Perhaps it is fitting on this, the last day of 2006, to look back at the year and reflect on the state of Japanese culture, society and life.
Incongruously, it was an article in the Sydney Morning Herald of Dec. 11 that set me to thinking about the year gone by here in Japan. The Herald reported on an announcement by Prime Minister John Howard that "immigrants hoping to become citizens [of Australia] will have to pass a test on basic English skills . . . and shared values."
Now, what could Howard have meant by "shared values?"