This weekly report will present some insights into life for a westerner (me) who’s working for an prolonged interval at Kyoto College in Japan however who over time of working right here has more and more started to know the language and native cultural traditions.
The climate is cooler than it has been and the previous few days have been fairly moist.
Progressives by no means be taught – 富めるものに課税を
The – Japanese Communist Social gathering – was based in 1922 and is the oldest political celebration in Japan.
It stays a ‘main’ celebration and is “one of many largest non-governing communist events on the planet.”
From its earliest days, factional infighting was evident with variations between the anarcho-syndicalist wing and the Christian socialist wing, being probably the most distinguished blocs, evident.
It was outlawed at one level, and its members have been imprisoned or simply harassed by the authorities.
It has been suffering from these internecine conflicts over its historical past, which is a standard thread amongst such political actions worldwide and is a motive why political success has been evasive.
Nevertheless it has continued and stays viable.
In political phrases it has deserted its Marxist-Leninist leanings and appears extra like a conventional Euro-style democratic socialist celebration.
It’s now led by – Tomoko Tomura – who got here out of the peace motion, which remains to be robust in Japan.
Within the – 2026 Japanese normal election – the JCP misplaced half their seats (from 8 to 4) as Ms Takaichi consolidated her maintain on energy.
The poor election consequence has put strain on Tamura-san’s management.
The JCP ran closely on scrapping the consumption tax and in addition taxing the money reserves of firms.
I supported the previous however the latter was questionable in its logic.
I noticed this signal close to my home which captures my concern.
This poster epitomises the failure of progressive events to counter the surge from the far Proper.
The JCP promotes the ‘Tax the Wealthy’ (富めるものに課税を) coverage and claims it is going to permit the federal government to fund the abolition of the consumption tax.
Additionally they declare that the proposal would elevate over 16 trillion yen annually which can assist fund public companies and tax aid for low revenue households.
The next weblog posts focus on these types of proposals and why they’re counterproductive.
1. Tax the wealthy to counter carbon emissions to not get their cash (January 22, 2026).
2. The ‘tax the wealthy’ name bestows unwarranted significance on them (February 21, 2018).
3. Governments don’t want the financial savings of the wealthy, nor their taxes! (August 17, 2015).
4. A 78 per cent tax on fossil gas corporations in Australia isn’t required to fund a Simply Transition away from carbon (November 21, 2024).
5. The tax excessive wealth to extend funds for presidency spending narrative simply reinforces neoliberal framing (September 7, 2023).
6. Progressives ought to transfer on from a reliance on ‘Robin Hood’ taxes (September 4, 2017).
The purpose is that the Japanese authorities doesn’t have to tax the wealthy to get funds that may be spent on welfare or tax aid for low-income households.
The explanation why I help ‘tax the wealthy’ proposals isn’t that the the federal government wants more money however that we wish the wealthy to have much less.
Why? To scale back their capability to rig elections, run media corporations, pay lobbying companies, and so forth.
It’s in regards to the discount of energy moderately than ‘funding’ a authorities that doesn’t want funding in its personal forex.
Escalator protocols
I’m now again in Kyoto the place you stand on the suitable facet of escalators and let others cross on the left, as distinct from the cities within the East of Japan, the place the protocol is reversed.
Having mentioned that, to accommodate the hordes that transit via railway stations, many escalators have indicators up saying ‘stand on either side’, which should confuse the pedants.
However the guidelines typically give method to the custom and if one blocks the opposite facet a lot frowning follows.
Nonetheless, the railway corporations are pushing again towards the custom for business causes.
They level to issues of safety – working up an escalator causes falls and insurance coverage claims.
There are additionally reviews that the ‘native traditions’ trigger greater upkeep prices as a result of if all the load is borne by one facet, the wear and tear and tear of the mechanical parts will increase.
The primary station in Nagoya goes one step additional than placing up indicators encouraging travellers to make use of either side.
In October 2023, the town launched a legislation that required travellers to face on either side and as an enforcement measure, and typically they station an officer regaled in brilliant vests on the prime of the escalator to dam the ‘working’ lane (proper facet for Nagoya).
These types of points are among the many numerous that an individual has to be taught in the event that they wish to stay peacefully in Japan.
Swooping Black Kite season
One of many websites that one sees when working/strolling/biking the paths alongside the fabulous Kamo River that runs down the East facet of Kyoto are the Tonbi (鳶) or Black Kites, which are medium-sized raptors with glorious imaginative and prescient and unimaginable flight dynamics.
I usually go down there to eat sandwiches for lunch and that turns into an occupational hazard because the birds frequently swoop down and steal the meals from the bento packing containers or from out of 1’s palms.
There are all types of methods that one can make use of to cut back the chance.
Nonetheless, I hadn’t seen these birds a lot within the Imperial Gardens, close to to the place I stay right here and the place I had the great fortune to run round this morning earlier than work.
However alas, there have been indicators up all over the place warning the unsuspecting pedestration of imminent hazard to 1’s head!
I stayed alert and stayed near the tree line and may report that there have been no incidents.
There have been extra typhoons this season in Japan.
By the point the climate methods attain the Kansai space (Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto) the depth of the methods are weaker and principally contain excessive winds and numerous rain.
I ran previous some storm injury from June this morning within the Imperial Backyard (within the north forest finish of the gardens).
That’s sufficient for immediately!
(c) Copyright 2026 William Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
