YEAR 2017

January

1. Kunitachi Debate will survive 10 more years. - Shimabukuro
2. Democracy is the best political system - Taira
3. Until when will US Army stay in Japan? - Maeda
4. Will Trump's America-first policy be beneficial to the U.S. economy? - Miyanoya

February

1.English-ization is making Japanese ignorant? - Ichizuka
2. Can mankind coexist with nuclear power? - Inoue
3. Working-on-overtime wil be no more virtue in Japan in ten years. - Hatakeyama
4. Do you support the 2020 Tokyo Olympics? - Mizukoshi

March
1. Why did Japan successfully establish a modern society? - Nagatani
2. Late this century China will dominate the world. - Shimabukuro
3. Universal Basic Income system should be adopted in Japan. - Nakamura
4. - Taira
April
1. Would you still want to buy a house or rent it? - Oki
2. I would preferably die before 80. - Miyake
3. Will the U.S. take military actions against North Korea? - Miyanoya
4. Do you eat to live rather than live to eat? - Miyahara
5. The imperial rescript should be accepted as a supplement for moral education. - Kashimoto

May
1.
2. There is no medium which provides unprejudiced report. - Shimabukuro
3. Do you support Mr. Abe's plan of revising the constitution? - Miyanoya
4. Was there a designer who had created the evolution system? - Kimura

June
1.
2.
3.
4.

July

Year 2016

Year 2016

January
  1. Should Japan co-host the 2018 Winter Olympics with Korea? - Ichizuka
  2. Old people are burden on society. - Shimabukuro
  3. Japanese parochialism prevents her from being internationalized. - Miyake
  4. Machine translation will take the place of human translators. - Matsumoto

February
  1. Trump will be next U.S. President. - Shimabukuro
  2. Engagement or Containment of North Korea - Inoue
  3. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. - Ando
  4. Growth is still essential for dynamic Japan. - Taira

March
  1. If technological singularity becomes reality, can you accept it? - Maeda
  2. Should there be a maximum age limit for licensed drivers? - Ichizuka
  3. Outsourcing Bukatsu activities should be promoted. - Taira
  4. The Japanese government should reduce its dependence on nuclear power. - Miyake

April
  1. Is circular economy viable in Japan? - Suzuki
  2. We should build up compact communities. - Shimabukuro
  3. Can Japanese consumer electronics industry survive in a global competition? - Inoue
  4. Humans are naturally evil. - Shimabukuro
  5. Japan should review its rules and practices on food. - Kimura

May
  1. Creating shared value will save the society. - Matsumoto
  2. Should Japan strengthen its ties with America? - Nakamura
  3. Trump will get nomination but lose presidency. - Miyake
  4. Masuzoe is one of the bad Tokyo Governors. - Shimabukuro

June
  1. Is  the right to be forgotten more important than the right to know? - Matsumoto
  2. Are you in favor of Abenomics? - Miyanoya
  3. President Obama's speech in Hiroshima - Matsumoto
  4. Does a religious line of reasoning have a place in debating morality? - Miyahara

July
  1. Are you prepared for a big earthquake? - Hatakeyama
  2. Is political and economic hard landing for China inevitable? - Maeda
  3. Is "Brexit" the beginning of EU collapse? - Inoue
  4. Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. - Shimabukuro
  5. Title undecided ................................................ - Nakaya

August
  1. Is the AI a friend or a threat to human society?  - Miyanoya
  2. Can the world escape from the logic of fear for losing nuclear weapons? - Kashimoto
  3. The world would be safer had the 2003 invasion never occurred. - Miyake
  4. Japan will see the 1st female P.M. i less than 10 years. - Taira

September 
  1. Hillary Clinton will win the presidential race overcoming her email scandal. - Matsumoto
  2. Should Japanese immigration policy be relaxed and expanded? - Miyanoya
  3. Will Koike's Tokyo reformation be successful? - Oki
  4. China will be the headache of the world. - Taira

October 
  1. Smartphones are making people dumb. - Kimura
  2. If you are healthy you should work until die. - Shimabukuro
  3. Japan should be armed with IRBM against the Korean threat. - Ichizuka
  4. Should the Emperor be allowed to abdicate, if he wants to? - Inoue
  5. Duterte's anti-drug operation will be successful. - Taira

