オスロ市のノーベル平和賞授賞式。そこで行われるグローバル・サービスサミット２０１１における私のスピーチ原稿の草稿です。
Good afternoon. My name is Kazuhiro Haraguchi. In the recent past, under the administration of former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, I served as Minister of State in Charge of Information Technology, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Minister of State for Promotion of Local Sovereignty. At present, I am Chairman of the Committee on Internal Affairs and Communications under Japan’s House of Representatives.
Before I begin my talk, I want to mention the Great East Japan Earthquake of earlier this year. As you know, it was a devastating calamity, occurring at a scale said to come only once every one thousand years. On behalf of Japan, and the Japanese people, I wish to once again express our most profound gratitude, to you, and to so many others around the world, for the tremendous warmth and caring support given to us following that deadly event.
This was a disaster of truly unprecedented scale. The earthquake caused huge tsunami waves, and a grave accident at a major nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture. When the quake struck, on the afternoon of March 11, a friend of mine, who is a leading force in the telecommunications field in the United States, was scheduled to dine with President Obama. I phoned him up in Washington DC, and reported on the serious nature of the nuclear accident. I warned that the situation might develop into an unparalleled crisis, never experienced by mankind in the past and impossible to control. I asked for wisdom and support from around the world, in moving to deal with the predicament. What followed was “Operation Tomodachi” led by U.S. military forces in Japan, and other incredible assistance from the world. Thanks to that support, the worst-case scenario, of having all of the four reactors at the plant blow up, was averted. But the situation continues to be tense at present, with the struggle to recover dragging on.
（続２）
Soon thereafter, I launched the “Japan Restoration Association,” and traveled to the disaster-stricken areas to provide relief. A friend of mine from Europe pledged 70,000 bottles of liquid milk to that effort. Amidst trying conditions in which even drinking water could not be adequately distributed, large numbers of mothers were relieved to receive this milk, which could be consumed immediately. The fears of internal exposure to radiation are particularly keen for unborn babies, infants and young children. My friend from Finland, who sent the milk, wishes to remain anonymous. I will say, however, that he is a descendant of a hero who saved numerous people from fascist oppression during World War II. I was truly grateful for such precious solidarity – reaching across the borders of race, religion, nation, and generation. I continue to give heartfelt thanks for that help today.
Now, allow me to begin my talk.
I have traditionally based my personal initiatives on the foundation of three basic ideologies – all of which are rooted in the concept and practice of peace.
The first, I describe as “social peace.” This refers to battling against war, violence, repression, discrimination and all other actions that undermine humanity. In a very real sense, this comprises my focal objective as a politician.
As my second perception of peace – I pursue “peace for the global environment.” Today, environmental issues for the earth have entered extremely critical straits. For the sake of the next generation, we can no longer postpone taking action of the state of the planet. Toward that end, I work to achieve peace for the global environment, and achieving a world in which all living things can live in harmony and progress.
(続３）
The third ideology, meanwhile, may be summarized as “inner peace.” During my university days, I studied psychology, sociology, and law. Insofar as the “hearts” of individual human beings blend together to create society, I also believe in the importance of “peace” as a psychological approach. There is a school of counseling known as “attitudinal healing.” This refers to making the choice between allowing oneself to be shackled by fear, anxiety, anger, guilt and similar emotions, and going through life in a so-called “hostile” state; or, the alternative – casting off such dread, and embracing and living with unconditional love in the quest for inner peace. The process, in other words, of acting on one’s own free will in choosing the heart’s true attitude. In this context, I strive to achieve inner peace not by rejecting fear and apprehension as such, but rather by steadily casting off such harmful mind states.
We have learned much from the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster. Sadly enough, thousands of lives were tragically lost in the furious power of nature. To also help ensure that these people did not die in vain, I want to share with you key issues experienced by Japan in this calamity, and the challenges that we continue to face in that regard.
