Chapter 187 - Name and Reality 110 {138 Alone} (329–330 Oshima Kaiji's Last Will 4 - The Deterioration of Bureaucrats)
Having said that much, Oshima spoke with a tone of regret, perhaps recalling those days.
"It seems that fellow Takamatsu intends to further privatize the Highway Public Corporation (Author's Note 1: Below), but even if privatization itself is permitted, such a foolish division must not be done," he said, strengthening his tone (Author's Note 2: Below).
"In short, your conclusion, Onodera-san, is that you cannot permit the broad trend of privatization and deregulation?"
After listening to the long story, Nishida moved to summarize it. However, Oshima did not allow it.
"The story isn't over yet! In the destruction of the people's livelihood and security brought about by deregulation, what I fear most is the deregulation of temporary labor. This also began with Nakane's administrative reform (Author's Note: the so-called First Administrative Reform Council), but it accelerated rapidly after the bubble burst. Three years ago, it was almost completely liberalized, and now Takamatsu's cronies seem to be aiming for temporary labor even in the manufacturing industry (Author's Note: Reference http://hrog.net/2016072637596.html). If things continue like this, unscrupulous people like yakuza-esque labor brokers or contractors (Author's Note: Reference https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%89%8B%E9%85%8D%E5%B8%AB) will run rampant, and society could be flooded with people like day laborers. I won't say that things like the pre-war Tako-beya forced labor will happen immediately, but places like Sanya in Tokyo or Kamagasaki in Osaka (Author's Note: the so-called 'Nishinari Ward/Airin District') must not be allowed to appear all over the country! The lifting of the ban on temporary labor, which is for the sake of companies not passing money to workers, will only be a detriment to society! Regardless of what is said about vested interests as a member of the 'Labor Tribe,' including my own experience, this is something that especially must not be permitted!"
Oshima asserted this with such vigor he looked ready to raise his fist.
"However, setting aside whether we civil servants have the right to say so, Japanese companies cannot easily fire people. In these times, it might be unavoidable for things to go in that direction."
Nishida, while pressed by Oshima's momentum, dared to show a certain level of understanding for that 'trend.' To this,
"As you say, Nishida-kun, the profit structure of Japanese companies deteriorated rapidly after the financial crisis, and because labor costs exacerbated that, temporary labor expanded. Not only the ruling party but many in the opposition acknowledged this. However, given that Japanese employment relations have been based on this supremacy of hiring new graduates as regular employees, if we easily permit firing, it will lead to terrible social unrest in the future. Narrowing the entrance while opening the exit wide is extremely inappropriate for labor policy. To resolve corporate management and employment, it is necessary to reform labor policy and social security as a single unit, and there are many aspects where the corporate side must also improve its awareness and sense of social responsibility. Because they cannot do that, the easy lifting of the ban on temporary labor is, again, far too dangerous! If major corporations ignore the impact on society as a whole and start acting selfishly, even if the outward economy improves, many people will not become wealthy, and it could lead to the company prospering while the nation perishes."
He laid out his personal theory.
"Certainly, job hunting in Japan is overwhelmingly advantageous for new graduates. My own cousin hit the 'Ice Age' (T/N: the employment ice age of the 1990s), became a 'freeter' (T/N: underemployed youth) after graduation, and finding a job seems quite difficult. Once you graduate..."
Here, Yoshimura was convinced by Oshima's story based on an example from his own family. Hearing this, Oshima said,
"By the way, let me tell you one more thing. It is said that until very recently, Japanese people had a strong middle-class consciousness. This was despite the fact that in reality, there was a range of nearly double, from people with an annual income of nearly 10 million yen to those with about 5 million yen. Do you know why?"
He posed a question.
"Well... Is it because Japanese people have a high 'side-by-side' consciousness (T/N: a desire for social conformity)? That's often said, isn't it?"
Since Nishida didn't really know, he gave a common reason as a temporary answer. Yoshimura also just tilted his head. Oshima made a slightly disappointed face.
"That might be said in part, but I don't see it as the essence."
Saying so, he began a concrete explanation.
