Today, while visiting the Hankyu Department Store in Osaka, I was delighted to find a charming German store named Käthe Wohlfahrt. Browsing through the adorable wooden crafts, I was pleasantly surprised to see a piece that matched one I had received from a German friend in the past.

Käthe Wohlfahrt is based in Rothenburg, a town on Germany’s Romantic Road. The traditional German Christmas decorations and the warmth of German Christmas traditions from yesteryears are palpably felt through their exquisite wooden crafts.

https://kaethe-wohlfahrt.jp/

In Osaka, the German Christmas Market event is held annually, and this year, Käthe Wohlfahrt has made its first appearance in Japan. Such events, steadily gaining popularity in Japan, have the potential to deeply root German Christmas culture in the Japanese market, bridging cultural gaps and bringing a slice of German holiday spirit to Japan.

#ChristmasMarket #OsakaEvents #GermanCultureInJapan #TraditionalGermanCrafts #CulturalBridges #KätheWohlfahrtJapan #HolidaySeason #InternationalRetail #CulturalAppreciation #OsakaDiscoveries
#GermanChristmas #CulturalExchange #Osaka #KätheWohlfahrt #TraditionalCrafts

Currently, Japan is abuzz with discussions about politics and money. Whenever I visit Osaka Castle and behold its magnificent stone walls, I ponder over Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s leadership from 400 years ago.

Max Weber, a German sociologist from over a century ago, distinguished between two types of politicians:

1. Politicians who engage in politics for money.
2. Politicians who use money for politics.

Politicians of the first kind are merely opportunists. When they hand out money, they command, “Do this!” This is bribery, reducing workers and citizens to mere tools.

In contrast, the second type of politicians humbly say, “Please accept this money,” without issuing any orders. This is a ‘gift’ or ‘donation,’ which in German also means a ‘burden’—implying a sense of obligation. Workers feel energized to do anything for such leaders, exclaiming, “This person is incredible!” and “Let’s follow this leader!”

So, what is the nature of the money used by today’s Japanese politicians?

Each time I look at the grand stone walls of Osaka Castle, I feel Hideyoshi’s approach to money and his leadership style resonate deeply within me.

#PoliticalEthics #HistoricalWisdom #MaxWeber #OsakaCastle #PoliticalLeadership #ToyotomiHideyoshi #MoneyInPolitics #PublicService #LeadershipValues

In what seems to be an “unprecedented measure” to counter the declining birthrate, the Kishida administration announced tuition-free college education for households supporting three or more children. This declaration, made by the Minister of Children’s Policies, a female appointee of Prime Minister Kishida, has been met with a barrage of criticism.

Labelled as a de facto tax increase, this policy mirrors the confusion of low-amount tax reductions, making it an obscure form of taxation. This move almost certainly dashes any hopes of revival for the Kishida administration.

Why such a policy? The answer is simple: opposition from the Ministry of Finance in Japan. The Ministry, clinging to the fallacious theory of fiscal austerity (which prohibits spending beyond income), restricts policy flexibility. It appears unconcerned with safeguarding the national finances, focusing instead on enhancing its political clout.

The Ministry’s sole preoccupation seems to be expanding its amakudari (descent from heaven) post-retirement positions, ignoring the financial health of the nation, the well-being of its citizens, and the growth of the Japanese economy.

Moreover, without increased revenues, political donations to politicians do not rise. Budget allocations appear to serve two primary purposes: increasing political donations and expanding post-retirement opportunities for bureaucrats.

Under the Kishida administration, substantial subsidies were distributed to the medical and tourism sectors. Unfortunately, the taxes paid by Japanese citizens are being used solely for political and bureaucratic self-interests. Yet, most Japanese remain blissfully unaware of being deceived by the Ministry of Finance and the Japanese media.

This represents the current state of politics under Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party: a solidified collusion between politics, bureaucracy, and business.

#JapanGovernment #PublicPolicy #GovernmentSpending #FiscalReform #SocialAwareness #PublicDebate #GovernmentAccountability #TaxPolicy #CitizenAwareness #LDPJapan #PoliticalCritiqu
#JapanesePolitics #EconomicPolicy #FiscalChallenges #KishidaAdministration #EducationReform

As the year draws to a close, Europe enters the Christmas holiday, while in Japan, December is known as “Shiwasu” (師走), literally translating to ‘the month of running around.’ It’s a busy time for everyone, including business owners like myself, who are inclined to generously reward their employees for a year of hard work.

However, the Japanese system of consumption tax and social insurance premiums imposes certain constraints on this goodwill gesture.

For instance, for an employee earning a monthly salary of 200,000 yen, the company must pay approximately 70,000 yen in social insurance premiums. If the salary is about 300,000 yen, this payment rises to nearly 100,000 yen.

Furthermore, the calculation of consumption tax doesn’t allow for salary expenses to be deducted. This means that as salaries increase, so does the consumption tax burden on the company.

The hefty social insurance premiums and consumption tax are significantly hindering Japan’s economic growth. While the Japanese government imposes economic sanctions on Russia, ironically, it’s also inadvertently applying a form of economic sanction on its own people.

Despite the renowned diligence, honesty, excellence, sincerity, earnestness, kindness, cleanliness, and hardworking nature of the Japanese people, these policies cast a shadow over the future outlook of Japan’s economy. I fear that the current economic policies may lead to a bleak future for Japan’s economy.

#EconomicInsights #JapaneseWorkCulture #BusinessInJapan #FiscalPolicy #SocialInsurance #Taxation #EmployeeRewards #EndOfYearEconomy #EconomicOutlookJapan #BusinessLeadershipInJapan
#JapanEconomy #BusinessChallenges #YearEndReflections #EconomicPolicy #JapaneseCulture