First, one major theme concerns local governments – institutions that must function to help relief the victims of such a disaster. Many municipalities in northeast Japan were heavily damaged by the earthquake and tsunami, and remain unable to perform their primary functions. Basic residents’ registers were carried away by the tidal waves, making it difficult to identify numerous victims. For some time now, I have been appealing for the shift to cloud computing-based handling of local government and resident information. Under a national ID number system, it would become possible to confirm if people evacuated to secure locations after such disasters, and if they are alive and well. The big earthquake struck in the midst of our campaign to achieve such an approach.
Likewise, the uncoordinated state of communications networks also triggered major confusion. One distinguishing characteristic of this disaster was that, despite the massive scale of the earthquake itself, very few people perished due to the collapse of their homes or other buildings. The problem, however, lies in the scattered status of communications networks, and the resulting failure to accurately convey information about the impending tsunami.
(続４）
In this regard, two years ago, when I had just been appointed Minister of State in Charge of Information Technology, a situation occurred that largely simulated the recent disaster in advance. That was the big earthquake that struck Chile, causing a large-scale tsunami. Reports soon arrived of the possibility that the waves of that tsunami could reach Japan. It was estimated that over 24 hours remained until the tsunami would hit, and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency effectively pooled the pertinent information.
At that time, there were three points to which we paid particularly keen attention.
The first was to provide the public with precise information about the tsunami. The second was to ensure appropriate evacuation plans based on that information. The third was to ensure the safety of facilities, such as nuclear power plants, that if lost control of could have a major impact on the world.
The actual height of that tsunami was between two and three meters in Japan. At that time, however, reports began to circulate about threat of meltdown at Japanese nuclear plants as a result of the waves. A certain sense of panic set in. To prevent that trend, I instructed the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to investigate the potential of any meltdown at our nuclear plants due to the tsunami from the Chilean quake. Soon afterwards, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry directly announced that Japan’s nuclear plants, which are located at heights of 13 meters or more above sea level, would not be impacted by the tsunami. This brought the budding panic under control.
Despite the checks of tsunami-related nuclear power plant safety problems conducted at that time, the Great East Japan Earthquake generated tsunami waves far above the expected level. As a result, Japan experienced an unprecedented “Level 7” nuclear accident in Fukushima. Many months later, we continue to battle the threat and the realities of radioactivity.
Immediately after this year’s earthquake hit, I spoke with the departments and agencies of information and communications and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, over which I had formerly been in charge. I instructed them to put into place a system based on the Internet and cloud computing. The goal was to ensure transmission of appropriate and adequate evacuation and relief information to the public during the emergency. Although the satellite wireless functions did not operate adequately at that time, there were reports that the many people were saved due to the system. Based on a platform of continuous connections through Twitter and Facebook, it was possible to share information worldwide on the locations of evacuees, victims isolated and awaiting relief, where food and medical supplies needed to be delivered and other vital reports.
With the accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant, a serious electric power shortage occurred in the Greater Tokyo Area. Commuter train service was largely suspended, with over 5.15 million people stranded and unable to return home that night. It soon became necessary to introduce planned blackouts, creating a situation in which energy, the true source of our lives, would be cut off for certain hours on certain days. Whether or not these planned blackouts were appropriate, meanwhile, is an issue that we need to closely address from here on.
(続５）
Based on the problems impacting Greater Tokyo at this time, I certainly believe in the need to advance a conversion in our energy sources. In more specific terms, energy itself must be changed over to the smart grid approach, targeting major improvements in energy savings, cost cutting, reliability and transparency. It will be vital to further accelerate efforts to move away from the approach of large scale, concentration, domination and exclusion with regard to energy, instead adopting a system driven by reduced scale, sharing and coexistence. We refer to this as “Green Decentralization Reform.”
For the districts served by Tokyo Electric Power Company, power used by trains accounts for only one percent of total demand. In addition, the volume of energy consumed by data centers is also only some one percent of the total. In contrast, electrical and information communications are expected to emerge as major energy consumers from here on. Firmly convinced that new technology must be cultivated in this field, I have devoted considerable time and attention to the needs of the field of “Information Communications and Neural Networks Research.”
