https://www.videonews.com/ Marugeki Talk On Demand No. 1238 (December 28, 2024) "Annual Marugeki Live at the End of the Year: When and How Will the Japanese Version of the Trump Phenomenon Begin?" Hosted by Tetsuo Jinbo and Shinji Miyadai This week's Marugeki will bring you the "Annual Marugeki Live at the End of the Year" held at "Aprico" in Kamata, Tokyo on December 21st. 2024, which began with the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year's Day, was a turbulent year with the ruling party suffering major defeats in elections held around the world. In fact, the US and the UK saw a change of government, and in Japan, the LDP-Komeito coalition suffered a major defeat in the general election held in October, becoming the first minority government in 30 years. It seems that politics are becoming unstable all over the world. In 2025, the Trump administration will be re-established in the US, which could significantly change not only the US but also the world order. It has also been said that what happens in America will happen in Japan, almost a long time later, and that has actually happened. It is now nine years since the first Trump administration was born in 2016, and it seems that big changes are about to occur in Japan. However, if that happens, what will the Japanese version of the Trump phenomenon be? Will conservative forces grow politically, as in America? Or will forces that are adept at using social media, regardless of policies or ideals, take the world by storm? Could that help Japan escape from the lost 30 years? During the "lost 30 years," Japan was unable to achieve economic growth or wage increases, and its national power declined. Now, Japan has fallen into the lowest group of developed countries in every indicator. Unable to grow economically, unable to reform its industrial structure, unable to tear away vested interests, and wasting its time simply without any measures against population decline and economic stagnation, will Japan continue on the path to becoming a declining nation? Or will the people wake up somewhere and start on the path to recovery? In that case, what kind of model can be considered? At least until the 1990s, postwar Japan, under the international conditions that were very favorable for Japan, made full use of the benefits of the population bonus and enjoyed the fruits of economic growth equally, under the Cold War structure. As the Japanese economic pie grew, the Japanese people could receive moderate economic benefits by following the trend, and in fact, their standard of living was certainly rising. However, even though Japan itself is no longer able to grow, most people still obediently accept the ideas and systems that were artificially created during the high-growth era. Isn't it time to be busy fighting for a seat on a sinking ship? However, it is also a characteristic of Japanese people that they are better at reading the atmosphere around them and adapting than sticking to the values ​​they believe in. If that is the case, before thinking about how to change Japan, it is important for individuals to first connect with their families, friends, and communities around them and change them little by little. In today's Japan, places where people can talk honestly are increasingly being lost. People read the atmosphere, hide their true feelings, play characters, and solidify those characters through SNS, LINE, etc. First of all, let's create a place where we can talk honestly in our own neighborhood. In the last episode of Marugeki in 2024, journalist Tetsuo Jinbo and sociologist Shinji Miyadai will present a public program summarizing 2024 and looking ahead to 2025. [Profile] Shinji Miyadai (Sociologist) Born in Miyagi Prefecture in 1959. Completed his doctoral course at the University of Tokyo Graduate School. PhD in Sociology. After serving as an assistant professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University, an associate professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University, and a professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University, he will retire in 2024. His specialty is social systems theory. (His doctoral thesis was "Theory of Expectations of Power.") His books include "Japan's Difficulties," "Sociology for 14-Year-Olds," "From Justice to Pleasure - Films Reveal the Illusions of Modernity," "Where Do We Come From and Where Are We Going?" and co-authored "Japan, a Country that Never Had Democracy." Tetsuo Jinbo (Jinbo Tetsuo) Journalist / CEO and Editor-in-Chief of VideoNews.com Born in Tokyo in 1961. Graduated from the Master's Program in Journalism at Columbia University in 1987. After working as a reporter for American news organizations such as the Christian Science Monitor and the Associated Press, he launched the news-only Internet broadcasting station "VideoNews.com" in 1999 and became its CEO. His books include "Landmine Report," "Tuvalu: A Country Sinking Due to Global Warming," and "The PC Remote Control Incident," and his translations include "The End of Food" and "DOPESICK: The Opioid Crisis Eating Away in America." [About VideoNews.com] VideoNews.com is an Internet news broadcasting station run by subscription fees (basic plan: 550 yen/month, standard plan: 1,100 yen/month) from members, based on the belief that a management base that does not depend on advertising is essential for truly public reporting. (This article is an introduction to a program on the internet broadcasting station "VideoNews.com". For more information, please see the program in question.) #Marugeki #Tetsuo Jinbo #Shinji Miyadai