"I believe it's because a single, typical life plan was possible even with such a wide range of annual income. In other words, one gets a job after graduating from high school or university, and then starts a family. Then about two children are born, and those children also go to high school or, if they are studious, to university, and become members of society just like their parents. After retirement, the parents live modestly but comfortably on their retirement allowance, and dote on their grandchildren when they come to visit. Because this was possible regardless of annual income, people had a strong consciousness that 'we are middle class.' This is likely how it was. And didn't that lead to the good public order and stability of Japanese society? However, that flow is now on the verge of collapsing due to the occurrence of the Ice Age. And on top of that, there is the added fear that temporary labor will accelerate it. Once a flow has collapsed, not only will it not easily return to normal, but there are many possibilities it will lead to a vicious cycle. I say this repeatedly, but while Japanese people admire large-scale changes in terms of grand words like 'revolution' or 'restoration,' they do not like even small changes in their daily lives. Even if it is something clearly high-quality that tries to eliminate the cause of deterioration. And when they can no longer do anything about it, they are again possessed by the grand theme of 'reform,' and this time they somehow accept it even if it causes deterioration. The stronghold of regular employees, which has been stubbornly protected until now, collapses easily under a 'mal-reform' in the name of reform, and once temporary labor has expanded, this time even if the economic situation improves, it won't easily return to how it was, nor will 'small' measures to return it be accepted, and there is a possibility of falling into a vicious cycle opposite to the flow until now."
Oshima spoke his theory fluently like this. Nishida and Yoshimura also thought his statements were quite persuasive. That might have come from the weight of Oshima's life until now, more than the logical structure.
"There is no doubt that there are various opinions and points of disagreement. But I think you two should have understood to some extent from my talk so far that there is a huge pitfall in the talk of privatization and deregulation being all well and good. In addition to that, rather than just privatization and deregulation being simply carried out, I unfortunately see a dangerous background that further expands their negative effects. That is why I have an even greater sense of crisis regarding Takamatsu's methods."
Oshima added further. Of course, both of them asked,
"What is the dangerous background?"
It goes without saying that they questioned him, and they also knew that this was a setup for Oshima to expand his theory, just as before.
"Since you are in an organization called the police, you must have thoughts on a daily basis about the upper echelons, namely the police bureaucrats. As a politician, I have associated with bureaucrats for decades, sometimes clashing and sometimes being helped by them. To them, a politician like me is probably a nuisance, but well, that's fine. They are people who have passed difficult national exams, so they are considerable elites, and their high intelligence goes without saying. Also, they have a considerable amount of accumulated data from various ministries over many years, as well as information networks. Recently, bureaucratic control is often put on the table, including criticism from the opposition and the media, but no matter how excellent a politician might be, the reality is that they have no chance against them, starting from the comparison of the absolute number of bureaucrats versus the number of Diet members. Even taking a single Diet interpellation, it's nearly impossible to handle all matters with only the minister's own strength. This is less a difference in individual ability and more a case where a huge difference is already established at the point of numerical strength. There, the politician becomes indebted to the bureaucrat, and the bureaucrat also utilizes that. The various 'tribe' legislators and legislators belonging to Diet committees certainly study each policy, but there are still limits. At the very least, with the current way of doing things, changing bureaucratic politics as the opposition says is clearly nothing more than academic theory. If you want to change it, you would need methods such as attaching a powerful practical support system to each minister, but that would be quite difficult."
Oshima pointed that out and then gauged Nishida and the other's reactions. As if responding to that,
"To be honest, from the perspective of people on the police front lines, I think police investigation requires abilities different from bureaucratic excellence, so I don't think their intelligence is something directly necessary for the police from my point of view. Well, I suppose it's necessary for the political power in the part of how to incorporate the police organization into the state."
Nishida asserted modestly.
[Author's Note: Below]
○ Author's Note 1
The privatization of the Japan Highway Public Corporation began to be considered after the inauguration of the Koizumi Cabinet, and in 2005, it was privatized and divided into NEXCO East, Central, and West.
○ Author's Note 2
At present, the divided NEXCO companies are not in a bad situation, and the Highway Public Corporation was managed quite sloppily, so setting aside the future, I think privatization itself was not a bad choice even at this point.
"From the perspective of people on the police front lines, the bureaucrats of the National Police Agency might just be a hindrance..."
Whether Oshima's mind had reached the point where pressure was applied to Nishida and the others' investigation sites by orders from Oshima himself or those around him was, to be honest, a bit doubtful, but he showed a certain level of understanding. And then,
"But, setting that aside. As I just said, I have had associations with various bureaucrats for many years since becoming a legislator, and among them, I have come to see a change in their consciousness. The bureaucrats were originally a mass of very strong 'Chosen People' (elite) consciousness in any era, but immediately after I became a legislator, I think there were many people from top to bottom who had the spirit to somehow raise up the whole of Japan under the consciousness of trying to stand up from the post-war scorched earth. Even if there were differences in their policy views and principles. And having experienced the state running wild before the war to some extent, there were also many people who had thoughts about that."
He looked back.
"In other words, the reflection on the pre-war era was in their minds?"
