As the seasons shift and the weather turns uncertain, it is easy to feel unsettled—not only by the climate, but by the state of the nation. Yet even in times of economic strain and geopolitical pressure, the question remains: will we continue to sigh over decline, or consider how to move forward?
The change of seasons always brings unsettled weather.
This week the skies have been gray, the temperature has refused to rise, and it feels as though winter has returned.
For the first time in a while, I stepped outside carrying a long umbrella.
Perhaps the fact that I rarely use one anymore is, in part, a quiet sign of climate change.
President Trump of the United States has announced new tariff measures, and Japan will likely feel their impact once again.
China’s stance toward Japan has also grown more severe, with new measures introduced just yesterday.
It is now undeniably a major power.
Meanwhile, Japan seems to be losing its former affluence. Even maintaining infrastructure is no longer easy.
We must rely on foreign labor, yet the framework for accepting and integrating workers is still far from fully organized.
Japan’s decline is often traced back to the collapse of the bubble economy.
But there is little point in endlessly lamenting the so-called “lost thirty years.”
In the recent general election, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s message was clear: Japan can still do it. The future begins now.
Rather than dwelling on the long rule of the Liberal Democratic Party with regret, she spoke of hope for what lies ahead. That left an impression on me.
There is no reason to expect a rosy future awaiting this country.
Still, with the mandate gained under the name of Sanae Takaichi, I hope that over the next four years Japan can move forward, even if only a little.
Reflection is, of course, necessary.
But sighing alone will lead nowhere.
No matter how small the action may be, we must ask what can be done to help this country move ahead.
Each of us has a part to consider.
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