Regarding the Nov. 8 editorial "Ms. Tanaka's irrational decision": Sorry, but Education Minister Makiko Tanaka was absolutely right. She tried to open a debate on the quality of Japan's educational system. It makes no sense to open new universities as long as Japanese universities don't have standards that enable them to compete with universities in South Korea or China.
The way that Japanese political and media reaction forced Tanaka to apologize for her ideas and leadership is the real scandal — and one more example why Japan's politics and media are the biggest problem for the country.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
carsten germis
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