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I had thought "There's something wrong with the Western civilization" Waging war, destructing environment "I'm to lead meaningless life"
I came to Japan I thought I may be able to find some answer
I went to (Jochi) Sophia University, the university of Jesuit I didn't belong to the Society of Jesus though
It is the remainder of Roman Empire
I am a descendant of Celt in Canada Running away from Romans, we got to Canada
And after all,
I was brainwashed in the University
In the study, they teach you various things The higher your academic background is, the more you are conformed
With continuous input of the same data, before someone knows, you have the same way of thinking
It's cleverly well-made
When I realized, I was the one of the brainwashed I originally thought "the earth is in wrong way, I have to do something" But I lost the mind at some point
Japanese baby boomers They raised such heated riots & they tried so hard But before you know it, they have become corporate employees in blue suits and they commute in overcrowded trains
The hippie generation is the same Before you know it, they've become yuppies They just consume,,, They seem to be fattened (in a cage) They all are the brainwashed generations
In the economic growth era of Japan In "All middle class era" Why was Japan in prosperous time like that?
It was because of bureaucratic superstructure which is now harshly blamed
To become a bureaucrat, you have to pass the exam And anybody can take the exam
Anybody who hangs tough, he or she will get promoted It's the system the person can get to the top of the Pyramid
Of course, there are negative points to be blamed However, realistically, it's a good system
Then, the disparity in Japan was the smallest among advanced countries The gap of the wages between presidents of companies & their employees with no title was the smallest
It really was a good society
And there was economic planning As a nation, as nationals, they had future vision "Get ahead of West" They had ambition. They had purpose
"Let's make it!" They had strong intentions
But why did they change themselves to such melancholic & directionless? I finally figured out through about 25 years research
I started my career as a journalist at around Plaza Accord It's about when many of you were born
Plaza Accord was the milestone that US started to order Japan "Do as we say about economy"
There was imposition of artificial "strong yen" by Plaza Accord, Financial Big *** & others I wondered why Japan obeyed their orders while Germany vehemently opposed to them
In 1985, US foreign policy changed Before that, being in cold war, US was afraid of communism So, if Japan went along with US in UN votes, they didn't intervene Japan about domestic issues
Around the time when Papa Bush, George Bush senior was CIA Director & vice president, US foreign diplomacy against Japan fundamentally changed It was in 1985
I inform you The local Yakuza here, Inagawa-kai In its Head Quarter, the picture of Papa Bush is displayed How come?
I want you to think why
JAL 123 was shot down by missile (Japan Air Line 123: crashed into mountain in 1985) 500 people were killed by America
They changed their negotiating posture from "Please buy more orange" "Please buy more beef"
to "Give us money! or we get you" Vicious intimidation diplomacy
It never be out in public Behind closed doors, by the force, by the intimidation they deprive money from Japan
Before the change, US was so afraid of Japan's trade surplus with US The trade surplus then was less than 1/10 of what we have now
Why did they stop themselves from being scared? They decided Not to return the money
Japanese people work so hard Working extra hours, they make cars & ship them to US
Then, Japan gets papers US: "We'll return the money someday" But they are Never going to return
This is the US diplomacy against Japan now
I couldn't find it for a long time When I wrote about Japan, I couldn't help but see through the eyes of a "Foreigner"
What I witnessed here in Japan were misappropriation, corruption, scandals