by Mari Sunagawa

The accident of nuclear power plants in Fukushima occurred in 2011. The radioactivity spread in vast areas and a large quantity of debris was contaminated. This debris hasn’t been dealt with yet. The accident has a big influence. A lot of countries decided to decrease the dependence of nuclear power. There are many demonstrations and social movements to stop the plants. In Japan, there are 54 nuclear power plants. Where did Japan construct them? How did Japan choose the area?

There are nuclear power plants in Fukushima, Takahama, Shimane and so on. The common point among them is poor finance. They don’t have particularly popular special products and famous sight seeing spots. They had been in trouble before the construction of nuclear power plants. The government in Japan suggested building the plants. The poor area couldn’t reject the plan because they wanted the subsidy. Once the local government accepted the nuclear power plants, they tended to construct more plants. The area relied on the industry of nuclear power. The plants created the employment in local area so people were not able to remove them. Now, even after the accident in Fukushima, some people in local area want the rework of the plants.

There are some reasons why not-poor areas do not accept the nuclear power plant. First, it has the high risk that huge accident might occur someday. Every Japanese know the accident in Chernobyl. They understand how damage it suffered. The nuclear power plant lacks of safety. Second, the plants require wide space. People cannot live in the area near them. Moreover, the plants produce radioactive wastes. The way to disposal them is not decided completely. The waste is accumulated and stays in the plant. The nuclear power plant has many problems.

People had lived depending on the energy of nuclear power until 2011. However, they didn’t imagine the people in areas near the plants. The rich areas pushed the plants which they don’t want to accept onto the poor areas. There is the economic inequality among the areas in Japan. It creates new inequality of danger. The situation that certain areas can do nothing but depend on the nuclear power plants should be improved. The government must provide poor areas with economic support without the plants. It is important to do social movement in order to decrease the gap among the areas in Japan.

Reference

Nihon Genshiryoku Gijutsu Kyoukai http://www.gengikyo.jp/facility/powerplant.html

by Akiko Takano

Globalization progresses in the world, and coming and going of people, things, money, and information is taking place on a global scale now across a border. The spread of the internet that assists the globalization simplified access different culture to people. When communication technology and means of transportation did not yet develop, it was common that the people knew the event of even the neighboring village after a few days passed. However, now we can just know that what happen at this point by TV, a radio, newspapers, and the Internet in the world and there are many people going to the foreign countries and coming from the countries. When the coming and going of people becomes active, the interchange of the culture becomes active, too. I discuss how the culture changes by globalization in this essay. At first I explain the thing which globalization brings culture and then I discuss how we should deal with globalization of the culture.

The culture that spread through the world by globalization is American culture. For example, there is McDonald’s anywhere now in the world. Also, Disney is the character which is the most famous in the world. I think that the life of world people may change in Americanization. In japan, culture products of made in USA overflow now. The people imitate the fashion of America, listen to American music, eat a hamburger and drink Coke. Indeed, it may be impossible to put take on this trend. However, it is important to receive he different culture of other countries and send to a thing, the world I follow the unique culture of the own country while receiving the different culture of other countries by globalization and protect the unique culture of the own country at the same time, and send the own culture to the world. Japan has culture of traditional wabi sabi, and the modern Japanese comics ‘Manga’ and animated cartoon receive a high evaluation in the world.

Globalization advances, and there is the criticism that the cultures becomes Americanization and equalizes, on the other hand, the culture of the own country became easy to send and it is possible to develop variety of the culture. The influence that globalization gives in culture is big, but not only criticize the negative aspect, but also find a positive aspect. I think that we should balance with the reception of the culture of other countries, protection and sending of the culture of the own country.

Reference

MitsuiHirotaka. (２００５). “比較文化の心理学　カルチャーは社会を超えるのか”. kyoto: ナカニシヤ出版

by Megumi Shishido

Japanese contents such as MANGA, ANIME, GAME and Fashion are popular in Europe, America and Asia. The Japanese government understands like this, uses the word “Cool Japan” which means Japanese popular products and service (creative industry). The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) established the Cool Japan office, the Creative Industries Promotion Office in 2010. It promotes expanding overseas, informing Cool Japan the interior and the exterior, making ministerial transverse plans and promoting them. In Japan the real economic growth rate of the 2000s is under 1%, the working-age population decreases and the Japanese economy’s potential growth rate will decline. METI wants to uncover domestic demand, bring in foreign demand, maintain the new source of profit and be activated regional economies. And METI expects that foreign people are fascinated with Japan through Cool Japan and go to Japan to see the sights.

