Former SCJ leaders again urge scrapping of reform bill
Takaaki Kajita, a former president of the Science Council of Japan at left, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on May 20. (Takahiro Takenouchi)
Six former presidents of the Science Council of Japan issued a joint statement calling for the withdrawal of a controversial government-backed bill that would transform the council into an independent legal entity under closer government oversight.
'Academic freedom and democracy are being undermined,' said Takaaki Kajita, one of the former leaders and a Nobel laureate physicist, at a news conference on May 20.
The bill proposes a reform of the SCJ that comprises 210 of the nation's top academics and serves as an advisory body to the government.
It would create positions for auditors appointed by the prime minister from outside the council.
It would also remove the preamble of the current SCJ Law affirming the council's autonomy.
Given these changes, the statement criticized the bill's goal as an attempt to place the council more directly under government supervision, dubbing it the 'SCJ Control Law.'
The former presidents called for the bill to be scrapped and for trust to be rebuilt between the government and the SCJ.
Kajita, who recently testified at a Lower House committee discussing the bill, criticized the pro-reform arguments as superficial.
'They say the shift to an 'independent' legal entity would increase autonomy, but reading the bill makes it clear why there are concerns,' he said.
The bill passed the Lower House on May 13 with support from the ruling parties. Opposition parties opposed it, arguing that it undermines the organization's independence from the government.
'Concerns raised by opposition parties have brought serious issues in the bill to light,' said Takashi Onishi, a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo and an urban planning specialist. 'We urge the Upper House to continue this critical discussion.'
The statement marks the fourth time since 2020 that past SCJ presidents have issued a collective appeal.
That year, then-Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga sparked a public outcry by rejecting the appointment of six scholars nominated by the SCJ—an unprecedented move that triggered ongoing tensions between the government and the nation's scientific community.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
3 days ago
Ishiba Eyes Dissolving Lower House in Wake of No-Confidence Motion
News from Japan Politics Jun 3, 2025 21:05 (JST) Tokyo, June 3 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is considering dissolving the House of Representatives and holding a snap election if the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan submits a no-confidence motion against his cabinet, government and ruling party sources said Tuesday. Ishiba is apparently sending a warning message to the CDP at a time when battles between the ruling and opposition camps are intensifying ahead of the June 22 end of the current ordinary session of the Diet and the subsequent House of Councillors election this summer. Since the Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition currently lacks a majority in the Lower House, a senior government official said, "Dissolving (the Lower House) would be the only option, as a no-confidence motion, if submitted, is expected to be approved (in that chamber)." Ishiba has repeatedly told his aides that he would dissolve the Diet chamber, according to the sources. In the opposition camp, only the CDP has 51 or more Lower House members, a requirement for introducing a no-confidence motion. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
4 days ago
Japan Lower House Passes Bill to Ban Online Casinos
News from Japan Politics Jun 3, 2025 15:20 (JST) Tokyo, June 3 (Jiji Press)--Japan's House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, passed a bill on Tuesday to impose a ban on opening and operating online casino sites in the country. The Lower House cleared the bill to revise the law on the fight against gambling addiction by a majority vote with support mainly from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. After deliberations at the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, the bill is expected to be enacted before the current parliamentary session ends later this month. The bill seeks to impose a ban on getting people to visit online casino sites through social media. The legislation is aimed at encouraging social network operators to delete related information. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Asahi Shimbun
4 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Ishiba might call election to avoid no-confidence vote in the Diet
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba appears willing to dissolve the Lower House and call a snap election before opposition parties can vote on a no-confidence motion against his Cabinet, several senior officials said June 2. Ishiba has shared this idea with Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the sources said. Debate between the ruling and opposition parties is intensifying as the regular Diet session nears its close on June 22. Ishiba is apparently preparing for a no-confidence motion submitted to the Lower House by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. The ruling coalition lost its Lower House majority in the election last autumn. Therefore, a no-confidence motion will be passed if all opposition parties vote in favor of it. And if that happens, the prime minister must dissolve the Lower House within 10 days or have the Cabinet resign en masse under Article 69 of the Constitution. Therefore, Ishiba has informed those around him of his intention to dissolve the Lower House without waiting for a vote on a no-confidence motion, according to sources. There are two reasons behind Ishiba's thinking. First, Ishiba wants to prevent the CDP from submitting the no-confidence motion in the first place by threatening to dissolve the Lower House for a snap election. He believes the CDP is not prepared for such an election and would want more time before such a poll, the sources said. Ishiba could also appeal to public opinion by saying the CDP has forced his hand and is trying to create a 'political vacuum' while his government is trying to deal with soaring rice prices and U.S. tariffs. Second, the slumping approval ratings of the Ishiba Cabinet are showing signs of bottoming out. If he decides to call a snap election, his LDP might have a chance to regain its majority in the Diet chamber. Approval from at least 51 Lower House members is required for the submission of a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet. Currently, the CDP is the only opposition party with the numbers to independently submit such a motion. But within the CDP's executive committee, there is a strong belief that the prime minister will choose dissolution over resignation, sources said. However, some CDP executives are worried that the party will be seen as 'weak-kneed' if it does not submit a no-confidence motion. CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda is carefully considering how to handle the no-confidence motion while keeping a close eye on the other opposition parties. (This article was written by Kohei Morioka and Takahiro Okubo.)
