Prime Minister Abe has decided to forgo taking a vacation at his summer home in Yamanashi Prefecture during the O-Bon festival period, although it is not entirely clear what he plans to do in Tokyo — apparently he'll be going to movies and plays. He told reporters, "Since I also have preparations to make for …
Continue reading Japan goes on vacation, Abe’s unpopularity stays put
Jiji reports on a meeting of members of the House of Representatives who have been elected thirteen times. The group? Ozawa, former Prime Minister Mori, Kokumin Shinto member Watanuki Tamisuke, former Prime Minister Hata Tsutomu, and DPJ member Watanabe Kozo.Ozawa, not surprisingly, criticized the prime minister's inaction and lack of common sense; Mori, it seems, …
Jiji and Mainichi report today on the creation of an anti-Abe "study group" composed of eight members from the Yamasaki, Tanigaki, and Tsushima factions, some of whom have already gone public with criticism of the prime minister.The ringleader is former Education Minister Kosaka Kenji of the Tsushima faction, who was education minister in the final …
Over at Shisaku, MTC relays a Yomiuri story reporting that Foreign Minister Aso will be Nakagawa Hidenao's replacement as LDP secretary-general.MTC correctly notes that the LDP secretariat is hardly the ideal position from which Aso can claim the premiership, indeed, it will likely burden him with the trying task of hammering together a unified LDP …
The debate over the extension of the anti-terror special measures law is quickly becoming the defining issue of the post-election political environment, with each party struggling to stand fast and embarrass the other side — with Washington watching closely for signs of whether Japan's commitment to the alliance is withering, and wondering whether the DPJ …
Mainichi has a long account of the meeting between (now former) LDP Secretary-General Nakagawa, Upper House head Aoki, and LDP boss former Prime Minister Mori on Sunday evening as the returns came in suggesting a major LDP defeat.In case anyone still has any doubts, this article makes it clear that it is wholly unclear whose …
Prime Minister Abe has reportedly committed to executing a cabinet and party leadership reshuffle by the end of August, following his summer travels to India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.This despite pressure from within the party to act quickly, with former Prime Minister Mori suggesting that waiting too long for a reshuffle would be a "body blow" …
MTC, after going on hiatus in advance of the official campaign period, is posting again, firing a salvo against the besieged Mr. Abe.After laying out how Mr. Abe has become an albatross to the LDP — and demonstrated his worthlessness as a leader, he asks, convincingly, "So what is the benefit of having Abe Shinzō …
One trope that has emerged in the days since the election has been talk of "adult politics" in terms of how the DPJ will conduct itself as the Upper House's largest party. The fact that it is even necessary for the DPJ to promise that it will act "grown up" is a sign of just …
The Kishi (or is it Sato?) clan has an interesting relationship with the Japanese people, and with Prime Minister Abe digging in his heels despite a resounding vote of no-confidence on Sunday, it looks like the prime minister versus the people once again.Of course, in 1960, the stakes were serious, the issues being matters of …
Tobias S. Harris 