At present, the information and communications equipment in use is based on “01” information. The processing of information by the brain, however, involves recognition based on so-called “ambiguity.” What’s more, the brain also possesses the superb attributes of learning and recovering on its own, not to mention operating on extremely small amounts of energy. In the quest for new innovations, I am working to utilize these characteristics in information communications.
Another goal that I hope to attain is the “New Broadband Super Highway Vision.” This refers to use of the world’s fastest broadband service, in all homes in Japan, by 2015. It will involve the laying of a low-priced, safe and reliable telecommunications network nationwide, much like today’s telephone lines. I am certain such technology will also raise the speed of recovery and rebuilding from the earthquake disaster.
(続６）
Next, I want to speak briefly on the subject of “energy paradigm change.”
Throughout most of recorded history, only members of the plant world were able to “lock in” and retain the rays of the sun. Because of that, from ancient times, people expressed their harvests of rice, wheat and other crops – in other words, the volumes of energy – as symbols of “power.” The ability to dominate energy in large volumes, and in highly concentrated fashion, emerged as the very source of “power” itself. In ancient Egypt, the Pharaohs expressed the scale of their power in terms of the Nile River. In China, the Emperors did the same with the Yellow River. In Japan, feudal lords measured authority by the “yields” of rice harvested from the lands in their domains.
Over the centuries, the energy paradigm has changed numerous times. The latest such change, was the Industrial Revolution. Basically speaking, meanwhile, the Industrial Revolution represents the arrival of the era characterized by the wisdom to harvest and utilize “coal and oil.” These fossil fuels are truly “time capsules” encasing the solar energy that has poured down on the earth’s surface over countless millenniums. In the mid-19th century, when western powers demanded that the Japanese open up the country to the outside world, Japan was still a society in which power was maintained by the degree of solar energy received from year to year – that is, by the size of annual rice harvests. In sharp contrast, Japan found itself confronted by nations backed by huge stocks of energy in the form of oil and coal reserves. Faced with such challenges, Japan chose to open up to the West.
There was no real change, however, in the basic paradigm. The same can be said, I believe, of the crisis now threatening Europe. “Monetary currencies,” that is, essentially act as symbols for the sake of bartering goods. However, when such symbols take on a life of their own, the currencies begin to assume a different significance. The result of that trend can be worsened poverty, expanding disparities in wealth and rising conflicts. Clearly, we have arrived at a crossroads demanding that we again reconsider the symbols of money used in liberalism and capitalism. Money should not be something to be coveted, and seized to steal away the dignity of others. Rather, money needs to be created as a medium, and a force, for cultivating more civilized and enlightened human behavior.
From that perspective as well, there is a need to carry out a fundamental paradigm change in energy policies. I propose that this shift be engineered through the cloud-computing mode. We must move in the direction of decentralization, collaboration and smaller scale – forging an era in which all individuals assume collective responsibility for the global environment. I feel confident that if each of us were guaranteed the right to generate two kilowatts of energy in our own homes, an energy paradigm far different from the present conditions would emerge.
In Africa, there is a certain country where the literacy rate is a mere 19%, and only one in ten children live to reach the age of five. Those of us living in the very same era share an obligation to help save children in such dire circumstances. Viewed that way, energy policy paradigm change is equivalent to democratization itself, and also akin to vital reforms in human dignity.
The environment surrounding information and communication technology abounds in risks. A major cause of such dangers is the threat of cyber attack. This image is a visualization of a cyber attack produced by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology – a body under the control of Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. In the past, cyber attacks resembled major missile strikes. In recent years, however, the assaults have grown far more devious. They are often so difficult to detect that they go totally unnoticed. We have entered an era, in other words, in which such secretive attacks can produce lethal system damage.
To deal with this issue, upon becoming Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, I teamed up with Julius Genachowski, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission of the United States, to launch four taskforces. One of those was the Cyber Security Taskforce. Cyber space now connects around the world. Much like a dam, therefore, failure at any one point can cause the entire structure to implode. Here again, to protect the public from the threat of cyber attacks, the move to the dimension of cloud computing has grown critical.