What are the primary factors that Japanese contents were accepted overseas? They include merely high-quality design and concept. Beyond them, the big one of factors is respect. Compare brand values between of Japan and of Korea. Korean economy is growing and Korean contents become popular overseas. We can say that Korean image is tremendously improving. According to SAMSUNG Economics Research Institute, the real value of Korean brand is 15^th and the imaginal value of that is 19^th in the world. The real value was ranked higher 3ranks than that of the last year, but the imaginal value didn’t change. While, the real value of Japanese brand is 4^th and the imaginal value of that is 1^th in the world. I surprised at the findings because I thought Korean future prospects are more than Japanese those and the imaginal value of Korean brand will be ranked much higher. Anyway, Japan is still admired.

Why Japan is still admired? It is reason why Japanese intellectual property is made in enough easy form that even children can understand. It follows Edo’s popular culture that has high spiritualities and artistic qualities. Japanese idea and Japaneses who create various cultures are accepted positively. However, differences of modeling characters, context that customers are wanted abilities to understand and understanding for culture that Japanese contents are childish are high barriers and foreigners shy away from contents made in Japan. So, not contents made in Japan but Japanese forms are often exported. For example, “SASUKE” that people compete using own strong physiques succeeded by exporting not programs made in Japan but the programs’ form. However, now the government dosen’t try to export Japanese forms. The government still tries to export contents themselves made in Japan. Also, for exporting contents the government begins controlling expressions. I think this is a bad tendency.

I think it is a good thing that Cool Japan informs overseas but the government should shift exports of Japanese form. Also, in METI’s policy the economic side is too strong, so I want the government to think quality of works and effects of controlling expressions.

Reference

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Cool Japan/ Creative industrial policy. http://www.meti.go.jp/policy/mono_info_service/mono/creative/index.htm

by Koki Shiozaki

Culture is defined as something one generation hands down to next generation, including languages, dialogues, custom, ideas and a way of life. It is growing in a country. It takes a long time to make up one culture. Or it also does not. Fashion is always changing one after another. This is a kind of culture. Today the culture took place in one country has spread all over the world.

The soft power is cultural power to erode one country and prevail among people. The soft power is the opposite to the hard power, which means the use of military power, economic power or political power. The good example of the soft power is Mac Donald, which is the fast food of the US. Mac Donald spread in the world. In Japan, people go there to eat it as something of a snack, breakfast, lunch or dinar. The shop of Mac is open for 24 hours. We can go every time. If I go there before 22 o’clock, I afraid that I will gain weight. Nevertheless, I dare to eat. Mac Donald has come to be a part of Japan.

Manga of Japan is the proud culture which spread in the world. Japanese Manga is translated into various languages and is sought a lot of countries. Many types of Manga are enjoyed by people in the world. Moreover, through Manga, people in the world can know about what Japanese culture is. We can let people understand it. I read the article that almost all of foreigners have a stereotype that Samurai is usually walking down the street and people wear Tyonmage which is the symbol of Samurai.

At last, the culture erodes one country and it becomes essencial to its people. And the imported culture is mixed with the original culture. If it has great effects on the original culture, the imported culture and the original culture merge and create new culture. Or the imported culture and the original culture are independence each other. They do not merge. Having an effect on the country is not only the hard power but also the soft power.

by Saki Sato

I report about the occurrence of inequality by globalization. I think globalization has made inequality. In 100 years, advanced nations have developed greatly. But developing nations have not developed much. Advanced nations, mainly Western countries, reached the Industrial Revolution in the 19^th century. After that, these countries have expanded a market and developed capitalism. But the development has been sacrificed developing countries.

People in these countries are forced to work for cheap wages. By advanced nations, nature (for example a forest with an abundance of trees) has been destroyed and wild animals have nowhere to go. So an environmental disruption has become important problem.

