Professor Gerald Curtis on the Future of Japan
In the August 2012 APEC Economies newsletter, Professor Gerald Curtis discusses the implications for Japan's future of the response to the March 11 earthquake disaster. The local and private sector public's response to the disaster revealed the strength of the Japanese people to endure, to bond together, and to adapt to the challenges posed by the disaster. The private sector responded quickly and decisively. In stark contrast the response of the government, despite calling it an "unprecedented crisis," was slow and encumbered by bureaucratic red tape. Its inept handling of the Fukushima nuclear accident not only has made the public skeptical about continuing reliance on nuclear energy, it has weakened public confidence in government more generally. The 3.11 disaster will have a lasting impact on Japan's future course.
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