Part I: 10:20 – 12:30

EU-Japan economies : issues and perspectives
Moderator:
Professor Hiromasa Kubo, Executive Director of Kobe University Brussels European Centre

Presentations: 10:20 - 11:40
10:20 Professor Yoichi Matsubayashi, Kobe University“External Imbalances in Japan: Past, Present and Future”

10:40 Associate Professor Kazufumi Yugami, Kobe University“The transition from school to stable employment:
A comparative perspective”

11:00

11:20

Senior Assistant Professor Miki Kobayashi, Kobe University“Income Inequality and Poverty in Japan”

Mr Pierre Jean Coulon, European Economic and Social Committee“Nuclear Energy and Industry Have to Be Transparent”

Panel discussion: 11:40 - 12:30
Ms Eve Päärendson, European Economic and Social Committee
Professor Taiji Hagiwara, Kobe University
Mr Pater Krzysztof, European Economic and Social Committee

In the morning session there were four presentations which addressed issues concerning the economies in Japan and the EU.
There followed a panel discussion in which three speakers reﬂected on certain points raised in the preceding presentations.
Ms Päärendson discussed two issues: the proposed EU-Japan FTA/EPA and youth unemployment in the EU. She insisted thatthe EPA/FTA would have a positive impact on the EU, due to a possible increase in EU exports to Japan. However, in order toexploit the beneﬁts of the FTA/EPA, the EU should strengthen its competitiveness by promoting R&D activities, especially intheir SMEs. Furthermore, the EU should reform their labour market, to reduce the skill mismatches between young people andemployers. Prof Hagiwara agreed with the rather pessimistic views of Prof Matsubayashi. He also pointed out that the viewsof the three Japanese speakers are interrelated. He noted that although Prof Matsubayashi emphasised Japan’s growing
budgetary deﬁcit, he did not explicitly state that one of the main sources of the deﬁcit comes from social security spending.
He thus observed that if the Japanese government tries to reduce spending, this means that it should also cut its spending
on social security and education, which would, in turn, aggravate youth unemployment. Prof Hagiwara also agreed with Mr
Coulon’s view on the transparent nuclear energy policy. Prof Hagiwara insisted that the Japanese government should release
more information on its nuclear policy to the public. In addition, he noted that anti-nuclear groups should not overreact withrespect to the risks posed by nuclear power. He emphasised the importance of constructive dialogue. Mr Krzysztof argued that
judging from recent demographic changes, in order to avoid the negative impact of a possible collapse of the pension systemon the European economy, reforms would seem to be necessary. However, as it is a very sensitive issue among people,
politicians seem to put off making any concrete decisions. He insisted that the EU should take care of the elderly seriously.
There followed a lively discussion between the speakers and the ﬂoor.

6Yoichi Matsubayashi

Kazufumi Yugami

Professor
Graduate School of Economics
Kobe University

Associate Professor
Graduate School of Economics
Kobe University“External Imbalances in Japan: Past, Presentand Future”“The transition from school to stable
employment: A comparative perspective”

Japan’s current accounts havebeen in surplus for a long time.

The transition from school towork has been an issue with

However, a surplus has been
decreasing lately, and suchsurplus is forecasted to turn tovital interest in Japan during“lost two decades”. I examine
the transition situations bydeficit as early as the second
half of 2010s.
Current accounts reflect not
only transactions in goods and services, but also thestatus of lending to and borrowing from other nations. In other words, continuous current accounts
deficit means that Japan will require greater funding
from other countries. With concerns over Japan’s
aging society and fewer children, as well as thethwart expansion of public debt, we will examine
current accounts trends, and their impact on theJapanese economy, from a long-term perspective.

educational background andits relation to labour market
institutions using survey ofJapan, Germany, France, and the UK. Specifically,
I focus on national school-to-work institutions andemployment-protection legislation (EPL), both ofwhich affect inflows of youth into and outflows from
temporary jobs. As for first job after graduation,
country-specific factor indicates that regardless of
their educational background, British school-leavers
are least likely to be temporary employees. Amongthe other three countries, with more stringent EPL
for permanent jobs, only French non-college youth
are more likely to be temporary workers than their
Japanese and German counterparts, suggesting thatcountry-specific transition institutions for the lesseducated group foster direct transition from school
to permanent jobs in these countries. Furthermore,from the results for the transition from first temporaryjobs, I found that Japanese youth are least likely tomove into permanent jobs. Among the other three
countries, the outflow to permanent employment ishighest in the UK and less for Germany and France,suggesting that temporary jobs serve as a steppingstone towards permanent jobs in the absence ofschool-to-work institutions.

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Pierre Jean Coulon

Miki Kobayashi

EESC member
former President INGO “Right to Energy SOS Fiture”
former member of Local Information Commission of
three nuclear plants
European Economic and Social Committee

Senior Assistant Professor
Graduate School of Economics
Kobe University“Income Inequality and Poverty in Japan”“Nuclear Energy and Industry Have to Be
Transparent”

Japan’s income inequality has
been moderately increasing in
the long term. Income inequality
in terms of the Gini coefficient
based on initial income is con-

The road to greater nuclear
safety goes via greater (total)transparency.
We need international guidelines clear and widely endorsed

firmed to have risen moderatelyfrom the 1980s until recently.
In addition, Japan’s relative
poverty rate has been on an upward trend. Especially, most single parent households with children
are found to be in severe poverty situations. The
children from poor families tend to have lower educational attainment, to face higher poverty risks.
They are more likely to consider themselves to be
unhappy and to be poorer health.
In Japan, the never-married proportion increasedrapidly from 2.1% for males and 4.3% for females in1975 to 16% and 7.3% in 2005, respectively. One of
the reasons for this high level never-married proportion is the childhood poverty. Especially, the malenever-married proportion is significantly high amongon the transparency clauses
in texts on nuclear waste andsafety, notably with regard to
the right of the public to participate in the process.
In fact, the issue of public invovement in the inherently complex debate about nuclear energy, needfor building up the expertise of citizens, by making
information available that is understandable (don’tbelieve citizens are stupids!) to the public, thus leading increased awareness of the issue: By example
creation in all the nuclear countries of Local Information Committee and Commissions as existing inFrance, with more power and independance, would
be necessary.
By other hand, such an organisation as -Aarhus
Convention- is a real challenge, its role in improw-

these less educated and non-regular workers.
And income inequality has substantial influence on
people’s health. Individuals who live in the area ofhigh income inequality tend to be unhealthy.

ing, governance, and strictly holding authorities toaccount.
I also believe the need of a progressive way out
nuclear energy, with the same transparency, safety
rules and involving the public in decision making.

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