113
votes
Why does the United States call Japan an ally?
Japan and Australia are both MNNAs (major non-NATO ally)
Japan allows the US to have large bases on its territory, that alone makes it a major ally. The ability to station troops, aircraft and ...
- 124k
105
votes
How many mass shootings does Japan have per year?
In 2019 Japan had 3 gun deaths. The USA had 39707.
Let me repeat that. Three gun deaths. That's total deaths, not homicides. Less than 0.03% of the figure for the USA after adjusting for population.
...
- 16.3k
75
votes
What is the fundamental difference between whaling and hunting other animals?
I think there are two main reasons. Ethics (which does apply to dogs in many parts of the world) and the fact that there aren't that many whales (as opposed to dogs).
Ethics
It's seen as immoral. ...
JJJ♦
- 39.7k
67
votes
What is the fundamental difference between whaling and hunting other animals?
There is an ethical argument that hasn't been mentioned yet.
Many people find whale hunting unethical (see JJJs excellent answer), despite supporting deer hunting and chicken farming, because we think ...
- 49.3k
65
votes
Why don't countries like Japan just print more money?
This modern theory is far from commonly accepted.
One comment is that printing itself out of debt may be possible for country that is a global reserve currency, but only as long as it is a global ...
- 116k
63
votes
Accepted
How is Japan able to sustain a large debt as a percentage of GDP, while Greece could not?
Their economies are radically different otherwise.
Greece has a weak economy in most fields, with the exception of tourism. Japan is a manufacturing and scientific powerhouse.
Greece runs recurring ...
- 92.7k
57
votes
Why don't countries like Japan just print more money?
Mostly because Japan doesn't actually have deflation at the moment (although it may have between 1998 and 2008). In the last ten years, Japan's inflation rate has been as high as 3.7%.
Another way ...
- 90.3k
49
votes
What is the fundamental difference between whaling and hunting other animals?
One undiscussed reason that Japanese whaling is so specifically opposed by certain nations (specifically New Zealand & Australia) is that much of the Japanese whaling happens in the Southern Ocean,...
- 1,492
48
votes
Is Japan still bound by the terms of its surrender in WWII?
Yes
Pacta sunt servanda, agreements must be kept. The Treaty of San Francisco is 70 years old which is young compared to many older treaties. Agreements have a few "outs," neither of which are valid ...
- 11.1k
47
votes
Accepted
Does the Japanese government not have the authority to cancel the Olympics?
The City of Tokyo, and the President of the Japanese Olympic Committee have signed the Host City Contract, section 33 (c) of which states:
The final dates for the holding of the Games, including the ...
CDJB♦
- 109k
44
votes
Accepted
Why is Japan trying to have a better relationship with Iran?
The U.S. is likely to become less involved in the Middle East and Asia. Japan will need to secure oil supplies.
Peter Zeihan has given many speeches over the last decade about how demographics and ...
- 6,856
38
votes
Accepted
Why wasn't Hirohito tried at the end of WWII?
It was partially MacArthur's idea. I suspect that, aside from considerations regarding internal Japanese stability the swiftly developing Cold War (things soured as soon as Germany surrendered) ...
- 92.7k
33
votes
Why doesn't UK go for the same deal Japan has with EU to resolve Brexit?
The agreements cover fundamentally different things. The agreement rejected repeatedly by the House of Commons, the withdrawal agreement, covers:
The rights of EU and UK citizens in the UK and EU.
...
- 1,231
32
votes
Is Japan still bound by the terms of its surrender in WWII?
Is Japan still bound by the terms of its surrender in WWII?
Yes, but...
Can the Japanese legally build an offensive military force to counter those threats? In other words, are they pacifists by ...
- 30.7k
31
votes
Why does the United States call Japan an ally?
Short version...
After WWII, three important things happened:
Japan's military forces were disbanded
A revised Japanese Constitution was drafted which included Article 9, forbidding the ...