(続７）
In Japan, there is strong resistance to the idea of assigning each citizen a “national identification number.” In my days as a member of one of Japan’s major opposition parties, I also opposed the idea of giving human beings ID numbers. Today, however, with the advances in information and communications, it has become increasingly possible for our own information to be suddenly pilfered by others, resulting in the loss of control rights over that data. Painfully aware of this, I formulated what I refer to as “Haraguchi’s Five Principles for the National ID Number.” These rules are designed to ensure effective control over and to guard the privacy of personal information. In my opinion, this is one more step in the direction of upholding human dignity and respect.
In this way, we are determined to change Japan’s paradigm in swift and dramatic fashion. Indeed, we hope to become the global leader in that field.
As I near the end of my talk, I would like to show you my business card. Each one is meticulously handcrafted by challenged individuals, and contains authentic pressed flowers. The facility where these workers are employed, incidentally, receives 50 yen per each card sold.
As we go through life, we encounter many difficulties. I believe, however, that it makes no sense to dwell upon what cannot be accomplished, or upon what presents truly thorny challenges. Rather, I feel it is important for us to make steady progress at what we can achieve, and place the highest possible value on that development.
I have a friend who, in addition to being disabled in his arms and legs, is also unable to speak. Despite these challenges, however, he regularly comes into contact with large numbers of people in his profession as a counselor. He performs truly precious work in that capacity, giving his clients with great strength and courage. You may ask how he can function as an effective counselor. One reason is that he uses a special information appliance that reads his own eye movements, and then transforms the indications into voice-like sound.
In my friend’s own words: “The true importance in life lies in what we can accomplish, and not in what lies beyond our grasp. When I received a paycheck for the very first time, I also paid taxes. For me, paying taxes is not just a duty – it is a right. The obstacles, in other words, are not within us, but rather can be found within the society in which we live.”
I do not believe in using the word “disabled person.” It was President John F. Kennedy who coined the term “challenged” in that context. This refers to persons born into world with challenges, presented to them by God, to overcome. It likewise relates to those who rise to meet a wide range of adversities encountered after they are born. It was also President Kennedy who pledged to transform the “challenged” into “taxpayers.” Following in those pioneering footsteps, I want to help build a society of solidarity. In the same spirit, I am determined to work through the powers of human security to bring greater peace to the world.
(続８）
At the roots of this quest, lies education. At the “Future School,” a project that I am currently actively promoting, we stress the importance of the joys of discovering inspiration and truth, of engaging in mutual help and sharing, and of the bonds that pave the way to solutions. The terminals we distribute in this program are not mere electronic textbooks – they are “notebook computers.” My objective is to mobilize the sharing of those notebook computers, engineered through the medium of information communications, to enable everyone to share their visions of “truth, goodness and beauty,” their “mighty aspirations,” “inspirations” and “soul-stirring experiences,” and, in doing so, realize solution-driven education.
In its initial year, this Future School Project was launched on a test basis at a total of five schools in both East and West Japan. After that, the program quickly expanded nationwide. Education in which students learn that there is only one answer is an extremely exclusionary approach. When children are taught the difficulties of learning before learning the true joys of obtaining knowledge, it tends to nip their potential in the bud. Our goal, in contrast, is to use a new vision of education to achieve human security, and then work hand in hand to nurture a world steeped in peace and warmth.
“Cloud computing” will also be the focus of this push. Unto itself, cloud computing is nothing more than a tool. I am confident, however, that by using this “cloud-computing tool” at the key cornerstone of human dignity, we will rise to pioneer new possibilities and change the world at large.
The importance of sharing, of mutual assistance, and of fellowship… In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, an unprecedented disaster said to occur once in a millennium, the kindness and warmth received from people from around the world reminded us, once again, of just how much we have to be grateful for.
