Ironically, just as my second piece in Space Quarterly came out on December 1, the SHSP’s Expert Committee (宇宙開発戦略専門調査会) chaired by MHI Chairman Kazuo Tsukuda had just (November 30) come out with a pre-final version of the compromises reached between the Cabinet and MEXT over the makeup and powers of the 宇宙戦略室 (Space Strategy Office) to be set up in the Cabinet Office!
Posted by japanspace on March 6, 2012
https://japanspace.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/space-quarterly-2-a-battle-looms-for-japans-space-program/
SpaceRef Kindly asked me to do some articles for them catching up on recent developments in Japan’s Space Program, and it was a great chance to be able to write a little bit longer for once, but for the media, not for academia. The inaugural issue was published September 1, 2011. Many thanks to Mark and Andy!
On the left is the inaugural issue of Space Quarterly
In the first issue I concentrated on the aftermath of 3/11, the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. I haven’t been frightened by an earthquake in 20 years- you get used them after living here for a while. What happened on March 11, 2011 frightened all of us as far away as Tokyo. I couldn’t imagine a building as substantial (and retrofitted) as METI would start “swimming.” And I have never felt the need to evacuate under a desk before. As I describe in the beginning of the article, that first megaquake just kept coming…and of course, as we were to find out pretty quickly, that those first horrible hours were to be just the beginning….our hearts (and nappies, baby clothes, sterilized tissue, towels, wipes, baby blankets etc.) went and go out to the people in Tokyo (and all over Japan) who suffered (and continue to suffer) so terribly.
Posted by japanspace on March 5, 2012
https://japanspace.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/space-quarterly/
Japan Space Policy