Nobember 
  1. Are you comfortable with "We, Japanese"? - Oki
  2. Should Japan emphasize Novel Prize winning more than before? - Hatakeyama
  3. If Russia proposes returning two islands we'd better accept it. - Shimabukuro
  4. Can Trump make America great again? - Miyanoya

December  
  1. Koreans should control their emotion. - Taira
  2. Japan should quickly disburse the due funds to UNESCO. - Miyake
  3. Humanities and social sciences should be replaced with natural sciences and technology. - Miyahara
  4. The biggest news in 2016. - Ohsawa

YEAR 2015

Year 2015

January
1. Consumption tax on newspapers should be reduced. - Ichizuka
2. English classes conducted in English will improve students' conversation ability. - Okuda
3. Freedom of speech should be protected at any cost. - Taira
4. Which is to blame the victims, the police or the financial institutions? - Kimura


February
1. Can Japan's feed-in tariff continue to grow in renewable energy? - Matsumoto
2. Will Hong Kong die or continue to prosper? - Inoue
3. If JCP came into power, it could reduce the poor people in Japan. - Shimabukuro
4. Heroes or troublemakers? - Taira


March
1. Are you an early bird or a nigh owl? - Matsumoto
2. Should the U.S. send ground troops to fight ISIS? - Taira
3. Juvenile offenders should be concealed from the pulic eye. - Ichizuka
4. Herbal medicine should be more proved scientifically. - Suzuki


April
1. Is peer-to-peer sharing improving our life? - Nakaya
2. Drones, Friend or Foe? - Matsumoto 
3. Teaching patriotism is very important. - Shimabukuro 
4. Which should be most responsible for Crimean annexation? - Okuda


May
1.  Do you feel safe in the hyperconnected and hypertransparent world? - Kimura
2.  Do you like nonroutine congnitive job? - Matsumoto 
3. How do you assess the result of the summit? - Taira 
4. The U.N. Security Council should be reformed drastically. - Miyake  
5. The luckiest genertation is those who were born in 1941-1970. - Shimabukuro


June
1.  Does humor smooth the cross cultural communication? - Suzuki
2.  Taiji-cho should stop dolphin hunt. - Ichizuka
3.  Should Japan accept more refugees? - Inoue 
4.  Do you regard the ageing positively or negatively? - Miyake 

July
1.  Do you like telecommuting? - Matsumoto 
2.  Japan's college dropout rates should be tackled. - Kimura 
3.  A smartphone is an idiot box to teenagers. - Ichizuka
4.  We should keep Article 9. - Shimabukuro 


August
1.  The  Connection between Mind and Body - Matsumoto  
2.  Are data becoming as important as petroleum? - Nakaya
3.  Should Japan fight a war in case of necessity? - Ichizuka
4.  Do you support Abe's university policy? - Miyake
5.  PM Abe's speech to commemorate the end of WWII. - Taira

September
1.  Pessimists can live longer than optimists. - Shimabukuro  
2.  Engagement or containment of China? - Inoue  
3. The Iran nuclear deal would work positively to the Middle East security. - Miyake 
4.  Japan's defense budget should be doubled. - Taira  

October
1.  Japan needs more powerful intelligence organization. - Shimabukuro  
2.  The migrant crisis in Europe self-inflicted by West. - Taira  
3.  Is Amazon a friend for readers? - Kimura 
4. The administration should heed the will of Okinawa.  - Miyake  
5.  Cooking is one of the most important skills in life. - Shimabukuro

November
1. Obama made the world a more dangerous place. -  Mizukoshi
2. Defense exports are vicious products. -  Ichizuka
3. U.S.-China War will break out in three years. - Taira 
4.  Is Japan in rise or in decline? -  Inoue

December
1.  UNESCO should stop the activity of "Memory of The World Program." - Shimabukuro  
2.  Freedom of speech is endangered in Japan. - Matsumoto 
3.  Over concentration in Tokyo will deprive Japan of its vitality - Miyake
4.  Japan should reduce the number of coal power stations. -  Ichizuka

YEAR 2014

January
1. People should be discouraged from using loanwords. - Ichizuka
2. Self-driving cars become the future of transportation. - Tokiwa
3. Paying homage to the war dead is the duty of the leaders. - Taira

