For the second year in a row, Aso Taro is the early frontrunner to seize the LDP leadership.As noted yesterday, whether he wins this year will depend on his gaining an additional 68 votes over his 2007 total. One way to do that will be to build significantly on the 65 of 141 prefectural chapter …
Author: Tobias S. Harris
Tobias Harris is Japan analyst at Teneo Intelligence. He is the author of a forthcoming biography of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Koike prepares
The LDP is finalizing the schedule for its election: September 22, the day following the DPJ's reelection of Ozawa Ichiro.While it still looks as if Aso Taro will claim the prize, it appears that his election will not go nearly as smoothly as Mr. Ozawa's.Mainichi reports that Koike Yuriko has expressed her desire to run, …
The final word on Fukuda
The word in the Japanese media is that Fukuda Yasuo's resignation came as a complete surprise, reportedly made even without consulting with his wife.The LDP was blindsided. The public, it seems, is angry over Mr. Fukuda's "irresponsibility." The DPJ has already called for a general election.I was not among those who wrote Mr. Fukuda off …
Media availability
I am available to comment on the implications of Fukuda Yasuo's resignation.Please direct your questions to observingjapan@gmail.com.
Aso Taro’s poisoned chalice
With Fukuda Yasuo's resignation, there is little question that the frontrunner to replace him (perhaps the only candidate to replace him) is Aso Taro.Mr. Aso may regret it.Taking the helm with the LDP in even greater shambles than it was when he ran against Mr. Fukuda in September 2007 to succeed Abe Shinzo, a Prime …
Fukuda resigns
The autumn extraordinary session of the Diet has been looking quite similar to the 2007 extraordinary session of the Diet.We can discuss whether history rhymes or repeats, but one thing is clear:Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo has resigned, less than one year into his tenure as prime minister.The questions on the table are obvious. Will public …
Komeito riles the LDP
It is safe to assume that when Mori Yoshiro admonishes someone, the mood in the LDP is bleaker than previously thought.Mr. Mori, whose mission is not the advancement of an agenda of reform or reaction but the preservation of LDP primacy, has taken it upon himself to use his bully pulpit as a former prime …
Observing Japan on Radio Australia
I recorded an interview on Japanese agricultural policy for a story that aired on Radio Australia.Not my most articulate media appearance, but readers can listen to the story here. Ken Worsley of Japan Economy News was also interviewed.
The dissidents depart
In an unexpected but not wholly surprising move, the DPJ's upper-house dissidents will announce Thursday that they're leaving the DPJ to form their own party, citing the DPJ's failure to put the people before politics as the reason for their departure.The rebels — Watanabe Hideo and Oe Yasuhiro (both representatives from the DPJ national PR …
APSA blogging
I imagine that some of my readers may be in Boston for this year's APSA annual meeting.I'm planning on attending, and will be at a number of Asia-related panels (and possibly blog about what I hear).If you'll be at APSA, feel free to drop me a line (observingjapan@gmail.com).UPDATE: Blogging will depend on whether panels are …
Tobias S. Harris 