Ryoki Sugita

Honorary Advisor, ATDC  General Incorporated Association

Advisor, Nikkei Inc.

The world has suddenly become into a tense atmosphere overnight, due to the

barbaric actions of the US President Donald Trump. What would happen if other

countries were to follow Mr. Trump’s example and do the same to their neighbors?

The world peace that has been built up over the years since World War II could

crumble, and the world would become a hellish place where those with the most

physical strength could do whatever they wanted.

In such times like these, one way to survive is to strengthen their military might and

to forge a peace of fear. But can it be really called a peaceful world? It is true that

we need a minimum level of self-defense to prevent rogue actors from attacking at

will. At the same time, in times of tension like these, it is precisely and crucial for all

of us, that we could conduct people-to-people exchanges and cultural interactions

between neighboring countries. Such exchanges should provide the counterbalance

to prevent political outrages.

The importance of the Asian TV Drama Conference is rapidly increasing. With

support of several hundred billion yen and the appropriate promotional mechanisms,

Japan could eventually export contents that would exceed that of the automobile industry,

and it is clear that it could play a major role in cultural exchange with the world.

With the general election approaching and financial difficulties in our country in mind,

both the ruling and opposition parties are calling for the abolition of the 5 trillion yen

food consumption tax. From the perspective of someone who promotes cultural

exchange and world peace, this is truly a wasteful proposition.