White Paper 2014 highlights in this regard different regions' growth strategies and gives the Japanese growth strategy an international perspective.

Japan SPOTLIGHT May/June 2014 issue

COVER STORY: Where Is the Global Trade Regime Heading? - Searching for an Ideal International Trade Discipline
Whereas trade liberalization is today considered a strategy for export growth by all major industrial nations, which have a limited capacity in fiscal policy to spur their economies due to growing budget deficits, there are many people who oppose it.

Japan SPOTLIGHT is on the side of capitalism and supports trade liberalization as a major growth strategy. We believe that competition will lead to increasing economic welfare in terms of income and job growth, and thus capitalism can ensure a path to happiness. For the May/June issue, we are highlighting in this regard a wide range of trade policy arguments led by various intellectuals supporting trade liberalization as a desirable growth strategy.

Japan SPOTLIGHT March/April 2014 issue

COVER STORY: Japanese Culture - Enigma or Soft Power?
A country's culture can be represented by many products, both tangible and intangible. Animations, films, cuisine, and fashion may be symbols of a national culture, but people's customs, behavior or mentality are also crucial in determining the general image of a country.

The March/April issue highlights this cultural complexity in Japan and its possible role in foreign policy, assuming that the power of a culture can sometimes have consequences for diplomacy.

Japan SPOTLIGHT January/February 2014 issue

COVER STORY: Social Security in an Aging Society
Japan SPOTLIGHT Jan/Feb issue highlights the issue of "social security reform" which is currently a global one, as the aging of society is a common socioeconomic challenge for all OECD countries. We will showcase how Japan and other developed nations can cope with this challenge under growing fiscal deficits to develop a future with positive prospects for their aging societies.