February
1. Religion brought more conflict than peace. - Shimabukuro
2. Is voting duty or choice? - Hayashi
3. NHK will be buffeted by political winds. - Miyake
4. Will stem cell therapy replace organ transplantation? - Matsumoto

March
1. Japan should be a nation of welfare society. - Shimabukuro
2. Westminster democracy or consensus democracy? - Inoue
3. Can NHK keep its neutrality and independence? - Miyake
4. All nuclear reactors should be dismantled immediately. - Matsumoto
5. Our government and we are ready for massive earthquakes to come?- Hayashi

April
1. Pet animals on dining tables should be categorized as livestock. - Ichizuka
2. Japanese people easily being brainwashed. - Shimabukuro
3. We should promote the Japanese language. - Ando
4. A new cold war is in the making. - Miyake

May
1. Will foreign visitors reach 20 million by 2020. - Kimura
2. The right to know or national security? - Taira
3. Which is more likely, success or failure? - Taira
4. Do we need a world policeman? - Inoue
5. Japanese wine will reach the world level by 2020. - Miyahara

June
1. Abenomic' labor-market reform makes Japan a sweatshop. - Matsumoro
2. We do not need Tenno any more. - Shimabukuro
3. Omotenashi tends to be Osekkai. - Ichizuka
4.  Scrapping the spousal tax breaks would encrouge wives to work full time. - Miyake

July
1. Politics is inseparable from religion. - Matsumoto
2. Does net society enhance cerendipity in Japan? - Suzuki
3. Obama is the worst President since WWII. - Okuda
4. Will the majority of people benefit from further technological advances? - Nakaya

August
1. Do you expect the world to be one country? - Matsumoto
2. Kunitachi Debate is on the verge of collapse. - Shimabukuro
3. Do you accept "Carbon Emissions Trading"? - Okuda
4. Does Moocs have impacts on traditional universities? - Kimura
5. The password could be dead in five years. - Matsumoto

September
1. Will American style of efficiency-oriented culture root in Japan? - Inoue
2. Should Japan have casinos? - Nakamura
3. Do more people need entrepreneurial spirit in the 21 century? - Nakaya
4. Nuclear weapons could be abolished within a century. - Okuda

October
1. The world led by globalization will become flatter. - Mizukoshi
2. The policy of the Asahi was the cause of error reports. - Ichizuka
3. Abe might be the world's best leader right now. - Taira
4. ISIS will be destroyed within several years. - Miyake

November
1. Patents should belong to employees unconditionally. - Matsumoto
2. Rewriting history should be justified. - Taira
3. There is no such a thing as contingency. - Miyahara
4. Will a megathrust earthquake attack Japan by 2015? - Matsumoto

December
1. Can Japan moderate political tensions with neighboring countries? - Inoue
2. Goodwill-only diplomacy hurts national interest. - Taira
3. Regular medical checkup is waste of money. - Shimabukuro
4. Could ELF approach break Japan's English curse? - Miyake

YEAR 2013

January

1. Is there any custom you'd refrain from practicing? - Ichizuka
2. Will Abenomics lead Japan to a right direction? - Inoue
3. Is paradise or utopia really nice place to live in? - Taira



February

1. Japan's consumer electronics industries will revive. - Matsumoto
2. Do you agree to Lee's opinions on China mostly? - Kotani
3. Athletes should be freed from doping. - Miyake
4. Does the end justify the means in physical punishment ? - Kotani



March

1.  Do you agree to women's inclusion in the battlefield? - Ichizuka
2.  Have you prepared for your after death? - Shimabukuro
3.  Can immigrants save Japan ? - Kotani
4.  Can a sense of shame make our lives better? - Sakamoto



April

1. The Arab Spring will bring democracy to Islamic world. - Okuda
2. The West is in decline, but its values will prevail a few more decades. - Miyake
3. The mandatory retirement system should be abolished. - Hayashi
4. Will Japanese electronic giants revive as manufacturers? - Kumura



May

1. Process is more important than result or purpose. - Matsumoto
2. Japan needs Margaret Thatcher type of a premier. - Taira
3. All the people on the earth will speak one common language. - Sakamoto
4. Referencum is essential to democrary. - Matsumoto



