The political system is gearing up for a debate over the government's 15 trillion yen stimulus package that could decide the timing and the outcome of the next general election.Kan Naoto has indicated that if the government is open to revising the plan, the DPJ will cooperate to smooth its passage. What choice does the …
Continue reading Is the government running out of options — or out of options already?
While Japan waited anxiously Saturday to see whether North Korea would launch its rocket, the day ended up being notable for the defense ministry's mistakenly informing the public not once but twice that launch had occurred.Yomiuri has the details on how the public came to be misinformed. The first mistake, which occurred around 10am Saturday, …
The weather is apparently clear in North Korea, and the Korean Central News Agency has announced that the DPRK will soon send its satellite into orbit.Japan is on hair trigger alert. The defense ministry has indicated that it will announce its response to the rocket launch within minutes, using information from US early-warning satellites and …
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 …
It seems that in sweeping to office with the support of two thirds of the votes in the LDP presidential election, and with even more support among the party's rank-and-file supporters, Aso Taro has decided that the key to winning the next general election is...satisfying his electoral base?Has Mr. Aso been talking with Karl Rove?All …
On Sunday, I suggested that Aso Taro would not enjoy the honeymoon enjoyed by his predecessors upon becoming prime minister.Now that the first opinion polls are in, it is clear that the public is losing its tolerance for LDP inaction.There was talk that the Aso cabinet might receive public approval in the sixties; isn't that …
Continue reading The Japanese public decides to wait and see on Aso
I have previously speculated on the consequences of Aso Taro's becoming prime minister for the future of the LDP.In this post, for example, I wrote, "...If the conservatives retake control of the LDP under Mr. Aso and reunite with Mr. Hiranuma, that alliance could prove fatal for the LDP, as the readmission of Mr. Hiranuma …
The LDP's parliamentarians are gathering to vote for the next party president at this very moment, but the outcome is all but assured.Thirty of forty-seven LDP prefectural chapters voted over the weekend, and those thirty gave all but six of their ninety votes to Mr. Aso.Koike Yuriko received zero votes. Ishiba Shigeru received all three …
Tobias S. Harris 