I think developing nations has become the target of exploitation by advanced nations. Developing nations economies reliant on product export and depend on just one or two products. So if the price of the products fall, the national economy is damaged easily. Moreover advanced nations buy the products at very cheap price. And in problem of genetic resource, multinational corporations rob of genetic resource. So the profit of genetic resource doesn’t distribute enough to developing countries and advanced nations and developing countries stand in opposition. As mentioned, the profit of export doesn’t spread to developing nations. So advanced nations develop more only. The economic gap between advanced nations and developing nations widen.

Next, I write about IMF. IMF was established after the war for global economic growth. But IMF gradually demanded economic reforms in developing nations in exchange for loans with the oil crisis in 1970s as a start. Developing nations were forced a policy of austerity. People’s complaint got worse and they started a riot. The national situation become unstable. IMF interferes in the domestic affairs of another nation that can’t pay off the loan. IMF is formed of advanced nations and the influential voice of developing countries is weak compared with advanced nations. I think IMF’s loan is temporarily good to equip infrastructure. But in the long run developing nations maybe are damaged by intervention of IMF. I think other international organizations are also led by mainly advanced nations so policies are carried out in favor of advanced countries.

I think we need grope for a remedy or solution to narrow the gap between advanced and developing nations.

by Natsuki Oshiro

I’ll write about Globalization & Social movements, especially pose the theme about the democratization movement in 2011:“Arab Spring” .

“Arab Spring” stemmed from anti-government movement in Tunisia of North Africa. And it was spread over countries in Middle East and North Africa. In these countries like Tunisia and Egypt, presidents who did authoritarian governments for a long time were retreated. In Libya, a change of government was occurred through armed conflict against people who are antiestablishment.

Like above, “Arab Spring” became as big political change as ever. The characteristic of this political change is that the people, who could not almost participate in politics until then, became impelling force of the movement and the change. And on the back of that, dissatisfaction by people to economic inequality and control by the despotic political power rose more and more.

The people who participated in anti-government movement shared information through social networking service (SNS) like Facebook or Twitter. And the democratization movement had spread beyond borders faster than ever before through the internet. I think that if it were not for spread of internet with globalization, this rapid spread of movement would not happen.

After a series of “Arab Spring”, global society has supported the democratization movement in each country. To the violent suppression by the government authorities, armed sanction based on UN Security Council Resolutions was done like the case in Libya.

Now, in many countries where democratization movement happened, political process to democratization is developing. However, a lot of problems are accumulating in the respect of economic gap and employment. We have to pay attention to abilities of Islamic political parties that come into power in Tunisia and Egypt.  And from now on, some people have apprehensive that the society becomes unstable if dissatisfaction to new system rises.

After “Arab Spring”, Chinese authority worried that this democratization movement had spread in China too. And they regulate information on internet or any other information mediums that have to do with this democratization movement. Actually this stream extended to China, and some people attempted to bring about a democratization movement in China. However, China authority suppressed those people. This rapid spread of social movements is threat for authorities of some countries like China that are not democratic country.

Social movements may be regarded as domestic issue. But now, social movement　also have influenced strongly by globalization, and it spreads all over the world rapidly now.

≪Reference≫

Japanese Ministry of foreign Affairs WEBSITE. http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/press/pr/wakaru/topics/vol87/index.html

by Chika Oki

As the world is becoming more and more globalized, almost all cultures in the world are now shared. Like “california roll,” there are many cases that one culture is changed into a completely different one from the original. Some worry this situation saying that originality of culture of each country is disappearing. On the contrary, accepting other cultures makes one country’s culture more diverse and sophisticated and enriches people’s life.

