The above video is a TV commercial for the Democratic Party of Japan in advance of the approaching Diet session and this summer's election (hat tip: Trans-Pacific Radio and Mutant Frog).I wish it weren't so. I'd like to think that this ad was actually made by an LDP operative seeking to discredit the DPJ; I …
Tag: Japan
Abe as oligarch?
Political Japan's long holiday is winding down, with the regular session of the Diet due to begin next week, and both the LDP and the DPJ are preparing for the session and the run-up to the July elections with conventions this week.At the LDP's convention, Abe surprised no one by declaring that he intends to …
Will they or won’t they?
The "they" in the title of this post are, of course, the members of the Bank of Japan's Policy Board, and the 120.54 million yen question is whether its members will vote to raise interest rates on Thursday.Call me naive, but I'm used to the Fed's way of doing business, namely advertising the direction of …
Open Stackelberg Warfare in Japan
I have previously noted tension between the Bank of Japan and Abe Shinzo's governing coalition regarding the timing of the next round of interest rate hikes. It seems that that tension has become open warfare between monetary authorities and LDP and government officials in advance of this week's meeting of the BOJ's Policy Board.As this …
Abe on the Beeb
The BBC interviewed Prime Minister Abe (transcript here) on foreign policy. Nothing especially new here, but it offers an excellent picture of Japan's foreign policy approach in light of China's rise. Notice how Abe uses the language of international responsibility -- Japan is not only concerned about the direct threat posed by North Korea, it …
Clint Eastwood’s "Letters"
I finally made it to Roppongi Hills last night to see Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima (Roppongi Hills being the only place in the Tokyo metro area playing the film with English subtitles). The companion to Eastwood's Flag of Our Fathers, Letters is without question a deeply moving film, made in the spirit of …
A Japan of regions
Nikkei's leading editorial today, found here (in Japanese), is an urgent call for action on the "regional" problem in Japanese society. The problem is that Japan, like France and other countries, is extraordinarily top-heavy: Tokyo, like Paris, plays a disproportionately large role in all facets of Japanese life. And, as Tokyo grows, Japan's regions wither …
Future-shocked Japan
I first want to wish a happy and healthy New Year to all of my readers.After a bit of break, I'm back to posting, although my posts will most likely be on a more abstract level, like, say, this post, because Japan is on holiday for the week.The title of this post refers to the …
Important dates
As the year winds down and Japan's political establishment evaluates the first several months of the Abe Cabinet -- and wonders whether Abe will be able to bounce back in the new year -- several important dates have been set.The Diet's regular session will open on January 25th, and run through June 23rd, ending about …
Abe turns a corner?
After weeks of depressing news, has Prime Minister Abe Shinzo finally turned a corner and found a way to boost his sagging poll numbers?Two recent decisions in particular suggest this may be in the offing.First, Mr. Abe announced yesterday that the LDP would not accept campaign contributions from three major Japanese banks that had announced …
Tobias S. Harris 