Finance Minister Nakagawa Drunk At G7 Talks?

[Mulboyne]

ABCNews: Japanese FM Nods Off During G7 Talks
Finance chiefs from around the world gathered this weekend in Rome to figure out how to solve the worsening global economic crisis, but simply staying awake proved too tough a task. It appears that Japanese Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa fell asleep at today's meeting of the Group of Seven's finance leaders. Granted, the jet lag from a 15-hour flight isn't easy to overcome, but when your nation's economy is predicted to contract by 2.5% this year, per the IMF, and its biggest automakers like Toyota and Nissan are slashing jobs by the tens of thousands, that should be enough to keep you awake...more...

He slurred his words during a press conference leading some of the Japanese press reporters to wonder whether he was drunk. He certainly doesn't sound good:

[yt]d1p3X-NVM2I[/yt]

Some Japanese netizens have added comments to the ABC News blog post above. Here's one:

"We Japanese are generous to addiction to something. Finance Minister Nakagawa is addicted to SAKE, while Premier Asou is addected to manga comic. Welfare Minister Masuzoe is addicted to sex and can do intercource for more than four hours without aid of medicine. Agriculture Minister Ishiba, ex-Defense Minister, is a millitary mania and a plastic models mania."

[Yokohammer]

Oh terrific. The credibility of Japan's politicians drops another significant notch.

This is infuriating. Does any one of these self-serving silver-spooned goons actually give a shit about normal hard-working people? Nakagawa is supposed to be shouldering some serious responsibility in the face of the worst worldwide economic crisis in a century, and this is the best he can do?

It's bad enough that we have a smug, disdainful PM who can't open his mouth without proving that he hasn't got a fucking clue how most of the people in his country live (they're just "commoners" anyway).

Japan deserves better. Much better.

[TennoChinko]

Our Financial Minister is very sincere and a hard worker. Japan, as well as other countries,is facing economic cricis. Under the cercumstance his schedule is muerderous. In addition he has a health problem in the back which forces him to take strong pain killer. We are very concerned what's happenning to him. Please ignore the comments which are insulting him.

Posted by: Ordinary Japanese | Feb 15, 2009 5:58:14 PM

versus

While Nakagawa may have certainly been jetlagged, he was drunk and/or hungover to boot. Not surprising when the current Prime Minister Taro Aso is also a well-known drunk who has conducted interviews while loaded. Japan has an abundance of so-called "functional alcoholics". It's too bad they are now in charge and dragging down the country.

Posted by: Hirohito's Kintama | Feb 15, 2009 6:15:00 PM

[Mulboyne]

Some reports are openly wondering whether Nakagawa was showing early signs of a stroke. However, since he is known to be a drinker, and has appeared "tired and emotional" in public before, most are still sticking with the view that he was drunk.

[Buraku]

I like Nakagawa despite his usual thirst and I think unlike other Japanese politicians he actually works from time to time but on this one I agree yeah he's totally fucking shit faced
this Economic Armageddon just gets more strange every month. If Hillary Clinton during visit decides to have a press conference with Minshuito..>spell? (DPJ) then its suddenly snap election and LDP is fucked for the next years.
(yes I know LDP losing is real apocalyptic chicken-little talk to be saying)
BTW
I'm reading the Japanese economy actually shark by 12.5% annualized, (600 Billion? dollars)
far worse than Bloomberg's 10% prediction
The LDP is a complete cricus now, the only thing stranger than what's going on now...is maybe the Japanese put up CrispinGlover a Thai transexual or that bald naked white guy who jumped in the river up as an election candidate

[Mulboyne]

SMH: 'Drunk' finance minister blames cold medicine

Japan's Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa has denied being drunk at a G7 meeting on the financial crisis and has blamed cold medicine for appearing drowsy and slurring his speech at a press conference. Nakagawa's performance after the weekend Group of Seven meeting in Rome came under fire from the media and the opposition called for him to be sacked. One tabloid headline blared "Drunk!?" while television shows said they worried not just about the health of the global economy, but also of the finance minister, who is reputed to be a hard drinker.

Nakagawa, 55, looked drowsy and could not speak clearly during Saturday's joint press conference with Bank of Japan governor Masaaki Shirakawa after the G7 meeting. "Something like a joint statement was issued...," he told reporters as he appeared to struggle to keep his eyes open. "Interest rates, uh, set by the BoJ are between zero and 0.25 per cent and very low ...," he said to the visible dismay of the central bank chief sitting next to him. The BoJ's target rate is now 0.1 per cent. He also mistakenly thought a question for Shirakawa was directed at himself.