In closing, let me assure you that Japan will never lose heart, and will not be brought to its knees. I pledge, furthermore, to do everything in my own power to help boldly spearhead the work of building a new, and ever more productive era, for many years to come.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Good afternoon. My name is Kazuhiro Haraguchi. In the recent past, under the administration of former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, I served as Minister of State in Charge of Information Technology, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Minister of State for Promotion of Local Sovereignty. At present, I am Chairman of the Committee on Internal Affairs and Communications under Japan’s House of Representatives.
Before I begin my talk, I want to mention the Great East Japan Earthquake of earlier this year. As you know, it was a devastating calamity, occurring at a scale said to come only once every one thousand years. On behalf of Japan, and the Japanese people, I wish to once again express our most profound gratitude, to you, and to so many others around the world, for the tremendous warmth and caring support given to us following that deadly event.
This was a disaster of truly unprecedented scale. The earthquake caused huge tsunami waves, and a grave accident at a major nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture. When the quake struck, on the afternoon of March 11, a friend of mine, who is a leading force in the telecommunications field in the United States, was scheduled to dine with President Obama. I phoned him up in Washington DC, and reported on the serious nature of the nuclear accident. I warned that the situation might develop into an unparalleled crisis, never experienced by mankind in the past and impossible to control. I asked for wisdom and support from around the world, in moving to deal with the predicament. What followed was “Operation Tomodachi” led by U.S. military forces in Japan, and other incredible assistance from the world. Thanks to that support, the worst-case scenario, of having all of the four reactors at the plant blow up, was averted. But the situation continues to be tense at present, with the struggle to recover dragging on.
（続２）
Soon thereafter, I launched the “Japan Restoration Association,” and traveled to the disaster-stricken areas to provide relief. A friend of mine from Europe pledged 70,000 bottles of liquid milk to that effort. Amidst trying conditions in which even drinking water could not be adequately distributed, large numbers of mothers were relieved to receive this milk, which could be consumed immediately. The fears of internal exposure to radiation are particularly keen for unborn babies, infants and young children. My friend from Finland, who sent the milk, wishes to remain anonymous. I will say, however, that he is a descendant of a hero who saved numerous people from fascist oppression during World War II. I was truly grateful for such precious solidarity – reaching across the borders of race, religion, nation, and generation. I continue to give heartfelt thanks for that help today.
Now, allow me to begin my talk.
I have traditionally based my personal initiatives on the foundation of three basic ideologies – all of which are rooted in the concept and practice of peace.
The first, I describe as “social peace.” This refers to battling against war, violence, repression, discrimination and all other actions that undermine humanity. In a very real sense, this comprises my focal objective as a politician.
As my second perception of peace – I pursue “peace for the global environment.” Today, environmental issues for the earth have entered extremely critical straits. For the sake of the next generation, we can no longer postpone taking action of the state of the planet. Toward that end, I work to achieve peace for the global environment, and achieving a world in which all living things can live in harmony and progress.
(続３）
The third ideology, meanwhile, may be summarized as “inner peace.” During my university days, I studied psychology, sociology, and law. Insofar as the “hearts” of individual human beings blend together to create society, I also believe in the importance of “peace” as a psychological approach. There is a school of counseling known as “attitudinal healing.” This refers to making the choice between allowing oneself to be shackled by fear, anxiety, anger, guilt and similar emotions, and going through life in a so-called “hostile” state; or, the alternative – casting off such dread, and embracing and living with unconditional love in the quest for inner peace. The process, in other words, of acting on one’s own free will in choosing the heart’s true attitude. In this context, I strive to achieve inner peace not by rejecting fear and apprehension as such, but rather by steadily casting off such harmful mind states.
We have learned much from the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster. Sadly enough, thousands of lives were tragically lost in the furious power of nature. To also help ensure that these people did not die in vain, I want to share with you key issues experienced by Japan in this calamity, and the challenges that we continue to face in that regard.
