60th MUMEI-JUKU (01/03/2022)

Theme: Meteorology in the New Era: From Prediction to Control

<Opening Remarks by Dr. Shuzaburo Takeda, Head of Mumei-juku>

It seems that we have entered a period of upheaval rarely seen in human history.
I believe that the reason for this lies in the struggle between tyrannical and democratic ideologies that is taking place in the world today, a struggle between the ideas that mankind has developed up to the present time and whether or not they are going back to the past.

In other words, the conflict is about whether or not the ideas that mankind has developed up to the present will return to the past. In the early hours of February 24, Japan time, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a sweeping offensive from the south-northeast of Ukraine, making the invasion a reality. He ordered the Russian military to be on high alert.

Last night and early this morning I participated in an online symposium on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific between the Americas and the EU. Participants from the US included Kurt Campbell, Indo-Pacific Affairs, and Mira Dakhall, Security Affairs, and those from the EU included Gana Wigrad, Asia-Pacific Bureau Chief, and Gabrielle Vincentin. The meeting also discussed the invasion of Ukraine, but it was noted that democratic regimes and regimes of freedom and rule by law in the Indo-Pacific may be subject to the systemic challenges of strong and fanatical values and rule by despotism and bondage. There was discussion of how democracies could promote cooperation to prevent this. Wherever the next conflict occurs-whether in the Taiwan Strait, the Senkaku Islands, or the Southwest Islands-these conflicts will pose an even more immediate danger to Japan than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This cannot be dismissed as a hawkish view. Already, Germany has abolished Nord Stream 2, increased defense spending by 100 billion euros, and has committed to a NATO member’s goal of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense.
What Japan needs is not only to strengthen its military aspect. It is more important for us to develop science and technology that surpasses that of tyrannical nations, to grow our economy, and to create an ecosystem in which AI and quantum science, which will lead the next era, can flourish.

Today’s lecturer is Dr. Takemasa Miyoshi (Team Leader, RIKEN Center for Computational Science).
He is leading research in one of RIKEN’s Moonshot Research and Development Program: Realization of a society safe from the threat of extreme winds and rains by controlling and modifying the weather by 2050.

I would like to reiterate that these projects need to be promoted based on the creation of a solid eco-system to ensure the development of research in Japan and to avoid being taken for free from outside (this is not to deny the openness of research in Japan). Today’s moderator will be Dr. Shirakizawa of the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

◆Summarizing ◆
After listening to today’s lecture by Researcher Miyoshi, I am convinced that Japan in 2050 will be at least partially okay. I am not an expert on the issue of China, but I have been following the debate over U.S. policy toward China in the U.S. in order to consider strategies on how to proceed with digital issues between the U.S. and Japan. Although China’s science and technology strategies and plans, and the debate within the CCP over these issues, seemed to be shrouded in a veil of secrecy, for several years now there have begun to be papers published by U.S. researchers that can be described as highly credible and academic in nature. China, under a strong government that has steadfastly believed since the Communist Revolution that “Marxism is superior to the West,” has created an inter-ministerial military-civilian fusion organization and is also formulating strategies and plans for scientific and technological innovation. The wall between China’s civilian research and defense/dual use has been eliminated from the outset. They have carefully researched the subjects of researchers around the world, obtained them legally and illegally, and then claimed and published them as their own re-innovations for their own military and civilian applications. Unfortunately, it is also true that this style of research speeds up research, but even under these circumstances, it is important how to create an ecosystem to protect and advance research under the open and democratic system we have always believed in. We must compete, we must also cooperate, and in some cases, we must confront the powerful system. It is too late to do so after something has happened, so I believe it is necessary to have the private sector and government officials seriously consider strategies and plans on how to protect Japan’s highly unique research.