Social Security in Japan

Japanese do have a social security system. But their use of the term "social security" is completely different from the way Americans use it. In the United States, social security refers to the old-age pension administered by the federal government and paid for by mandatory deductions from the workers' wages. But in Japan, the term is much more comprehensive.

It refers to a whole range of services which might be thought of as social insurance. And it's not just one system. It's rather complex. It includes such programs as health insurance, welfare assistance, and pension plans.

In some areas it's as good as or better than in other countries. In other areas they could probably stand some improvement. Because of increasing longevity, for example, they need to take another look at their old-age pension programs.

Japanese Companies

Japanese companies really treat their employees well, especially in comparison with other countries. One big factor is that it's usually a long-term relationship. That is, a worker stays with one company until retirement. So the company has a big investment in keeping the workers happy. It's almost like a big family - it's in everyone's interest for things to go smoothly.

No all Japanese stay with one company, but that's the general pattern. There are exceptions, of course. But changing jobs or companies is much less common in Japan than anywhere else.

Getting seniority and a higher salary is one of the specific benefits of staying with one company. And job security is another. It's relatively rare for a company to fire an employee. And there are many other benefits, like help with housing, for example.

Oil in Japan

Japan has very few natural resources, and that includes oil. They produce only about six percent of our requirements. They are dependent on imports for ninety-four percent of the oil they need. Three-quarters of it comes from the Middle East. They also get some oil from Indonesia, and some from China. They are looking for new sources of oil all the time.

It means they're especially vulnerable during an oil crisis. Sharp increases in the price of imported oil can have serious effects in Japan. And so can the cutting off of some of the supply. The international oil situation is of great concern to Japanese.

They are looking for alternate energy sources. We have been exploring every possibility, both to get new sources of oil, and also to develop new sources of energy. This includes everything from the use of coal again to the development of nuclear energy.

The Status of the Emperor in Japan

It's very similar to the status of the king or queen of England. The emperor is the symbolic head of state, with no real governmental power. His duties, like convening the Diet, for example. are ceremonial. Since the end of World War Two, Japan has been a constitutional monarchy. And the function and duties of the emperor are defined by the constitution that was adopted at that time.

It was not the same in the past. Before the war, the emperor of Japan was considered a god. That's all changed now. But the emperor still has a very special status to millions of Japanese, who respect him as a symbol of the nation.

The present emperor is Emperor Akihito (born on 23 December 1933) and the 125th Emperor according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He became emperor in 1989 after his father, Emperor Showa died and is the 17th most senior monarch or lifelong leader. Emperor Akhihito is married to a commoner, Empress Michiko. They have two sons, Crown Prince Naruhito and Prince Fumihito, and a daughter, Princess Sayako.

Political Parties in Japan

The major political parties in Japan are the Liberal Democratic party, the New Frontier Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Komei, the New Party Sakigake and the Japan Communist Party. Among them, the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Frontier Party are conservative, the Komei and the Sakigake Party are middle-of-the-road, and the Social Democratic and the Japan Communist Party are liberal. And there are other, smaller parties as well.

The Liberal Democratic Party used to be the most powerful. Since 1955 when it was formed, it dominated the legislature, which they call the Diet. But in the early '90s, with the issue of domestic political corruption and the end of the Cold War, certain political reforms took place. The Liberal Democratic Party, while still powerful, hasn't been able to resume its former role. The New Frontier Party is the dominant reformist party. Because no one party is strong enough to form a government, a series of coalition governments has been the recent trend.

The political reforms aren't finished yet. But so far, they are working. For example, they now have new election systems to make the voting fairer and new election laws to restrict political contributions.

Second Language in Japan..

English is the second language in Japan. Almost all Japanese school children study English, beginning in junior high. Some even begin in elementary school. One major reason is that most students have to take English tests as part of the high school and university entrance exams. Another is that a knowledge of English is considered an advantage. Therefore, many Japanese now have at least some knowledge of English.

On the whole, Japanese can't really say they speak English well. They work very hard at learning English, but their knowledge is mostly passive. They can read and understand English much better than they can speak it.

Perhaps it's because few Japanese students ever get a chance to practice outside of the classroom. There are millions of Japanese studying English in Japan. But there are relatively few English-speakers for them to talk with.