The DPJ, in a move that suggests that the shift I sensed in this post may be becoming a clear trend, has announced that it will submit a bill in the regular Diet session that proposes the creation of a "consumer ombudsman." The DPJ's plan envisions an independent official, appointed not by the government but …
Month: January 2008
The Iowa winners
I am back to New York after my sojourn in Tokyo.In honor of my return to the US, here are links to a couple posts at The Reality-Based Community on Barack Obama and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, written by Steven Teles, a former professor of mine. I particularly like his dissection of the sheer …
Is the Mainichi poll right?
Considerable discussion has surrounded a new Mainichi Shimbun poll showing that 46% of respondents desire a DPJ victory in a general election, compared with only 33% for the LDP.The same poll also showed that respondents would overwhelmingly (51%) vote on the basis of "policy," which may very well mean "pensions." Only 3% say they would …
Fukuda in charge
Contradicting reports leaked while he was out of the country, Mr. Fukuda has exhibited once again how he differs from his predecessor by asserting control of government and party and declaring that he will not in fact reshuffle his cabinet at the end of this Diet session (HT: Shisaku).It's not entirely clear who suggested to …
The real meaning of Fukuda’s New Year’s message
Much has been made among English-language bloggers about Mr. Fukuda's delivering a version of his New Year's message in English at the LDP's YouTube channel, the launch of which I discussed in this post. (Asia Exile; TPR; Japundit)Steven Clemons at The Washington Note took one of his occasional forays into matters Japanese to comment on …
Continue reading The real meaning of Fukuda’s New Year’s message
The DPJ faces a new year
After a tumultuous and uncertain five months since taking control of the House of Councillors, the DPJ faces the new year full of hope that this will be the year the party takes power, but hope tempered by the difficulties the party has faced since winning in July. The party has struggled to use its …
The bankruptcy of the China hawks
Sankei's Komori Yoshihisa, arch-conservative and China hawk, has published at his blog a list of complaints about Prime Minister Fukuda's visit to China last week, criticizing the prime minister for failing to criticize China for every perceived and actual failing of the Chinese Communist Party.Sounding much like his American peers, including the Washington Times's Bill …
Tobias S. Harris 