"This should deserve immediate firing. It's a scandalous act," the secretary general of the main opposition Democratic Party, Yukio Hatoyama, told reporters. Nakagawa denied he had been drunk. "I had a cold. Honestly, the cold medicine kicked in too much," he told reporters early on Monday. "I did not drink before the G7," he added, sniffing loudly. Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura, the top government spokesman, said what happened in Rome was "extremely regrettable" while noting the minister had apologised by telephone. Nakagawa's bungling came as government data showed on Monday that Japan's economy shrank at the fastest pace since 1974 in the October-December quarter of 2008.

Nakagawa denies being drunk

[Tsuru]

The credibility of Japan's politicians

Surely this must be a contradiction in terms?

[Mulboyne]

Whether he was drunk or medicated, I can't understand his aides allowing him to appear in public in that state. They should have made excuses and bundled him out of the way before he got near a camera.

[dimwit]

Whether he was drunk or medicated, I can't understand his aides allowing him to appear in public in that state. They should have made excuses and bundled him out of the way before he got near a camera.

C'mom pulling a Boris is a sure way to gain international respect. The medication excuse is a good one. I'm just wondering how many gallons he drank.

A question I have is how do these guys travel? By regular airline or by government jet? If by regular jet his aides might of had a problem controlling him in public.

[Yokohammer]

Surely this must be a contradiction in terms?

You mean "credibility" and "Japan's politicians" in the same sentence?
I have to admit it is getting harder to use those terms even on the same page.

Whether he was drunk or medicated, I can't understand his aides allowing him to appear in public in that state. They should have made excuses and bundled him out of the way before he got near a camera.

Exactly. He was obviously in no state to speak in public, let alone represent an entire country in public, and allowing him to do so is nothing less than incompetence on the part of his support team. Utterly shameful and a grievous failure in a situation in which his country and in fact the rest of the world are depending on swift, appropriate, and responsible action.

But the cold medicine excuse is pretty lame no matter how you cut it. Do politicians get special turbo-charged cold medicine or something? I have never seen cold medicine do that much damage to anyone. Cold medicine plus booze, maybe, but not just cold medicine.

What an embarrassing mess ... and waste of time and the taxpayer's money.

[Cyka UchuuJin]

I like Nakagawa despite his usual thirst and I think unlike other Japanese politicians he actually works from time to time but on this one I agree yeah he's totally fucking shit faced
this Economic Armageddon just gets more strange every month. If Hillary Clinton during visit decides to have a press conference with Minshuito..>spell? (DPJ) then its suddenly snap election and LDP is fucked for the next years.
(yes I know LDP losing is real apocalyptic chicken-little talk to be saying)
BTW
I'm reading the Japanese economy actually shark by 12.5% annualized, (600 Billion? dollars)
far worse than Bloomberg's 10% prediction
The LDP is a complete cricus now, the only thing stranger than what's going on now...is maybe the Japanese put up CrispinGlover a Thai transexual or that bald naked white guy who jumped in the river up as an election candidate

your ignorance in the 'fucked in dubai' thread is now blatantly clear and understandable. perhaps you should suggest that japan, the shining example of uncorrupt, unscandalised, and sober governments, send nakagawa to dubai to teach them how to run their finances.

[Level3]

One (big) cup of hot sake + one raw egg = tamagozake = "cold medicine"

[Takechanpoo]

[Buraku]

[Cyka UchuuJin]

[Buraku]

Kinda like Kansai Airport, ne?

Kansai might become something, it just takes a guy with a bit of backbone and thick skin to transform its management structure and turn it into a real hub
لماذا هو يقول لك أنا لم الرمال على
All that glitter and gold of Dubai,
sugar grains of wealth condensing like mountains of stones
we are to adore the hype of a man without feet
is it a culture where we wallow in lamb fats, prayer and sesame oil.
لو آنها تركت قصاصَ أوراق وتركتْ عنوانا على الرمل،

but I am curious what makes you think I've never ever been to the ME that I'm some born and bred patriotic American? or that ive never picked up a history book? or and please the hard ride J-immigration gives gaijins ain't nothing compared to the looming legislation coming at gaijins in the UAE. I also wonder why you give the Indians a hardtime, without a backbone of serfs there would b no modern dubai buildings or an economy. The only difference in the lifestyles you can claim is their child labour is a bit easier in Dubai than labor from their slumdog millionaire. The fact remains exploitation is still exploitation.

