In times of transition, when the need for reform is felt more keenly than usual, there is heightened openness to bold suggestions. Japan is in the middle of such a period. Public debt exceeds 100 percent of GDP. The social-welfare system needs a drastic overhaul. Unemployment is at an all-time high. The school system is deteriorating. When, if ever, economic recovery will be accomplished is anybody's guess. The state is steadily weakening, as the recognition gains ground that the government cannot be responsible for everything. It is no longer trusted, as the guarantor of the public good. Radical proposals are in order.
Earlier this year, the late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi made just such a suggestion when he called for English to be established as Japan's second official language.
Why talk about language at such a crucial juncture? The answer is that language has economic, political and cultural implications, as well as a strong emotional aspect. When we talk about language, we talk about ourselves.