Published on May 9, 2019.
This essay criticizes opposition parties obsessed only with the Moritomo issue and lawmakers whose shallow concern is merely how they appear on television, arguing that what the Diet should prioritize instead is the maintenance of the state structure and national defense in times of emergency.
By proposing the legal establishment of a second capital, an acting prime minister, and substitute central ministries, it presents a realistic way of thinking about Japan’s security.

2019-05-09
They have a faith in television, and attach publicity value to the mere fact of appearing on television, then parade that footage in their electoral districts as a grand display, an o-hiro-me. That is the extent of such people, in their true nature.
The following is from the following book by Kaji Nobuyuki.
It is truly an excellent book.
All those who trusted my recommendation and bought it at their nearest bookstore will surely agree with me.
The Irresponsible Opposition Obsessed Only with Mori and Kake.
This old man, now in his senility, has simply sunk into the world of memories of the past.
And so, while passing my days murmuring the stock phrase of old people, that things were better in the old days, I happened to watch a televised Diet session to kill time, and found myself puzzled.
Morimoto Gakuen, over the buying and selling of public land, tried every possible means to have it made cheaper, and so it began with the Ministry of Finance side, the actual window being the Kinki Local Finance Bureau, having made it very cheap and so forth… and then turned into talk that the official documents of the Kinki Local Finance Bureau might have been tampered with and so forth… and finally the story that the Commissioner of the National Tax Agency resigned, taking total responsibility.
Why this should become such a great uproar, I do not understand.
The reason I do not understand is perfectly clear.
It is because in this uproar, there has been absolutely nothing brought out as to whether the civil servant side accepted bribes, or whether the Moritomo Gakuen side gave bribes, or any such points.
If there was no bribery, then why does the Diet make it an issue?
To put it in vulgar terms, is this not almost exactly the same as the method of gangsters who threaten people by picking a quarrel where nothing exists?
That is a matter entirely lacking even the smallest fragment of dignity.
If they have such spare time, then the opposition parties should request a judicial investigation on the basis that public property was privatized through bribery.
Of course, at that time, they should present the grounds for suspicion properly and in order.
Is that not what it means to preserve the separation of the three powers, legislative, judicial, and executive?
But they will almost certainly never follow such a straightforward procedure.
The reason is that the words and actions of many Diet members are almost entirely aimed only at the televised Diet broadcasts.
The separation of powers is nowhere in their heads.
All that matters to them is the image of themselves appearing on television.
Why? Because they have a faith in television, and attach publicity value to the mere fact of appearing on television, then parade that footage in their electoral districts as a grand display, an o-hiro-me.
That is the extent of such people, in their true nature.
There are many more matters that the Diet ought to debate.
For example, national defense.
And then, immediately, they object.
Under such lines of talk as: Japan protects peace, we have no military, and if some country attacks us, we will not fight, but raise a white flag, get along, and talk it over, so everything will be fine, and so on…
It is tiresome beyond words.
I am already utterly sick of hearing such foolish sutras.
Before debating the military, which is the main pillar of the national defense issue, I think we ought first to debate a grave and realistic matter, and so I wish to speak about that.
It is the stability of the national organization in an emergency.
If, for example, Tokyo were to suffer a devastating strike by another country, and the prime minister and other important figures were no longer present, what ought to happen, and what should be done? That is the question.
Let me first state only this old man’s conclusion.
If one speaks of regions with abundant human resources, one would name Nagoya, Keihanshin, Fukuoka, and the like.
Those undamaged places would be the candidates.
Let us say, for example, Nagoya.
If Tokyo were devastated as described above, then temporarily the governor of Aichi Prefecture should be made acting prime minister, and the Aichi Prefectural organization should serve as a substitute for the present central ministries and agencies.
And then all the people of Japan should cooperate in the running of the state.
Of course, meanwhile, surviving ministers and officials of the central ministries would make their way from Tokyo to Nagoya and join up there, even if they had to go on foot.
Not only this second capital, second cabinet, and second central ministries, but for the sake of safety, the third, fourth, and fifth should also be decided in advance.
Naturally, there will be many detailed problems that accompany this, but those can be solved gradually.
Before all else, legislation should be enacted for a second prime minister, that is, an acting prime minister, and for the second central ministries and below.
This kind of legislation is the first priority of national defense.
Is it not precisely the task of the Diet to debate such matters seriously?
Compared with that, the Moritomo issue is a small and foolish matter suitable for gossip at a neighborhood wellside. Look calmly. Is not an attack from another country right before our eyes?
As the ancients said, the stern arrow, that is, a weapon of assault through flight, is about to arrive.
Therefore, one must not be without a shield, a weapon to ward off arrows.