First, one major theme concerns local governments – institutions that must function to help relief the victims of such a disaster. Many municipalities in northeast Japan were heavily damaged by the earthquake and tsunami, and remain unable to perform their primary functions. Basic residents’ registers were carried away by the tidal waves, making it difficult to identify numerous victims. For some time now, I have been appealing for the shift to cloud computing-based handling of local government and resident information. Under a national ID number system, it would become possible to confirm if people evacuated to secure locations after such disasters, and if they are alive and well. The big earthquake struck in the midst of our campaign to achieve such an approach.
Likewise, the uncoordinated state of communications networks also triggered major confusion. One distinguishing characteristic of this disaster was that, despite the massive scale of the earthquake itself, very few people perished due to the collapse of their homes or other buildings. The problem, however, lies in the scattered status of communications networks, and the resulting failure to accurately convey information about the impending tsunami.
(続４）
In this regard, two years ago, when I had just been appointed Minister of State in Charge of Information Technology, a situation occurred that largely simulated the recent disaster in advance. That was the big earthquake that struck Chile, causing a large-scale tsunami. Reports soon arrived of the possibility that the waves of that tsunami could reach Japan. It was estimated that over 24 hours remained until the tsunami would hit, and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency effectively pooled the pertinent information.
At that time, there were three points to which we paid particularly keen attention.
The first was to provide the public with precise information about the tsunami. The second was to ensure appropriate evacuation plans based on that information. The third was to ensure the safety of facilities, such as nuclear power plants, that if lost control of could have a major impact on the world.
The actual height of that tsunami was between two and three meters in Japan. At that time, however, reports began to circulate about threat of meltdown at Japanese nuclear plants as a result of the waves. A certain sense of panic set in. To prevent that trend, I instructed the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to investigate the potential of any meltdown at our nuclear plants due to the tsunami from the Chilean quake. Soon afterwards, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry directly announced that Japan’s nuclear plants, which are located at heights of 13 meters or more above sea level, would not be impacted by the tsunami. This brought the budding panic under control.
Despite the checks of tsunami-related nuclear power plant safety problems conducted at that time, the Great East Japan Earthquake generated tsunami waves far above the expected level. As a result, Japan experienced an unprecedented “Level 7” nuclear accident in Fukushima. Many months later, we continue to battle the threat and the realities of radioactivity.
Immediately after this year’s earthquake hit, I spoke with the departments and agencies of information and communications and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, over which I had formerly been in charge. I instructed them to put into place a system based on the Internet and cloud computing. The goal was to ensure transmission of appropriate and adequate evacuation and relief information to the public during the emergency. Although the satellite wireless functions did not operate adequately at that time, there were reports that the many people were saved due to the system. Based on a platform of continuous connections through Twitter and Facebook, it was possible to share information worldwide on the locations of evacuees, victims isolated and awaiting relief, where food and medical supplies needed to be delivered and other vital reports.
With the accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant, a serious electric power shortage occurred in the Greater Tokyo Area. Commuter train service was largely suspended, with over 5.15 million people stranded and unable to return home that night. It soon became necessary to introduce planned blackouts, creating a situation in which energy, the true source of our lives, would be cut off for certain hours on certain days. Whether or not these planned blackouts were appropriate, meanwhile, is an issue that we need to closely address from here on.
(続５）
Based on the problems impacting Greater Tokyo at this time, I certainly believe in the need to advance a conversion in our energy sources. In more specific terms, energy itself must be changed over to the smart grid approach, targeting major improvements in energy savings, cost cutting, reliability and transparency. It will be vital to further accelerate efforts to move away from the approach of large scale, concentration, domination and exclusion with regard to energy, instead adopting a system driven by reduced scale, sharing and coexistence. We refer to this as “Green Decentralization Reform.”
For the districts served by Tokyo Electric Power Company, power used by trains accounts for only one percent of total demand. In addition, the volume of energy consumed by data centers is also only some one percent of the total. In contrast, electrical and information communications are expected to emerge as major energy consumers from here on. Firmly convinced that new technology must be cultivated in this field, I have devoted considerable time and attention to the needs of the field of “Information Communications and Neural Networks Research.”
