Ozawa Ichiro addressed a conference of the DPJ's Upper and Lower House members on Wednesday, where he spoke at length about the crisis that saw him resign from the leadership of the party only to reverse his decision days later.He was, of course, exceedingly apologetic in his remarks, and, I think, exceedingly forthright in explaining …
Year: 2007
Recommended Book: In The Ruins of Empire, Ronald Spector
My apologies for not recommending a new book sooner, but blame it on a hectic few weeks in Japanese politics.This book, though, is well worth reading. A sequel of sorts to Eagle Against the Sun, his account of the Pacific War, Ronald Spector outdoes his earlier effort in providing a comprehensive record of the bloody …
Continue reading Recommended Book: In The Ruins of Empire, Ronald Spector
It’s Ozawa’s party now
After imploring Ozawa Ichiro to remain as head of the party, Mr. Ozawa has decided to embrace the party once again: "I want to give my best once more."I'm still not convinced that Mr. Ozawa — a bull in a china shop if I've ever seen one — is the man to walk the tightrope …
A thorny question
Does anyone else find it strange that the reaction of nearly all the DPJ's leaders to Ozawa Ichiro's decision to resign as head of the party was to beg Mr. Ozawa to stay?To my knowledge, not a single DPJ politician openly declared his intentions to succeed Mr. Ozawa, and both Kan Naoto and Okada Katsuya, …
The DPJ stares into the abyss
Learning of Mr. Ozawa's intention to resign while in Nagoya, Hatoyma Yukio said, "I have received it, but I cannot accept it." He subsequently returned to Tokyo to consult with Mr. Ozawa.The public sentiment among party leaders seems to be a desire for Mr. Ozawa to stay, but whether that desire stems from an appreciation …
The Ozawa era is over
It looks like Mr. Ozawa won't be fighting one more general election campaign after all.Facing outright chaos in the party due to the perception that he was willing to consider — even for a moment — a grand coalition with the LDP, Ozawa Ichiro, grand old man of Japanese politics, has announced his resignation as …
The quiet shift
Ever so quietly, the Fukuda government appears to be altering its position in the six-party talks. Last week, Foreign Minister Komura suggested that the return of some (but not all) of the remaining abductees would constitute progress on the abductions issue. That wasn't much of a concession, but it was the first attempt by the …
The Jiminto Rule Assistance Association?
The revelation that Prime Minister Fukuda is seeking a grand coalition with the DPJ has unleashed a flurry of political activity, as the parties and the Japanese people struggle to make sense of the swiftly changing political environment.DPJ backbenchers and rank-and-file supporters have come out resoundingly against the idea of joining a coalition with the …
Mr. Ozawa, just say no
Dear Mr. Ozawa,I never properly congratulated you on a job well done in the Upper House election campaign. Many doubted you, but you managed to show them that you know what the Japanese voters want to hear.But now, it seems, you're in the something of a bind. Maybe winning the Upper House wasn't such a …
Cooperation breaks out
One meeting between Mr. Fukuda and Mr. Ozawa, another scheduled for today, the MSDF's ships on their way home, and all of the sudden the political mood seems to be completely different.With the LDP eager to avoid a general election before September 2009 and the DPJ seemingly cognizant that it's not enough just to pass …
Tobias S. Harris 