When Yoshimura asked that question,
"Yoshimura-kun. Among the bureaucrats, there were a certain number of people who belonged to the establishment (ruling class/upper class) from before the war, and while that type is not necessarily critical of the pre-war system itself, having faced such a catastrophe, there were many who had some kind of awareness of the problem. There, among the bureaucrats who came from the so-called commoner class, there were a fair number of people who had an awareness of the problem regarding the system itself. In any case, most were people with a high consciousness of trying to do something for the state or the people as a whole, with each having some kind of awareness of the problem."
He answered.
"How has that changed?"
When Nishida asked again,
"I feel that people who became bureaucrats after Japan went through high economic growth and became a top-tier economic nation on the surface lack the consciousness to look at the people in general. I think it's probably because many of them, as elites—to put it in an extreme way—went from kindergarten to university without ever directly facing the fundamental problems of society, and then entered the ministry as adults."
He answered.
"But, isn't that exactly like the talk from earlier? Even in the old days, people from families where one becomes a bureaucrat would have had very few opportunities to face the dark side or the bottom of society, no matter how you think about it?"
Nishida presented a natural doubt.
"Certainly, that is partially correct. However, no matter how high-class a family one was raised in, unless they were of a truly privileged class (Author's Note: Below), through the period of confusion from during the war to after the war, there would be hardships they themselves had to experience. Even if they didn't, if they walked through the city, there were surely opportunities to see the scars of war and people in distress for more than 10 years, nearly 20 years after the war. It wouldn't be strange if some kind of awareness of the problem was fostered within each of them there. However, in Japan after it went through high economic growth, especially if one only looks at urban areas, there are probably many people who have pushed forward on the pure-bred elite track without ever seeing such problems. Particularly among those from prestigious integrated middle and high schools in urban areas who graduated from the University of Tokyo... And when it is no longer an era where the country itself can grow rapidly, like during the high economic growth period and for a while after, it becomes realistically difficult to raise the whole. When that happens, to them—to use a harsh term—ordinary commoners become nothing more than stepping stones. They might even be thinking they want those who have been labeled as incompetent or 'tax-eaters' (money-eaters) to disappear for the sake of the state, the elite, and the upper class. I cannot help but feel that the elite consciousness of today's bureaucrats is steadily approaching something where it's fine as long as they and those around them are okay. Naturally, that thought does not apply to all bureaucrats, but I have a certain feeling that it is becoming stronger as a trend. Especially after the bubble, mammonism began to spread among bureaucrats. If elites like Kaneko Kentaro, who are self-righteous, heartless, and lacking in ethics, increase, even if the state grows, the people as a whole and society as a whole will surely be exhausted. I can see the image of Japan before the war, especially up to the defeat in the Showa era, right there."
Oshima said that much and let out a sigh.
Nishida and Yoshimura didn't have enough grounds to say anything about Oshima's impressions, as they had almost no association even with police bureaucrats. However, they could well understand that Oshima's criticism of deregulation so far was referring to the danger when it is linked with that biased elite consciousness of the bureaucrats.
[Author's Note]
In the confusion immediately after the defeat, it is true that in many cases, even general upper-class people and property owners suffered considerable economic losses due to hyperinflation, food shortages, and in some cases, air raids. However, as is clear from the "NHK Special: Postwar Year Zero - Tokyo Black Hole"
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbnCTrJmkeg
the reality is that the truly privileged class was actually profiting through considerable "cheating."
I also had some awareness of that, but regarding the fact of "diversion of food held by the state" as seen in the broadcast, I unfortunately had a complete lack of awareness, and my honest impression was, "They did some pretty terrible things." There are also often stories about how the funds of "Satomi Hajime," who made a profit selling opium on the continent with state involvement, were used after the war... and it is also a fact that the privileged class at the time was quite rotten in various ways regardless of political ideology. In the novel, there is no room to delve into that area, so I won't specifically describe it...
Satomi Hajime (Regarding Satomi, many parts are still shrouded in mystery, so take it with a grain of salt):
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%87%8C%E8%A6%8B%E7%94%AB
"So you're saying that deregulation and privatization led by bureaucrats with such a strong 'Chosen People' consciousness are even more likely to transform into vested interests for a very small number of people?"
When Nishida confirmed this,
"Umu. Exactly there lies my great fear. However, since bureaucrats are still people with intelligence, there are actually still a fair number of people who possess a minimum level of ethics. Unfortunately, people who are not like that have also increased since the bubble... Anyway, if it's just them, you could say there's a limit to their running wild," he added, and then stated,
"In a sense, the true problem lies strongly on the side of us politicians."
Oshima's expression at this time was the grimmest it had been in the conversation so far.