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Basic
Legislative Issues on Diplomacy, National Security, and Crisis
Management in Japan
—Japan and the World at the Beginning of the 21st Century—
(February 22, 2002)
Congressional Forum for New Japan (21 Seiki Rincho) |
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| 1.
Strength and image of Japan |
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| In
shaping the future of Japan, the government must first have
a clear image of what Japan should be like in the future.
At the same time, it must estimate the extent of Japan’s
national strength and objectively assess whether it is sufficient
to attain its target image. Japan’s power in the first
quarter of the 21st century is clearly not strong enough for
Japan to become a major military or economic nation, but neither
is it so weak that Japan would be considered a small economy.
Japan therefore has few options it can take. They are: (i)
to gain the trust of East Asian countries and expand its role
in exerting influence in regard to its political powers based
on knowledge; (ii) build a nation that promotes efficient
economic activities; and (iii) create a robust self-governing
nation that values culture, the arts, and nature, and enables
people to live in comfort and in security. Measures that value
these “soft powers” (culture, philosophy, information
and technology, systems) should form the foundation
of Japan’s nation-building efforts for the future. |
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| 2.
Issues under the current Constitution |
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| (1) |
Establishment
of a national strategy advisory board to examine national
interests |
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| (2) |
Formulation of
a basic security law and establishment of a crisis management
system |
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| (3) |
Participation
in United Nations peacekeeping activities and activities for
human security, and reconsideration of ODA strategies |
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| (4) |
Establishment
of a Japan-US strategy conference: Reexamination of Japan-US
alliance and defense strategies |
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| (5) |
Utilization of
IT and establishment of a national information institution |
| 3.
Basic legislative reforms for future constitutional revisions |
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| (1) |
Establishment
of regulations for emergency situations |
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| (2) |
Reexamination
of constitutional provisions regarding the right of collective
self-defense |
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