The article in the March 29 issue of the Weekly titled "Talk of recession could send the economy under" was most interesting, and the result of those experiments certainly makes sense. Thus in order to counteract the danger of falling into recession people would need to be extremely optimistic. But it can be difficult to show optimism in the face of adversity.

When the economy is said to be going down; when salaries are either staying at the same level or decreasing while the prices for food and other daily commodities are steadily rising, people hardly think of spending money unless absolutely necessary. Therefore the whole phenomenon is a vicious circle that will be difficult to break. Maybe hope is the key. Someone would have to do something to give people hope.

The April 5 article "Oe wins case on Okinawa Notes" pleased me a great deal. I respect Kenzaburo Oe and think he is a man of strong faith. If he had lost that battle then future generations would have been taught false accounts of history. I believe rewriting history is a serious crime and softening accounts of wartime atrocities for school textbooks makes me indignant. If Japanese soldiers had not persuaded citizens in Okinawa to kill themselves then many may have survived far beyond 1945. It is essential that we make sure we always preserve true accounts of our history, so that the importance of peace is at the front of future generations' minds.

I notice the Weekly has been running lots of stories on Africa. Every country in Africa seems to have similar problems such as political corruption, racial collisions and food crises caused by climate changes. I now understand a lot about the situations in Africa thanks to the Weekly. But nobody seems to have solutions to the problems the continent faces. I would like the Weekly not only to report news but also propose to us what we can do to help people in Africa.

While unemployment is not as bad in Japan as it is in some other countries, it is still a serious issue that needs to be addressed. If local governments did more to subsidize job training for those out of work it would be a big help. Also, Japanese companies should stop producing things overseas. If companies stopped outsourcing their production then Japanese would not lose their jobs at times when their companies are still making huge profits. If these measures are taken then I am sure it would go some way to returning Japan to an era in which all can have permanent employment.

Reading the article on Charlton Heston on the "Topic" page of the April 12 issue of the Weekly has made me think about Hollywood stars and the situation of Japan's film industry. I feel there are decreasing numbers of stars who deserve a full-page article.

The Japan Times Weekly: April 19, 2008
(C) All rights reserved