At present, the information and communications equipment in use is based on “01” information. The processing of information by the brain, however, involves recognition based on so-called “ambiguity.” What’s more, the brain also possesses the superb attributes of learning and recovering on its own, not to mention operating on extremely small amounts of energy. In the quest for new innovations, I am working to utilize these characteristics in information communications.
Another goal that I hope to attain is the “New Broadband Super Highway Vision.” This refers to use of the world’s fastest broadband service, in all homes in Japan, by 2015. It will involve the laying of a low-priced, safe and reliable telecommunications network nationwide, much like today’s telephone lines. I am certain such technology will also raise the speed of recovery and rebuilding from the earthquake disaster.
(続６）
Next, I want to speak briefly on the subject of “energy paradigm change.”
Throughout most of recorded history, only members of the plant world were able to “lock in” and retain the rays of the sun. Because of that, from ancient times, people expressed their harvests of rice, wheat and other crops – in other words, the volumes of energy – as symbols of “power.” The ability to dominate energy in large volumes, and in highly concentrated fashion, emerged as the very source of “power” itself. In ancient Egypt, the Pharaohs expressed the scale of their power in terms of the Nile River. In China, the Emperors did the same with the Yellow River. In Japan, feudal lords measured authority by the “yields” of rice harvested from the lands in their domains.
Over the centuries, the energy paradigm has changed numerous times. The latest such change, was the Industrial Revolution. Basically speaking, meanwhile, the Industrial Revolution represents the arrival of the era characterized by the wisdom to harvest and utilize “coal and oil.” These fossil fuels are truly “time capsules” encasing the solar energy that has poured down on the earth’s surface over countless millenniums. In the mid-19th century, when western powers demanded that the Japanese open up the country to the outside world, Japan was still a society in which power was maintained by the degree of solar energy received from year to year – that is, by the size of annual rice harvests. In sharp contrast, Japan found itself confronted by nations backed by huge stocks of energy in the form of oil and coal reserves. Faced with such challenges, Japan chose to open up to the West.
There was no real change, however, in the basic paradigm. The same can be said, I believe, of the crisis now threatening Europe. “Monetary currencies,” that is, essentially act as symbols for the sake of bartering goods. However, when such symbols take on a life of their own, the currencies begin to assume a different significance. The result of that trend can be worsened poverty, expanding disparities in wealth and rising conflicts. Clearly, we have arrived at a crossroads demanding that we again reconsider the symbols of money used in liberalism and capitalism. Money should not be something to be coveted, and seized to steal away the dignity of others. Rather, money needs to be created as a medium, and a force, for cultivating more civilized and enlightened human behavior.
From that perspective as well, there is a need to carry out a fundamental paradigm change in energy policies. I propose that this shift be engineered through the cloud-computing mode. We must move in the direction of decentralization, collaboration and smaller scale – forging an era in which all individuals assume collective responsibility for the global environment. I feel confident that if each of us were guaranteed the right to generate two kilowatts of energy in our own homes, an energy paradigm far different from the present conditions would emerge.
In Africa, there is a certain country where the literacy rate is a mere 19%, and only one in ten children live to reach the age of five. Those of us living in the very same era share an obligation to help save children in such dire circumstances. Viewed that way, energy policy paradigm change is equivalent to democratization itself, and also akin to vital reforms in human dignity.
The environment surrounding information and communication technology abounds in risks. A major cause of such dangers is the threat of cyber attack. This image is a visualization of a cyber attack produced by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology – a body under the control of Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. In the past, cyber attacks resembled major missile strikes. In recent years, however, the assaults have grown far more devious. They are often so difficult to detect that they go totally unnoticed. We have entered an era, in other words, in which such secretive attacks can produce lethal system damage.
To deal with this issue, upon becoming Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, I teamed up with Julius Genachowski, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission of the United States, to launch four taskforces. One of those was the Cyber Security Taskforce. Cyber space now connects around the world. Much like a dam, therefore, failure at any one point can cause the entire structure to implode. Here again, to protect the public from the threat of cyber attacks, the move to the dimension of cloud computing has grown critical.
