2019.5.6

日本の官僚制度を英語で説明２

さて、昨日の内容、英語にしてみましょう！！

How the notorious Japanese bureaucracy has been developed?

Around 1996, Mr. Inamori* made some comments on Japanese bureaucracy. I would like to share it with you today, by summarizing and interpreting it into English.

Q: How have you seen the social and political system in Japan especially after the WWII?

A: It has not been taken as the true “democracy”. Rather, bureaucracy driven or bureaucratic dictator system, I could say. Under Japanese bureaucracy, you may find two notable features:1 stability oriented, which means no change is encouraged,2 efficiency driven in economic aspect. Therefore, maintaining existing system while promoting economic growth, this looks the mission of officers in Kasumigaseki, the district where government departments are concentrated.

Q: What was the background?

A: Let me explain you the history. Before the WWII, Japanese officers are obedient supporter of our Emperor. Some may call the system around that time as an ”absolute monarch”, the system dedicated to our Emperor. Then after WWII, the position of Emperor has changed. Japan was supposed to accept the so-called Democracy, having the government of the people, by the people, for the people.

However, the GHQ left the officers who had served for Emperor. Those officers were highly knowledgeable good officers having respect to Emperor.

However, after WWII, the officers started being selected through the examination. Those officers naturally started controlling Japanese people with the authority backed by GHQ, taking the highly heraldically system granted.

Q: Was that possible? Did Japanese people protest the new system?

A: Well, let me explain a bit more. After the WWII, GHQ released the prisoners who committed political criminals. They agitated a lot of people, socially vulnerable people, and veterans coming back from the war to be the activists promoting the reform. At the same time, they encouraged workers to activate a lot of union propaganda. Naturally, communists and left-wing groups were the great supporter of those activists. MacArthur was afraid that Japan is under the control of communism, then he started so-called “Red-purge”. Public officers understood MacArthur’s concerns and maintained the political and social stability in Japan.

Therefore, given the nature of democracy, those officers should have asked the people’s wish and realize people’s desire however, to stabilize the chaotic society, they had to use their power.

Q: So do you think that officers started using the power?

A: I assume since that time, officers has never trusted Japanese people. They believe that they are the only prestigious ones who can control our country, Japan. They have been believing that they are the selected ones who seriously consider Japan’s states-quo and its future. At first, they were a group of people who had a great mission to lead Japan to protect our own country. But gradually, I feel , those officers have got losing their missions “for the people”…

Q: Do you think such mission has led to create their regime?

A: Initially they had a mission to protect our country on behalf of our people. However, those officers have never trusted neither people nor politicians. They build up their own guidelines, and official notice to control systems in a way they wish. The drafts of laws and regulations or systems those officers develop would highly unlikely be disapproved by the Minister. Those highly ranked officers have such power and controlling laws, regulations and systems.

Q: Do you think the bureaucracy is one of the deficits of Japanese system.

A: Not only negative sides but also positive sides, we have to assess. It has past more than 50 years since such chaotic era after WWII, Japan has remained as a democratic country, achieved high economic growth up to the number two economy country in the world. This is partially because they worked hard, developed good policies and executed.

いかがでしょうか？QAにしてみました。官僚主義と心理模様を宇宙の法則に照らして、明日説明しますね！