Anyhow the topic at hand is Nakagawa, G7 and Japan.
Throw in some yen theory, throw in some opposition J-parties that's fine but this dubai style slant on the thread is just fucking retarded...sell that sand somewhere else
I would hate to this this thread moved to beyond fucked
I didn't want to drag any shit from political erections here but you are the one who started the N-J-R post
and only if you insist I will continue doing this dance with you

[Mulboyne]

I'm pleased no-one noticed my deliberate mistake in calling Nakagawa the Foreign Minister in the title of this this thread rather than Finance Minister. I've changed the title (with the assistance of Omae Mona) to reflect reality.



It appears from press reports that Nakagawa is trying to convince us that he was ill by checking into hospital which has the happy side-effect, as far as his party is concerned, of keeping him out of the public eye for a while. He insists that, while he did have a little tipple, it was only a taste and wouldn't account for him appearing bladdered.

[Yokohammer]

At around 12:50 today (Feb 17), Nakagawa announced that he intends to resign as soon as the current budget passes the diet.

Well waddya know ...

[canman]

Won't that be about the same time that Mr. Koizumi,(aka the savior) will step in to take over and try and rescue the LDP from certain destruction. I have been warning my student for more than three months that Koizumi would be coming back, as he is the only person with enough popularity to help the LPD. And wouldn't you know it right on cue, he starts to rear his shaggy main and make comments about the current gov't and how poor they are running things.
Back to Mr. Nakagawa, I heard he was admitted to the hospital on return from the G-8 meeting. Another famous LDP trick to garner sympathy.

[james]

[Yokohammer]

Won't that be about the same time that Mr. Koizumi,(aka the savior) will step in to take over and try and rescue the LDP from certain destruction. I have been warning my student for more than three months that Koizumi would be coming back, as he is the only person with enough popularity to help the LPD. And wouldn't you know it right on cue, he starts to rear his shaggy main and make comments about the current gov't and how poor they are running things.

I wouldn't be surprised at all.

As soon as Nakagawa made his announcement the TV commentators were speculating that his departure might occur simultaneously with a dissolution of the diet and an election. And of course the big question is: who's suitable?

I guess the answer is actually "nobody," but under the circumstances Koizumi would probably be the best bet. But maybe just as "kingmaker" rather than the PM himself (I dunno, is he eligible to do the PM thing again?).

This could actually get interesting, which would be a change from the usual predictable banality and waffling that goes on around Nagata-cho.

[Mock Cockpit]

If cold medicine gets you that fucked up I'm off to the quack tomorrow for a prescription.

[Greji]

If cold medicine gets you that fucked up I'm off to the quack tomorrow for a prescription.

Didn't the potential foreign minster just resign and say he's going to check into a hospital?

[Mulboyne]

[GuyJean]

.. he would step down after Parliament passes a series of budget measures aimed at stimulating the economy. it was unclear when exactly this will be, but probably not for several weeks, analysts said...

Yeah, I thought that was kind of a strange announcement. Does this help or hurt the possibilities of these budget matters passing?.. Probably has no effect. Like most Japanese politicians..

GJ

[Mulboyne]

The Economist wrote this about Nakagawa in September:

...When this correspondent recently called after lunch on the man now responsible for coping with the global financial crisis, he found him in erratic form, with his shirt unbuttoned to the waist...

[Mock Cockpit]

Didn't the potential foreign minster just resign and say he's going to check into a hospital?

This is the only place he'll be checking into I reckon]http://www.reallyjapan.com/images/20080526135240_snack.jpg[/IMG]

[Takechanpoo]

There is considerably likelihood that Nakagawa was trapped by one woman Yomiuri Shinbun reporter, who was drinking together with him just before the press conference. Probably she is a spy of Uncle Sam and Nakagawa opposed to something Sam got angry with.

Another site about her
http://saiyou.yomiuri.co.jp/works/hensyu/syain/echizenya01.html
http://info.yomiuri.co.jp/jinji/job/job/echizenya.htm
Paliament secretaries and shinbun reporters are filled with spies of America, China and Korea.

[Mulboyne]

It seems like Nakagawa has now resigned unconditionally

Asahi (Japanese)

Kaoru Yosano, State Minister in charge of Economic and Fiscal Policy, will take over his duties.

[Catoneinutica]

Whether he was drunk or medicated, I can't understand his aides allowing him to appear in public in that state. They should have made excuses and bundled him out of the way before he got near a camera.

By Take's reasoning, the aides must've been covert agents of the Chinese/American/Korean axis of evil. Poor Japanese - so naive, so credulous, so easily duped.