IHT: 'Japan's Tony Blair' brings hope to lagging opposition
TOKYO As a university student in the early 1980s in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto, Seiji Maehara dreamed of one day leading his nation on the world stage. Now his chance has come - but it will require him to dislodge one of the world's most formidable political machines...Perhaps it is not surprising that Maehara outlines a centrist direction for his party that sounds an awful lot like the policies of his opponents. "We need to differentiate ourselves from the LDP, or voters won't know who we are," Maehara said in an interview last week at his office in the Parliament building. "But if we make the differences too big, then voters will feel uncomfortable. We need to strike a balance"...more...