June

1. Japan shouldn't endure distorted criticism from abroad. - Taira
2. China is human suffering. - Taira
3. The idea of TOEFL for college entrance exam is favorable. - Miyake
4. Do you prefer to choose among the Many or the Few? - Ichizuka
5. Hate speech should be regulated in Japan? - Inoue



July

1. Dominant-party system makes people happy. - Matsumoto
2. Tokyo will win the bid for 2020 Olympics. - Shimabukuro
3. Which is the best way to educate children? - Kimura
4. The Arab Spring will end up as an illusion. - Taira



August

1. Should we strive to live to see 100? - Miyake
2. Intelligence Agencies can be allowed to collect metadata. - Matsumoto
3. ￥7,000 or more should be charged for the top of Mt. Fuji - Ichizuka
4. The regulations of dismissal should be eased. - Hayashi
5. How do you review or evaluate postwar Japan? - Taira



September

1. Tokyo will shrink smart in 2050. - Matsumoto
2. Super Power is indispensable for the world stability. - Miyake
3. Did you imagine that Tokyo would win the 2020 Olympics? - Ichizuka 
4. Japanese Buddhism will be able to attract young people. - Kimura



October

1. Big data is risky rather than convenient - Matsumoto
2. Japanese agriculture must be reformed. - Hayashi
3. People should try to live for their healthy life. - Shimabukuro
4. Black-White economic gap will disappear in 50 years. - Taira



November

1. Do you want to be an organ donor? - Matsumoto
2. Free discussion on Human Culture. - Taira
3. Freedom of thought and speech should be restricted. - Okuda
4. Affirmative action should be introduced for women. - Ichizuka
5. Common pesticides should be banned to save honey bees. - Suzuki



December

1. 3D printing is a new industrial revolution. - Matsumoto
2.  Review and Outlook 2013-2014 - Taira
3.  - Kimura

YEAR 2012

January
1. Will TPP deteriorate the medical and pharmaceutical sectors of Japan? - Matsumoto
2. Under the auspice of China, the Kim-dom will survive. - Taira
3. Are you willing to use e-mails more? - Matsumoto
4. Do you like Vermeer's Paintings? - Suzuki





February
1. Can Japan accept foreign workers more than 5% of its workforce? - Kimura
2. Is Japanese sightseeing business promising? - Suzuki
3. Is stand-up meeting productive? - Matsumoto
4. Can Obama reduce inequality? - Miyake





March
1. Is judo class too early in junior high school? - Suzuki
2. Are you for or aginst the Osaka M.G. to screen the emails? - Ichizuka
3. Can we revive Japan? - Kotani
4. Is Toru Hashimoto a dangerous figure? - Inoue
5. Nuclear power plants are indispensable for Japan. - Taira





April
1.  Military intervention or diplomatic engagement in Syria? - Miyake
2. Do you prefer convenience rather than privacy? - Matsumoto
3. Is the future of rice farming is bright in Japan? - Kimura
4. Is Obama making it worse? - Taira





May
1. The Senkaku should be owned by government - Kotani
2.  Welfare standards should be laxer.- Ichizuka
3.  Paper documents will disappear from office. - Matsumoto
4. Are your inherited traits critial in your life? - Suzuki





June
1. Moral hazard in capitalism is impossible to control by law. - Taira  
2.  Europe will return to old Europe. - Taira
3. Do you agree with Mr. Sawa? - Miyake
4. Government workers should be banned from tattooing. - Ichizuka
5. The higher, the better for students pursing higher education - Kotani





July
1. Japan is facing the middle class crisis too. - Taira
2. Which do you choose for bilingual children, international school or a state education? - Miyake
3. Do you support the sales ban on raw beef livers? - Suzuki
4. Sumo should be more internationalized to be revitalized. - Kimura





August
1. Cross voters should be disciplined. - Matsumoto
2. Human morality makes progress forever. - Taira
3. Do you allow the government to spend multi-billion dollars on big science? - Miyahara
4. Can we expect China's next leap forward soon? - Kotani





