Japan's Unsavory Side

A few unsavory aspects of Japan have recently caught my eye.

One is its criminal justice system which provides weak protections to those accused of crimes, a situation exemplified in the case of a Japanese man who has been on death row for forty years, based upon a two to one vote of judges reviewing his coerced confessions.

A second is the high suicide rate in Japan, twice that of the United States and one of the highest in the world.

A third is the fact that Japan accounts for just under 50% of the export revenues of Sudan, presumably mostly from oil exports. China, which has been the target of international condemnation for its support of the Sudanese economy, accounts for another 30% or so of Sudanese exports (also mostly oil). There is little public indication that Japan has exerted its economic importance to Sudan to push the regime towards improved respect for human rights.