The Genron NPO's "Morning Forum" was held on October 2 in Tokyo with 30 Genron NPO members. Shigeru Ishiba, LDP Secretary General, was invited as the guest speaker, and discussions were held under the topic of "the future course of Japan," covering a wide variety of themes from diplomacy and national security to economic policies.

Ishiba first reflected on the circumstances regarding diplomacy/national security from the postwar period to the Cold War military power balance. He then pointed out that this balance collapsed after the end of the Cold War, conflicts over territories, religions, races and economic disparities have become manifest and threats such as that of terrorism committed by organizations outside the nation are growing. He further explained the current situation in East Asia, including movements made by Russia, China and the US, and stated that Japan must lay the foundations for national security appropriate to present-day conditions.

Especially in regards to relations with China, Ishiba stated that simply criticizing one another would not help to change anything and what Japan needs is to first develop a security framework to keep itself thoroughly on guard. Mr. Ishiba stated that it is upon such grounds that we can touch upon internal affairs in China and "as China's stable development is definitively to the benefit of this region, Japan must think about what it can do for this purpose," he stated.

Lastly, in regards to the future state of Japanese politics, he stated that, while the focus will be on consumption tax and economic policies for the time being, preparations are necessary in order to respond to future discussions on national security. He then ended his speech on the note that, while it is the politician's responsibility to explain difficult issues in simple terms and keep the cycle of policy improvements moving, he hopes that citizens, with whom sovereign power resides, will not only state their own demands but will also vote as if they were in the shoes of the statesmen.

A serious and active discussion then took place during the following question and answer session with participants, regarding issues that the current administration is engaged in, such as the raise in consumption tax and the corporate tax system as well as the accountability demanded of politicians from the people.

*The Morning Forum is an event limited to members of The Genron NPO and those invited by members. It is held once a month with guest speakers invited from a variety of fields.