Takahiro Miyao's Radio Institute of Global Communications: No. 29, March 5, 2006

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. 29
Radio Nikkei daiichi hoso ; BS Radio Nikkei 300 ch.
Broadcast time:	March 5 (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 think the spring has finally arrived, although the warm weather and the cold weather tend to alternate for the time being. I hope we will be able to enjoy cherry blossom viewing by the end of this month. Today, I will first take up the Livedoor issue by referring to a recent article entitled "Resolve for Reform Comes Under Strain in Livedoor Scandal," written by Mr. Masahiko Ishizuka, Councilor of the Foreign Press Center. Then we will have an interview with Mr. Asahi Noguchi, Professor of Senshu University, who is now in this studio with me and is going to talk about economic debates in Japan, in particular, pros and cons over the Bank of Japan's monetary policy, which Professor Noguchi has been carefully studying in recent years. I should be quite interesting, so please stay tuned.

Virtual Discussion

In this corner I will take up the Livedoor issue by referring to a recent article entitled "Resolve for Reform Comes Under Strain in Livedoor Scandal," written by Mr. Masahiko Ishizuka, Councilor of the Foreign Press Center. Horiemon's arrest has raised a question of whether his tainted fame was a result of Koizumi's reform agenda, and now the policy is criticized as encouraging inequality in the Japanese society. But Koizumi's reform agenda covers a vast scope in which Horie was no more than a mood maker. Koizumi's approval rating has fallen significantly since last December. Koizumi must convince the public that his reform agenda is solid enough not to be shaken by this incident. This also means that the public's resolve for reform is now being tested. I think this view is in contrast with the critical view of Prof. Gregory Clark against the Koizumi reform that I took up last month. What do you think?

Trend Research

In this corner, we will have an interview with Mr. Asahi Noguchi, Professor of Senshu University, who is now in this studio and is going to talk about economic debates in Japan, in particular, pros and cons over Japan's monetary policy, which Professor Noguchi has been studying in recent years.

(Interview with Professor Noguchi in Japanese)

A summary of Professor Noguchi's talk will appear in the April issue of the GLOCOM Platform Newsletter (http://www.glocom.org/newsletters).

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 through our homepage. I hope you enjoyed today's program. See you again soon.