Takahiro Miyao's Radio Institute of Global Communications: No. 21, July 3, 2005

Takahiro MIYAO (Professor, GLOCOM)

Partial transcript and translation from Prof. Miyao's Radio Program, posted here with permission of Radio Nikkei

Takahiro Miyao's Radio Institute of Global Communications: No. 21
Radio Nikkei daiichi hoso ; BS Radio Nikkei 300 ch.
Broadcast time:	July 3 (Sunday) 19:00-19:30
Recording place:	Recorded in Radio Nikkei's Studio
Program:	1. Introduction 2. Virtual Discussion 3. Trend Research 4. Concluding Remarks
Audio:	Radio Program  (Windows Media Player) (Mainly in Japanese but some parts in English) Asia Station Web site (in Japanese)

Introduction

Hello, everyone. I am afraid that the weather is not very nice during the rainy season in Japan, while I am now visiting Los Angeles, reporting from　the University of Southern California (USC). Actually, today I will interview USC Professor Koichi Mera about a new MBA program at his university. I will also discuss one of the hottest issues in Japan, the Yasukuni issue by taking up an important article written by Mr. Masahiko Ishizuka of the Foreign Press Center, an article posted on the GLOCOM Platform. It should be quite interesting and controversial, so please stay tuned.

Virtual Discussion

Today we will take up an important article "Heros or Villains at Yasukuni?" written by Mr. Masahiko Ishizuka of the Foreign Press Center. In this article, Mr. Ishizuka emphasizes that the controversy over Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, where millions of Japanese war dead are honored, is partly due to the fact that the Japanese themselves have yet to come to terms with their part in World War II. The Japanese have failed to deal with the issue of who should be held responsible for the war and the countless deaths and tremendous damage it caused at home and abroad. China persistently voices its outrage at the Japanese leader's visits to the shrine, and many Japanese are annoyed by China's interference in their domestic affairs about treatment of war dead or war criminals. The issue certainly is a domestic one, but the real problem is that Japanese people have not yet settled it among themselves. Japan's internal indecision on war responsibility leads to cloudy foreign relations. So concludes Mr. Ishizuka.

I am afraid this issue is not going to be settled too easily among the Japanese in the near future. Therefore, political leader's stance becomes crucial on this kind of issue, which is not only a domestic matter but also a matter of international concern. In that case, the main criterion to decide Japan's stance toward such an issue should be how to maintain and improve Japan's relation with other countries, especially those countries that are affected by the issue at hand. Then the answer is quite clear, at least to me.

Trend Research

Today, I am visiting the University of Southern California, and interview Prof. Koichi Mera at the USC Business School. Prof. Mera is an well-known economist, who has taught at both US and Japanese universities, and also actively involved in economic development in Asia and Africa as a World Bank official. He is currently teaching at the USC Business School, and will talk about new trends in MBA programs in the U.S.

(A summary of the interview with Professor Mera can be seen in the July issue of our Newsletter:: http://www.glocom.org/newsletters/newsletter_20050629.pdf)

Concluding Remarks:

If you have any comment on today's program, please contact us through our Radio Nikkei hompage (www.radionikkei.jp/joho). Actually you can hear our past broadcast program on our homepage by clicking the "on-demand" section in the upper righthand corner. I hope you enjoyed today's program. Our next program will be on the first Sunday in August, that is, August 7. In the meantime, please take care and stay cool.