(続７）
In Japan, there is strong resistance to the idea of assigning each citizen a “national identification number.” In my days as a member of one of Japan’s major opposition parties, I also opposed the idea of giving human beings ID numbers. Today, however, with the advances in information and communications, it has become increasingly possible for our own information to be suddenly pilfered by others, resulting in the loss of control rights over that data. Painfully aware of this, I formulated what I refer to as “Haraguchi’s Five Principles for the National ID Number.” These rules are designed to ensure effective control over and to guard the privacy of personal information. In my opinion, this is one more step in the direction of upholding human dignity and respect.
In this way, we are determined to change Japan’s paradigm in swift and dramatic fashion. Indeed, we hope to become the global leader in that field.
As I near the end of my talk, I would like to show you my business card. Each one is meticulously handcrafted by challenged individuals, and contains authentic pressed flowers. The facility where these workers are employed, incidentally, receives 50 yen per each card sold.
As we go through life, we encounter many difficulties. I believe, however, that it makes no sense to dwell upon what cannot be accomplished, or upon what presents truly thorny challenges. Rather, I feel it is important for us to make steady progress at what we can achieve, and place the highest possible value on that development.
I have a friend who, in addition to being disabled in his arms and legs, is also unable to speak. Despite these challenges, however, he regularly comes into contact with large numbers of people in his profession as a counselor. He performs truly precious work in that capacity, giving his clients with great strength and courage. You may ask how he can function as an effective counselor. One reason is that he uses a special information appliance that reads his own eye movements, and then transforms the indications into voice-like sound.
In my friend’s own words: “The true importance in life lies in what we can accomplish, and not in what lies beyond our grasp. When I received a paycheck for the very first time, I also paid taxes. For me, paying taxes is not just a duty – it is a right. The obstacles, in other words, are not within us, but rather can be found within the society in which we live.”
I do not believe in using the word “disabled person.” It was President John F. Kennedy who coined the term “challenged” in that context. This refers to persons born into world with challenges, presented to them by God, to overcome. It likewise relates to those who rise to meet a wide range of adversities encountered after they are born. It was also President Kennedy who pledged to transform the “challenged” into “taxpayers.” Following in those pioneering footsteps, I want to help build a society of solidarity. In the same spirit, I am determined to work through the powers of human security to bring greater peace to the world.
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At the roots of this quest, lies education. At the “Future School,” a project that I am currently actively promoting, we stress the importance of the joys of discovering inspiration and truth, of engaging in mutual help and sharing, and of the bonds that pave the way to solutions. The terminals we distribute in this program are not mere electronic textbooks – they are “notebook computers.” My objective is to mobilize the sharing of those notebook computers, engineered through the medium of information communications, to enable everyone to share their visions of “truth, goodness and beauty,” their “mighty aspirations,” “inspirations” and “soul-stirring experiences,” and, in doing so, realize solution-driven education.
In its initial year, this Future School Project was launched on a test basis at a total of five schools in both East and West Japan. After that, the program quickly expanded nationwide. Education in which students learn that there is only one answer is an extremely exclusionary approach. When children are taught the difficulties of learning before learning the true joys of obtaining knowledge, it tends to nip their potential in the bud. Our goal, in contrast, is to use a new vision of education to achieve human security, and then work hand in hand to nurture a world steeped in peace and warmth.
“Cloud computing” will also be the focus of this push. Unto itself, cloud computing is nothing more than a tool. I am confident, however, that by using this “cloud-computing tool” at the key cornerstone of human dignity, we will rise to pioneer new possibilities and change the world at large.
The importance of sharing, of mutual assistance, and of fellowship… In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, an unprecedented disaster said to occur once in a millennium, the kindness and warmth received from people from around the world reminded us, once again, of just how much we have to be grateful for.
In closing, let me assure you that Japan will never lose heart, and will not be brought to its knees. I pledge, furthermore, to do everything in my own power to help boldly spearhead the work of building a new, and ever more productive era, for many years to come.
Thank you for your kind attention.