Prime Minister Aso, holding a press conference in Beijing where he is attending the annual Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM), suggested that in the midst of the current crisis, he will be prioritizing Japan's international role over the "domestic political situation."The press interpretation of this remark is that Mr. Aso was signaling that he will not call …
Year: 2008
Pushing on a string
During its long "lost decade," Japan became painfully acquainted with the concept of pushing on a string.In monetary policy, pushing on a string is when a central bank finds itself unable to reverse an economic downturn with customary monetary policy tools; famously, the Bank of Japan slashed nominal interest rates to zero without success in …
On the LDP and its factions
My latest contribution to the Far Eastern Economic Review's website — on the decline of the LDP's factions — can be found here.Subscribers to the Far Eastern Economic Review can also find my take on the Aso cabinet in the October 2008 print edition.
Observing Japan turns two
I know that I've written far less frequently in recent weeks — as I expected when I started my graduate studies — but I thought I should mention that today marks the second anniversary since I began writing Observing Japan.It's been quite a year: one prime minister out, another in; divided government; an interrupted reshuffling …
The LDP looks to delay a general election
His poll numbers slipping (even in Yomiuri, in whose latest poll his approval rating fell 3.6% to 45.9% and his disapproval rating rose 5.2% to 38.6%), the financial system collapsing, the US "passing" Japan on North Korea, and the DPJ refusing to provide an issue with which the government can galvanize public opinion (for now), …
The US finally goes through with delisting North Korea
The thinkable is finally the actual.After more than a year since it became plausible for the US to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism as a reward for cooperation in negotiations over the North Korean nuclear program, the US State Department has announced that it will remove North Korea from …
Continue reading The US finally goes through with delisting North Korea
The DPJ embraces tactical retreat
Yamaoka Kenji, the DPJ's Diet strategy chairman, indicated in Diet proceedings Wednesday that the DPJ will consent to a quick vote on the bill extending the MSDF's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. He didn't say that the DPJ would support it, of course, but he did say that the DPJ would consent to moving …
Aso stumbles out of the gate
In Asahi's latest opinion poll, the Aso cabinet's approval rating fell seven points to 41%, and its disapproval rating rose six points to 42%. The skepticism of nonaligned voters about Aso Taro continues to grow, at least in this poll: the approval rating among nonaligned voters fell seven points to 24% and rose seven points …
Ozawa responds
Two days after Aso Taro issued his challenge to the DPJ to put country first, DPJ President Ozawa Ichiro delivered his rebuttal to Mr. Aso's address.The speech was mostly a repeat of his speech last month to the DPJ convention following his uncontested reelection as DPJ president.In contrast to Mr. Aso, he provided a series …
Aso the exhorter
Prime Minister Aso Taro officially opened the extraordinary session of the Diet with his first policy address.Press coverage of the speech has uniformly characterized it as taking to the offensive to the DPJ.In the first portion of the speech, Mr. Aso suggested that in its opposition to government plans, the DPJ has put the people's …
Tobias S. Harris 