By Reika Nishiyama For The North American Post
The ad at right is a message from the Japanese government to the Japanese-reading public in Seattle. The source of the content is the Naikakufu, which translates as Cabinet Office. It concerns the “Nichibei syunou kaidan,” Japan-US summit meeting, held May 23.
There, President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan discussed regional issues, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The two leaders agreed to to swiftly strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. Alliance. They also concurred to continue working closely together toward the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” region and international peace and security.
Q: What level of the Japanese government is it from? Is it analogous to the US Congress?
A: The cabinet is different from the US Congress. The US Congress is the same as Japan’s “Kokkai,” or National Diet. While the National Diet in Japan has legislative power the cabinet has executive power. The role of the cabinet is like that of the president in the United States.
Q: How does the Japanese government structure differ from that in the US?
A: Japan has a parliamentary system modeled after that in the UK. The ways in which leaders are decided is one of the major differences. In Japan, prime ministers are elected by members of parliament, unlike in the US, where citizens largely elect presidents.
Further information on the ad’s content is available in English at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: mofa.go.jp/mofaj/na/na1/us/page3_003322.html
Reika NIshiyama is a student in the International Business Professions (IBP) program, Bellevue College. With this note, she begins a NAP internship to explore her interests in English-language journalism and Japanese Americans.
