Koizumi was bitch-slapped

[Taro Toporific]

Japan's Democrats Beat Koizumi's LDP in Elections , Television ...
July 11 (Bloomberg) --Japan's main opposition Democratic Party won more seats than the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the upper house elections held today ... ``The emergence of a second party able to vie for power would benefit Japan by forcing the LDP to be more responsive,'' Yuri Okina, senior economist at the Japan Research Institute

[GuyJean]

Viva la revolucion! AK, your noble statesman is being treated like an over-ridden Bush fuck-puppet.

``The emergence of a second party able to vie for power would benefit Japan by forcing the LDP to be more responsive,''

I'm lost; The LDP loses the majority but still retains power, and the prime minister's seat? Or did they mearly lose some seats?

GJ

[Mulboyne]

Tom Plate Writing in The Japan Times

Japan can't compete with a burning Iraq

Consider, for example, the huge story unfolding this week in Japan; hardly anyone in America is aware of it. On Sunday, triennial Upper House elections are to be held, and late polls show the party of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is in trouble. It's even possible that a disastrous election outcome could force Koizumi to resign as head of his party and thus as the country's prime minister.

The implications for the United States, in particular, could be profound. Koizumi is Japan's most promising prime minister in recent memory. During his administration, the economy has risen from its extended siesta, and relations with the U.S. have been revitalized. "Koizumi sticks to his guns," as the sharp-eyed Tokyo-based Nikkei Weekly put it in a recent headline, referring, of course, to the prime minister's daring deployment of Japanese troops in humanitarian roles in Iraq.

But America has little appreciation for the Ginza of guts (in the teeth of negative public opinion) that Koizumi displayed in sending Japanese boys and girls off to that Middle East hell hole.

Ever since World War II, Japan has subordinated its foreign policy to America's, but this may not go on forever. It rankles many Japanese that they are taken for granted by America. But kowtowing subordination is not Japan's only option; another is some kind of Asian Union (perhaps like a European Union) realignment, even involving a peaceful pairing with China; another is to reprise an old-style India-like policy of nonalignment. Though neither is probable, neither is impossible.

[GuyJean]

some kind of Asian Union (perhaps like a European Union) realignment, even involving a peaceful pairing with China. Though neither is probable, neither is impossible.

Um.. I tend to think 'impossible'.

GJ

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

[quote="GuyJean"] I'm lost]
Upper House election. The Ko has his seat in the Lower House.

[GuyJean]

Upper House election. The Ko has his seat in the Lower House.

I shee.. So, I'm assuming the Lower House holds more power since the PM's seat resides there?.. This brings me to another question; why is it called Lower house? Ah, nevermind. I'm hitting the sack.. I'll learn more tomorrow.

GJ

[AssKissinger]

AK, your noble statesman is being treated like an over-ridden Bush fuck-puppet.

Sorry dude, wrongaroo, good hair wins every time!

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's ruling party, facing a strong challenge by opposition Democrats, appeared to have maintained control of Parliament's upper house in elections Sunday that were dominated by concerns over the Japanese leader's social policies and deployment of hundreds of troops to Iraq

Go Go Koizumi!

[GuyJean]

Japan Ruling Party Holds Majority
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/07/11/japan.vote.results.ap/index.html

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's ruling coalition has maintained control of Japan's upper house of Parliament, despite the Japanese leader's dramatic drop in popularity polls.

Based on preliminary results, national broadcaster NHK reported shortly after polls closed that Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party took at least 43 seats.

That result, combined with coalition partner Komeito, would ensure the alliance maintains control of the chamber.

Official results were scheduled to be released later Sunday.

Half of the chamber's 242 seats were contested.

Going into the vote, the Liberal Democrats held 115 seats in the upper house and controlled a majority of seats together with coalition partner Komeito's 23 seats. The top opposition party, the Democrats, had 70..

The result was not expected to threaten the LDP-led ruling coalition's grip on power because it controls a majority of seats in the lower house, the more powerful of Parliament's two chambers.

__________

GJ

[stuckinkysuhu]

This election is only for half the seats in the upper house.

While the upper house is important, the real power lies downstairs where Koizumi and other cabinet members hold their seats. So basically, the DPJ will need to win the election in 2007 for the lower house to win power. But that's not too likely. Firstly, they just lost the lower house election late last year despite the country facing the same problems as it does today. Second, despite the many scandals over the years since the end of Allied rule, the LDP has always hung on to power either completely or at least as part of a coalition.

[Mulboyne]

I didn't think the LDP was part of Hosokawa's coalition in 1993

[String]

Speaking of komeito, what's the deal with soka gakkai? Seems a bit freaky. I checked out their website, but it was pretty vague.

[Taro Toporific]

Speaking of komeito, what's the deal with soka gakkai? Seems a bit freaky...

SGI is worse than Mormons and appeal to same wannabe, upward-aspiring l0sers. The Komeito voted for the Fools Failure in Iraq against the wishes of its memembership and the Buddha.

The Victims of Soka Gakkai Association has a website including the expose in Time magazine:
http://www.toride.org/eindex.html

Counterpoint (typical problem that SGI is "buddhism" to the Western world and the only Japanese religion that "exports".).
http://joi.ito.com/archives/2003/08/20/meeting_with_kenji_yoshigo_of_soka_gakkai.html

[dimwit]

I don't know about that. I have seen a Konko temple in my hometown of Toronto.

[Taro Toporific]

I don't know about that. I have seen a Konko temple in my hometown of Toronto.

Theologically speaking, Soka Gakkai is a pyramid business selling newspapers.

[Taro Toporific]

Speaking of komeito, what's the deal with soka gakkai? Seems a bit freaky...

More on the the LDP's coalition partner, the faux-Buddhist New Komeito Party at the NY Times....
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/12/international/asia/12japa.html?th=3D&p=agewanted=3Dprint&position=3D

Another large Buddhist group, Risho Koseikai recently switched its support from LDP to DPJ because of the war, but there are still other Buddhist groups that support LDP despite the war.