is a Japanese journalist, historian, and social critic, and a biographer of literary figures such as Yukio Mishima

Yukio Mishima

was the pen name of , a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor and film director, also remembered for his ritual suicide by seppuku after a failed coup d'état...

 and Osamu Dazai

Osamu Dazai

was a Japanese author who is considered one of the foremost fiction writers of 20th-century Japan.-Biography:-Early life:Dazai was born , the eighth surviving child of a wealthy landowner in Kanagi, a remote corner of Japan at the northern tip of Tōhoku in Aomori Prefecture...

. Since 2000 he has devoted himself to current affairs, and in June 2007 he was appointed vice governor of Tokyo.

Historical works

Inose's book Showa 16-nen Natsu no Haisen (1983), which may be translated "Defeated in War in the Summer of 1941," describes the Soryokusen Kenkyujo, or the Total War Research Institute. During the International Military Tribunal for the Far East it would be accused of being part of Japan's militaristic machine, but in reality it was a think tank, of which the purpose was to examine dispassionately the consequences of a total war. Its conclusion was that "there will be no way for Japan to win the war because of its clear material inferiority. The war will be drawn out. The Soviet Union will butt in, and Japan will be defeated. Therefore, going to war with the United States must absolutely be avoided."

This book was followed by The Mikado's Portrait (Mikado no shozo, 1987), concerning the development of the image of the Emperor

Emperor of Japan

The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...

, and the biographies of Mishima, Dazai and Kikuchi Kan: Persona (Perusona, 1995), Picaresque (Pikaresuku, 2000), and The Realm of Heart (Kokoro no okoku, 2004). In 2009, his book "The Century of Black Ships" (Kurofune no seiki, 1993) was published in English.

Recent arguments

Inose's examination of public affairs has led him to bitter criticisms of Japan's ruling classes and their reluctance to enact reform. His longstanding proposal was for the privatisation of the four public highway corporations, and reform of the postal savings system that finances them. As a result, he joined Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi

Junichiro Koizumi

is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...

's taskforce and served on the commission to examine the Japan Highway Public Corporation

Japan Highway Public Corporation

, or JH, was a public company established after World War II to construct and manage highway networks in Japan, founded in 1956.On October 1, 2005, JH was divided into three private enterprises, East Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd. , Central Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd. , and West Nippon Expressway...

 (Nihon Doro Kodan). His insistence that cuts be made was so uncompromising that some other appointees declined positions on the board.

Inose has said that Japan lost World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 because the government at the time ignored data suggesting Japan would be unable to defeat the Allies

Allies of World War II

The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...

 and forbade access to the information before Tokyo declared war in 1941. He has further argued that this action is being repeated today by bureaucrats with respect to the economy.

He advocates that people share accurate information with respect to Japan's economic situation, that is not necessarily issued by bureaucrats, in efforts to help a debt-ridden Japan. He claims that "any reform can be implemented if people share more accurate and objective data than that (initially) released by authorities."

Tokyo Metropolitan Government

On 15 June 2007, Governor of Tokyo Metropolitan Government Shintaro Ishihara

Shintaro Ishihara

is a Japanese author, actor, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.- Early life and artistic career :Shintarō was born in Suma-ku, Kobe. His father Kiyoshi was an employee, later a general manager, of a shipping company. Shintarō grew up in Zushi...

 announced that Inose had agreed to serve as a vice governor for the capital stating that "our opinions might differ but I believe it is healthy for us to debate and discuss many of our differences."

The governor is hoping to use Naoki's expertise on public administration

Administration (government)

The term administration, as used in the context of government, differs according to jurisdiction.-United States:In United States usage, the term refers to the executive branch under a specific president , for example: the "Barack Obama administration." It can also mean an executive branch agency...

 to counterbalance national executive power

Executive Power

Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...

: "Inose can speak up to the central government."

External links

• Official profile in English
• Photograph of Naoki's appointment as Vice Governor