Japanese animation is a good example which shows good effect of spreading culture. Now, a lot of Japanese animations are broadcasted around the world because they are popular for its creativity and beauty of pictures. Also, some movies are based on Japanese animations or novels. One example is a Japanese traditional animation, “Astro Boy,” which was made more than sixty years ago by Osamu Tezuka, Japanese cartoonist. It is called “Tetsuwan Atomu” in Japan, and it became popular in the United States since 2000’s. This animation describes the human dream of making a real, kind robot, which lives with people and keeps the world’s peace. This animation also inspired scientists’ desire of making a human-like robot, and they have succeeded to make robots which speak, run, and think themselves like human beings and completely look like a human. Another example is Japanese favorite movies made by Hayao Miyazaki. In his movies, he describes human’s natural foolishness and wonderfulness straightly with beautiful pictures and gives us some important messages. His movies are now translated into many languages and enjoyed all over the world. His movie definitely stimulated activated the world’s animation industry. Thus, knowing other cultures leads the domestic industry to progress and diversifies people’s thought or creation. Moreover, Japanese animation are now progressing and keeping foreign people amazed, so spread of cultures doesn’t mean that one culture loses its originality.

Then, what if a country keeps other country’s culture from coming in? From 1639 to 1854, Japan was closing its country, and keeping foreign cultures away. All trade had been prohibited except trade with China and Holland. Japan had no way to know what was going in the world, and consequently Japan became an isolated nation. Soon after Japan opened its country, Japan was treated unequal by other powers because Japan didn’t know how Europeans and Americans think. This shows that ignoring other cultures means ignoring other thoughts or sense of values. Keeping other cultures away narrow your thoughts and sometimes hides the bad point in a country which should be improved. Therefore, all countries should accept and share other cultures positively.

Reference

James Brooke, Heart of Japanese Animation Beats in a Robot Boy, The New York Times, 2003 http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/07/international/asia/07JAPA.html

by Naoko Ohshima

Nowadays the world reaches the globalization era by progress in telecommunications technology and borderless of the economy.  Internationally the movement of people, fortune, service, capital, information and technology has a global effect on not only economic field but also politics, society, culture and environment, and so on.  Then who enjoy the blessings accompanied by progress of such globalization?  In other words, does everyone enjoy equality profit brought about by globalization?  Only a part of the rich or the developed countries are got it?  Today there are many argument about income distribution of the world accompanied by such globalization, namely, the world will or not become inequality with progress of globalization.

Under present conditions, credit shrunk by global financial panic.  And a food shortage  bring about a very large impact.  According to IMF, some hundred million people are exposed to crisis of hunger all over the world.  A billion laborers live less than one dollar per day.  Of course there are other problems like global warming, climate change and so on.  I will state about inequality focus on economic as follows.

The economic globalization speeds up an inequality of income globally.  According to investigation of the UN, now 1% class of the richest in the world occupy 40% individual assets of the world.  The income of wealth class is increasing on the one hand and poverty is advancing on the other, distribution become steady inequality.  The labor world change dramatically and rapidly accompanied by rapid globalization.  Generally, globalization made a switchover the balance of a power or an effect from laborer to capital.  The capital may cause move employment or industrial foothold from the one region to the other.  A ratio of wages hold national income is decreasing in regardless of developed or developing country on the one side, the profit of enterprise is increasing.  At the same time the situation of laborer is more and more severe.  Instability of labor reaches very dangerous level.

In conclusion, the progress of globalization means that a laborer and laborer union must improve international activity too.  All laborer union should is cope with only domestic for capital before. However it is the past story, now we are in the era which needs international strategy.  Not only form of decision in international meeting, but also we must include an international strategy in daily activity of laborer union.  We must fuse domestic and international activity of laborer union.  Globalization is that kind of thing, enterprise did those things for some years and laborer union also should put it in practice.

REFERENCE

グローバル化が途上国の格差を拡大 http://www.geocities.jp/fpspjapan/inequitypaper.html

不平等社会に向かう日本 http://www.geocities.jp/f05_west/aopinion12.html

運動方針　基本的考え方 http://www.jichiro.gr.jp/shoukai/79housin/01.htm

グローバル化と労働組合の「いま」http://www.jil.go.jp/kokunai/blt/bn/2008-07/044-053.pdf#search=’グローバル化 不平等’

by Naoya Suizu

The earth is dying by human action.  Since the Industrial Revolution happened in Britain in the eighteenth century, human beings invited many new technologies and raised the standard of living by industrialization.  But, the development was hardly considered about environment then. As a result, human beings caused various environmental problems such as global warming, desertification and so on.  Gradually, many people begin to notice the big problems and try to improve them by the various means now.  The means are very different by every nation because it has every political, economic, religious and environmental background, particularly between developing countries and developed countries.  At the same time, people begin to cooperate about many environmental problems because they are not the problems of a nation.  To our regret, they aren’t solved now.  So, we should seek the road of the solution in every nation and need the unity around the world based on the improvement of the environmental problems still more.