September
1. Japan's consumer electronics industries will disappear. - Matsumoto
2. There should be some facilities on the Senkaku Islands. - Ichizuka
3. Introverts are disadvantagrous in a competitive society. - Miyake
4. The Japanese are more diversified than homogeneous. - Taira
5. The next Jasmine will come to Syria. - Matsumoto





October
1. Are you looking forward to "A more globalized society"? - Inoue
2. The most suitable model for Japan in the future. - Kimura
3. Are you willing to rely on the net shopping? - Suzuki
4. Can women save Japan? - Taira





November
1. Do you sleep more than 7 hours a night? - Matsumoto
2. Can Ishihara cause another flower to bloom? - Kotani
3. Obama will be one of the greatest U.S. prsidents. - Miyake
4. Can a new leader in China bring reforms? - Taira





December
1. Which quadrant do you support? - Matsumoto
2. Abe's cabinet will last at least three years. - Taira
3. Which is more to blame, tourists or the agent in the Great Wall accident? - Kimura
4. 2013 will be much better than 2012. - Kotani

YEAR 2011

January:

1. Preemptive attack should be justified. - Taira

2. Will 2011 be better than 2010? - Kotani

3. Do you assume yourself a reasonable self-estimator? - Sakuma

4. Can Aung San Suu Kyi bring democracy to Burma? - Miyake

February:

1. Is employment crisis really serious for Japanese students? - Matsumoto

2. Rescue helicopters should be charged for mountain accidents. - Ichizuka

3. Can democracy take root in Middle East? - Taira

4. Whales should be protected from commercial hunting. - Kimura

March:

1. Should age discrimination be made illegal in the workplace? - Miyahara

2. Do you want to be a biotic person? - Kotani

3. DPJ government is a due consequence of the postwar-constitution system. - Taira

4. Should Japan introduce gifted and talented education program? - Inoue

April:

1. Are you prepared for a great earthquake? - Kotani

2. Can you expect young Japanese to change Japan? - Miyake

3. Is AI your friend or foe? - Matsumoto

4. Is it possible to control contageous diseases in the devastated region? - Suzuki
5. Cyborg will be born in the near future. - Kotani

May:

1. Electronic voting should be adopted in Japan. - Miyahara

2. Who should be blamed more, the examiner or the examinee? - Ichizuka

3. The attack on Osama bin Laden should be justified. - Taira

4. Can British monarchy survive to the next century? - Taira

June:

1.  Do you appreciate the artificial creation of life? - Kotani

2. Top leaders should not be involved in sex scandals. - Miyake

3. Do you use a credit card or cash? - Matsumoto 

4. The average cultural level of the Japanese is the highest. - Taira

July:

1. Is plagiarism an unavoidable evil ? - Matsumoto

2. Are you an optimist? - Kimura 

3. Aristotle is right in modern way of thinking. - Miyahara 

4. Japan should shift to soft power. - Taira
5. The nationality law should be amended in Japan. - Kotani

August:

1.  Bureaucrats should announce correct information. - Matsumoto

2.  Are you for a unicameral or bicameral system? - Inoue

3. Is KD beneficial for prevention of cognitive decline? - Suzuki

4. English interface can be key to Japan's revival. - Kotani

September:

1. Japan can dispense with nuclear energy. - Ichizuka

2.  Is environmental education in Japan enough for children? - Suzuki

3. Are you in favor of shifting the start of schoo year to autumn? - Kotani 

4. Noda's DPJ can survive two more years. - Taira

October:

1. Can electricity market be liberalized successfully? - Matsumoto

2. Are young Japanese people creative enough to cope with global competition? - Kimura

3. We need some supplements to be healthy and active. - Miyake

4. Which opinion do you support, A or B? - Taira
5. The national anthem should be sung at public school ceremonies. - Kotani



November:

1. Japanese manufacturing will never come home again.- Matsumoto

2. Bicycle riding should be banned on the sidewalk. - Ichizuka

3. Can you bear IT mental stress? -  Taira

4. If one part of the West can update and reboot, it's America. - Taira



December:

1. Is the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) chaper of the TPP agreement beneficial to Japan? - Matsumoto

2. Which do you prefer, bottled water or tap water? - Kimura

3. Do you wish to live long to be a centenarian? - Kotani 

4. Are you sympathetic for students eating alone in the cafeteria? - Suzuki