The mayor of Yokohama is cool

[cstaylor]

Yokohama Mayor Nakada to publicize entertainment expenses

Newly elected Yokohama Mayor Hiroshi Nakada announced Tuesday he will fully publicize the details of how taxpayers' money will be spent on his entertainment expenses.

Moreover, Nakada said the municipal government will ban use of public funds for condolence money at funerals, thereby saving some 10 million yen.

Cool. Maybe the LDP will lose some more cities to these independents.

[GuyJean]

Go Naka! Go Naka!..

We should start a F*cked Gaijin fan club for this guy..

GJ

[kamome]

I think that maybe we're finally beginning to see young politicians emerge who grew up well past WWII and are not entrenched in the old ways of thinking. If Japan is to reinvent itself, I think the best people to do it are those Japanese who have traveled abroad, speak some English, and have a more global view. But the Japanese who fit that profile are mostly still too young to hold public office. Maybe now they're about to come of age.

[Mr. BIG]

Wow....I read a link that was posted on the 'New Yokohama Mayor is Cool' thread. If Nakada's a sign of what's to become of Japanese politics, a lot of backwards political issues in Japan will be reforming nicely within the coming years....I only glanced at his English page, but if it's sincere this guy's got a great head on his shoulders and can really make a positive difference....(actually, I don't know much about Japanese politics....does a mayor actually have a great deal of influence?? For the sake of Yokohama (and the rest of Japan), I sure hope so!!)

[kamome]

My only question is, what is he going to be like when he's in his 60's and has a whole harem of mistresses to support?

Then it'll be nothing but thinking like an oyaji and channelling bribes from the yakuza to the construction industry.