10:03pm: Time for a new post...10:02pm: Have I mentioned how cool it is to be live-blogging from a newsroom?10:01pm: Another faction leader down, Ibuki Bunmei. More time to indulge his passion for cooking?9:59pm: There's Aso looking grim as reporters shout questions at him. What can Aso say, at this point? Will he be gracious in …
Month: August 2009
Meet Japan’s Democrats
The votes have been counted, and unsurprisingly the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has emerged victorious, becoming the first party other than the LDP to wield a majority in Japan's House of Representatives since the LDP was created in 1955.But despite its victory, the DPJ is poorly understood even by Japanese. So it is worth …
On the BBC
The rain is falling in Tokyo, but given the early turnout indicators it seems unlikely that the rain will make much difference.In the meantime, I will be appearing on the BBC at 5pm JST (9am GMT) to talk about the election.
Election day open thread
I will be checking in periodically over the course of today — in between TV appearances. I should also be live-blogging the results this evening. I'll be watching the returns and blogging from Reuters's offices in Tokyo before commenting on the results for Reuters TV. (I would also recommend checking out the Trans-Pacific Radio webcast …
The Japanese people choose
It is election day in Japan. After forty days of intense campaigning, the sound trucks are silent as the LDP, the DPJ, and a handful of smaller parties submit themselves to the judgment of the voters. After nearly four years, the Japanese people will vote for a new House of Representatives.I had many ideas for …
The budget is the key to regime change
In their final appeals to Japanese voters, Kan Naoto and other DPJ leaders laid particular stress on the budget.Speaking in Tokyo on Saturday, Kan said, "True regime change is politicians who have received the trust of the people restoring the right to formulate budgets to the people." Okada Katsuya, the DPJ's secretary-general, delivered the same …
The last night of LDP rule?
This evening I ventured over to Ikebukuro, where Prime Minister Aso Taro and DPJ leader Hatoyama Yukio were having dueling rallies on opposite sides of Ikebukuro station.I did not stay long at the LDP rally. Located on the east side of the station, the crowd was gathered on sidewalks around the roundabout, and there was …
The DPJ continues to reveal its plans for government
While the DPJ may have a public relations problem, the party has continued to show during the days leading up to the general election that it is focused on ensuring a smooth transition to power in the likely event that it wins, while at the same time taking the first steps to reorganizing the policymaking …
Continue reading The DPJ continues to reveal its plans for government
Hatoyama’s media problem
As expected, the translation of Hatoyama Yukio's essay in VOICE (discussed here) has caused a stir in the United States.Asahi quotes several anonymous former US government officials, as well as Sheila Smith from the Council on Foreign Relations, criticizing the essay. One of the former officials suggested that the Obama administration will simply ignore the …
Why the LDP will lose Sunday
I have an article at The New Republic's website that, building on some ideas initially explored at this blog, offers an explanation for why we're about to witness a major pendulum swing in Sunday's general election.
Tobias S. Harris 