Post-March 11 Japan faces the challenge of not just rebuilding from the damage of the massive earthquake and tsunami, but also tackling the nation's structural economic and political problems that have largely been left unresolved over the past two decades.

The nuclear crisis at the Fukushima power plant highlighted the way the nation's nuclear power policy has been monopolized by a closed community, now widely called the "nuclear village." Japan needs to widen the scope of public discussions about the issues exposed by the debacle, including the future of nuclear energy and alternative power sources.

These were among the views expressed by veteran journalists and a lawmaker from Germany during a symposium held Sept. 30 by the Keizai Koho Center in Tokyo. They were speaking on the theme "Rebuilding Japan — including the viewpoints of international order in transition."