- 451
31
votes
Accepted
Why didn't Japan call for the ICJ to settle the dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands?
China is unlikely to listen to an ICJ ruling, so it carries risk for Japan if China wins and no gain if Japan wins.
From the Spratlys, where the Phillipines brought the case, to the ICJ (aka Hague ...
- 92.7k
30
votes
What is the fundamental difference between whaling and hunting other animals?
I would disagree with your initial statement "Many cultural cuisines like rabbits, cows, trout, pigs, chicken, reindeer or walruses are consumed without international criticism", at least in spirit.
...
- 953
29
votes
What is the fundamental difference between whaling and hunting other animals?
There is no reliably humane way to kill whales according to the New Zealand government.
The article starts with the statement: "Experience has shown that it is very difficult to kill a whale at sea ...
- 415
29
votes
How is Japan able to sustain a large debt as a percentage of GDP, while Greece could not?
One little Japanese secret is this (alas the data was as of 2016):
Of Japan’s net debt of 130% of GDP, about half (66% of GDP) is owed to the Bank of Japan, which the government in turn owns.
By ...
26
votes
Accepted
Why don't countries like Japan just print more money?
During and after the financial crisis a number of governments actually did so, through a programme called "Quantitative Easing". Their central banks "printed" money (actually, incremented their own ...
- 21.2k
25
votes
Accepted
Does Japan have any reason to ever repay its debt?
You can't go into debt when there is nobody who is willing to lend you money.
When a country doesn't repay its debts, then the bag-holders are the organizations and private people who lent money to ...
- 78.9k
22
votes
Accepted
Why were some important countries such as Japan, Britain, and India absent from the recent UNGA?
Abstention doesn't mean absent. Turkmenistan was absent for instance. (Azerbaijan too but not on that vote but only on the Canadian amendment), and a few other countries, but the ones you mentioned ...
20
votes
Why wasn't Hirohito tried at the end of WWII?
Because of fears of instability and communism spreading to the area. Treaties ended up being signed to turn it into more of a democracy which was more in line with what the US wanted.
https://www....
- 18.4k
20
votes
Accepted
Would defense based only on nuclear weapons work?
From another angle, doing this also means that if another country attacks them, they can only retaliate with nuclear weapons - there is no chance that they "react proportionally" in a ...
JJJ♦
- 39.7k
19
votes
Why didn't Japan call for the ICJ to settle the dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands?
This article in the Center for Strategic and International Studies
appear to answer your questions:
Japan’s Position
Japan’s position on the Senkaku Islands is clear. Japan took
measures to ...
- 11.1k
18
votes
Accepted
What is this blue badge that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe likes to wear?
Shinzo Abe stated during a speech entitled "Japan is back", the following line
Now, if you look at the lapel of my jacket, I am wearing a blue-ribbon pin. It is to remind myself, each and ...
- 1,293
17
votes
Accepted
Is Japan unique in allowing for a 牛歩 or "ox walk" filibuster?
Quoth Wikipedia on obstructionism:
Another form of parliamentary obstruction practiced in the United States and other countries is called "slow walking". It specifically refers to the extremely ...
- 16.9k
16
votes
Why was the USA planning on attacking Japan *before* Japan's attack on Pearl Harbour?
Halfway compentent military staffs have more plans than they ever expect to use. Until 1939 or even later, the United States had a plan for war against Canada and the UK. Relations between the US and ...
- 116k
16
votes
Does the Japanese government not have the authority to cancel the Olympics?
Yes and no.
The International Olympic Committee is a private organization. They have the freedom to do whatever they want within the bounds of local laws. When they want to do an event, and there is ...
- 78.9k
15
votes
Why wasn't Hirohito tried at the end of WWII?
Remember Hirohito was regarded as "divine" so keeping him around to instruct the Japanese civilian and military population was seen as critical in retaining control without an enormous ...
- 267
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible