Aso rejects calls to resign, saying he has to lead Japan out of recession

Tuesday 06th January, 04:02 PM JST

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seeker1 at 09:47 PM JST - 6th January

Sammi33, the people losing their jobs and forced to move out on the street are contract workers usually paid by the hour. If your hours are cut back, you don't get as much. Some were living off of 30,000 to 50,000 a month. Without a dormitory room, they would've been homeless. I'm sure a lot of them would have loved to have enough money to actually save some. Generally speaking a lot of money in Japan is in savings.

The payoff that Aso is pushing just looks like a way to pay people to vote for the LDP in the next election, but the sad fact is, it ain't enough of a payoff. Won't make a bit of difference to the average person. They should have figured out some kind of income tax reduction. Of course it wouldn't help people who don't pay income tax.
bamboohat at 10:02 PM JST - 6th January

If you want to stimulate the economy, you need consistent spending over a long period of time. Six to 12 months. One shot of less than 100,000 yen will do absolutely nothing. People with no savings will spend it on things that got them to the place of no savings, and fiscally responsible people that have a bit of savings will save it. the only real way to stimulate the japanese economy is to increase exports, but the heyday of "made in japan" is coming to a close, as people around the world are looking for cheap, not quality.

Japan is a facing a crisis that few of these politicians understand. It will take completely new thinking, from a completely new generation to fix things. It's gonna be a while.
borscht at 10:10 PM JST - 6th January

davidattokyo,

agree with you here, this is just crazy left-wing politics.

The Bush has been called many things in his life but I don't think left-wing crazy has been one of them.

Sammi33,

wait, Japanese are known for their savings?

I don't remember the savings rate off the top of my head, but yes, Japanese are known for saving (Americans are known for going into debt to buy crap they don't need). In fact, the savings of Japanese households financed American debt for years.
Dogdog at 10:56 PM JST - 6th January

smithinjapan at ......

Good points, never thought of it that way... fair enough... I'm back in my anti-Aso comfort zone.
bobbafett at 12:01 AM JST - 7th January

> “I am confident that the ruling party and I can implement effective measures to boost the economy

Yo, Viagra will not cut it.
sharky1 at 12:38 AM JST - 7th January

Aso...lead??? What has he been taking? (and can I get some of it?)
usaexpat at 12:42 AM JST - 7th January

64,000 yen is pocket change, how much consumer spending is that really going to trigger? The US tried this last year and it was more like $1500 which still didn't work. That said I don't really think that any of the DPJ alternatives much less anyone in the LDP is going to a better or worse job than Aso. The Prime Minister is not going to turn the economy around as it's a global downturn. Even if it was only a slump in Japan the PM doesn't have the power to will the markets to recovery.
Badsey at 01:08 AM JST - 7th January

college students that may have a hard time getting a job may need some sort of stimulus and may need to stay in school. These contract workers may need some help thru their companies. Homeless issues.

Everyone else must pull the purse strings tight and buy Japanese. Incentives to buy a house or car might help.

Buying Japanese and saving. Innovation of new products.

strong leadership is needed to provide direction (so people are not clueless about the condition or what to do) >Media awareness
DXXJP at 01:16 AM JST - 7th January

If they would reduce the consuption tax back to 3% for a year, and cut out all the un nessasary people in the gov., wastefull road projects, and so forth then maybe Japan could pull a turn around in a year. This is just throwing good money after bad. The only ones that will see an increase is the pachinco parlors.
telecasterplayer at 01:48 AM JST - 7th January

Aso rejects calls to resign, saying he has to lead Japan out of recession

Who's going to lead Japan away from the stagnant, idealess LDP?
mushroomcloud at 01:51 AM JST - 7th January

It's regrettable that Japan cannot have stable leadership.
cwhite at 02:14 AM JST - 7th January

I can see a good proportion of the public gambling the money away at pachinko parlors.
gogogo at 02:22 AM JST - 7th January

I think Aso just wants to look good by giving out money... why are they pressuring him to resign anyway he just took office?
HeathenCabin at 03:16 AM JST - 7th January

Well what have we here? I called the government stupid, idiotic, and everything that it does will fail unless it drastically reduces spending, taxes, regulations, and gets out of the market. SO that means Aso is an idiot. People think that the government needs to spend more, just where does this magical money come from? OH that is right, the government will just print prosperity! NOT.

Keep printing, while robbing everything through taxation and see where that ends up- I am sure Dear Leader Taro Aso knows everything! HE IS DEAR LEADER OF NIPPON!
GW at 12:45 PM JST - 7th January

dxxjp

I hear you but the problem the PORK spending has been HUGE for many decades & built up a very substantial false economy where taxes from the cities is just wasted in the country side & if it was cut( Iagree it needs to be cut) it will destroy a lot of the inaka because the J-govt has never invested in things that can once started sustain themselves, most of it is PURE PORK year after year, cut it one year & it ALL goes bust