Perspectives:Asia Lecture | Japan: From Heisei to Reiwa

Perspectives:Asia Lecture | Japan: From Heisei to Reiwa
Perspectives:Asia Lecture | Japan: From Heisei to Reiwa

Principal speaker

Bruce Miller AO, Former Australian Ambassador to Japan, Australian Embassy, Japan - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

Bruce Miller, Australian Ambassador to Japan from 2011 to 2017, offers his observations on the imperial transition and the likely direction of Japan in the new era.

Japan has been transfixed by the announcement of the new era name, its meaning and etymology, and by a wave of nostalgia as Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko carry out their last official duties before the abdication takes effect on 30 April. But the transition doesn't bring with it big changes. Instead, we see continuity in Japan's Imperial tradition and in its post-war constitutional settlement.

The Emperor has less of a political role than other comparable constitutional monarchs. This isn't a post-war novelty, having lasted through almost all of the last thousand years. Distinct from his constitutional role, the Emperor has a religious function as the chief Shinto priest. Notable too is the Imperial Family's guardianship of much traditional culture. A prominent role in recent years has been that of consoling the Japanese people at times of calamity, as we have seen since the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Ultimately, the new Reiwa era will reflect modern Japan as it evolves, rather than determine how it evolves. The new era will see other changes. Prime Minister Abe will probably step down in 2021 at the end of his third and final term as head of the ruling party. Keeping the economy in good shape will require Japan to sustain its progress in trade liberalisation, agricultural reform and handling its demographic challenges by raising female workforce participation and permitting foreign labour. Unlikely to change much, however, are Japan's challenging strategic circumstances as Japan grapples with US unreliability, Chinese assertiveness and the threat posed by North Korea. Unlikely to change too are Japan's high levels of social trust, low levels of crime, and the quality of Japan's merchandise and service culture.

Bruce Miller AO was Australian Ambassador to Japan from August 2011 until January 2017, and has had a 40 year association with Japan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Ist class honours) in Japanese language, literature and history; and a Bachelor of Laws, from the University of Sydney. He occupied senior positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Office of National Assessments, including as Director-General, before he left government in December 2017 to take up roles in the private sector and academia. He became a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the ANU in September 2018 and was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours.

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