When we think how to protect environment, we can’t help thinking the process of the economic development.  For all nations, it is very important and developing countries don’t want to be prevented from it by the environmental protection particularly.  But, developing countries face to the problems more than developed countries ironically and they have to treat the problems for their own country.  So, developing countries which have the limited money, resources and techniques don’t obey the process of development like developed countries but need to create new possibilities for development because they will also destroy environment same as developed countries did.  For example, Rwanda promotes Eco-tours.  It is the plan that we can see some gorillas in front of us in Rwanda’s National Parks.  It benefits the local community around Rwanda’s National Parks directly and the benefit is used for conservation. So, it has economic effects while it urges the environmental protection.  It is called Eco tourism and it is thought as a part of important industries. Like this, developing countries have the possibilities and we should think the proper means of economic development and environmental protection for every developing country.

In addition, the international conferences are very important as the place where every nation shows their idea.  The other day, the Rio+20 environmental summit was held in Rio de janeiro and representatives of every nation discussed environmental problems mainly.  But, the summit couldn’t get the good result because of the gap of the opinion between developing countries and developed countries. Exactly, it is the fact that this summit wasn’t enough, but it had changes, in particular, the aim for the sustainable development.  From now on, every nation has to discuss compromise point in the international conference to start action for the environmental protection earlier all over the world.

In fact, it is not easy to cooperate with each other for environment in the world because the economic development has priority for most nations.  But, every nation needs the discussion for the new possibilities of economic development the same as it protects environment now. I think we should solve many environmental problems together around the world by using proper means for every nation to continue to protect the beautiful earth in the future.

Reference

http://www.rwandaecotours.com/ (accessed July 1st)

http://www.swissinfo.ch/jpn/detail/content.html?cid=32975598 (accessed July 1st)

井田徹治　末吉竹二郎『グリーン経済最前線』岩波新書

by Sayaka Kuroiwa

I read the article “Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ally McBeal and Arranged Marriages: Globalization on the Ground in India” ( 2003 by Steve Derné). Derné says that “cultural globalization has failed to transform their ideas about family life. Instead, cultural globalization has simply introduced new images that men use to reinforce old days” (p. 18). According to the article, thanks to cultural globalization, in india, many foreign cinemas have been seen by many Indians. These cinemas sometimes reflect independent, strong and free women in developed country. Generally speaking, these foreign cultures on cinemas may affect on the country’s culture. But Indian gender that men have dominance over women has not been changed. Indian men like action movies which has strong men. Why can’t cultural globalization change one’s country gender?  And what can change it?

The formation of gender

First of all, it is gender, the cultural and social roles of men and women. It’s not true that we have had one idea of gender from the old days. Gender is constructed by history, culture and society. Then, gender doesn’t make social facts. Conversely, social facts do make one idea of gender. That is to say, for example, the fact that women get one job connects with an idea that the job is only for women and the job is good for women.

Gender by districts

Gender has regional differences because it is constructed by regional culture and history. I will introduce about it.

The textile industry in Japan; the textile industry in Japan has an image it is job for women. In 1900s, a domestic cottage industry was women’s job. Japanese husband calls his wife “kanai 家内”.  The textile industry was one of the domestic cottage industry, so the image has remained until now.

The textile industry in Germany; the textile industry in Germany has an image it is job for men. In1800s flourished in Keln. Then Germany men organized “zunft”. And they were proud of their jobs and they had big power. History has made an image like this.

Gender and cultural globalization

I think cultural globalization can’t transform regional gender easily, like it can’t change history and culture easily. Then, what can change regional gender for women’s active participation in society? I think “education” can change it. I believe education and knowledge can make independent women. It would be effective that establishing environment girls can study freely without pressure and dominance by men. I think it is a good way to establish girls’ schools that raise independent women who can do any task without depending on men in the world.