Gaffe-prone ex-transport minister Nakayama not to run in next election

Sunday 05th October, 04:56 AM JST

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romulus3 at 11:08 PM JST - 4th October

Nakayama said Japan is ‘‘ethnically homogenous,’’ called those who have engaged in years of struggle against the construction of Narita airport ‘‘squeaky wheels’’ and disparaged the Japan Teachers’ Union.

The thing is he is right about everything. Name one thing he said that is not a fact.
romulus3 at 12:06 AM JST - 5th October

No Black Flag. Japan is ethnically Homogenous. I don't say its a good thing. The struggle against Narita airport construction is not good for the economy and the Teachers Union does suck. I do not support the way he went about it but pretty much everything he said is true.
romulus3 at 12:12 AM JST - 5th October

Adj. 1. homogenous - all of the same or similar kind or nature; "a close-knit homogeneous group"
romulus3 at 12:15 AM JST - 5th October

Nakayama was referring to Those with Japanese citizenship, not the visitors tolerated here.
BlackFlag at 12:27 AM JST - 5th October

the struggle against Narita airport has been going on for at least 40 years and was responsible for a significant upsurge in protest culture during the late 60s.sadly few people continued to ride that wave to the present day but some are still there and still screaming into their retirement years. by the ridiculous term 'homogenous' people like Nakayama would like to exclude every "hafu" and "zainichi" (well maybe Akiko Wada gets a pass, perhaps his wife is a fan) and live in the fantasy world that is Japan suddenly appeared whole and populated on the globe a few thousand years ago. I'm not having that
romulus3 at 12:54 AM JST - 5th October

other ethnics with citizenship that largely populate Japan such as Koreans, Ainu and Chinese can fit the description of all of the same or similar kind or nature.

Have you ever met an ethnic Asian in Japan who does not have a Japanese name and Use a Kanji Variant? You wont.

We cannot say that Nakayama would like to exclude everyone. He never said that. this is an assumption based on the ethnic bias that Japan exhibits.

We can only fairly say that he was speaking generally and frankly, and that he spoke true facts, though without sensitivity, to a tiny portion of the population that are of the same or similar kind or nature but in the privacy of their own homes are not.
bamboohat at 01:13 AM JST - 5th October

My bad. When I read that he resigned (last week?) I just saw the headlines and assumed, it meant like "Quit". But I guess you can resign, and then resign again, and then still "be active in politics".

And Romulus, I don't think that anybody got offended because they thought he said something that was factually incorrect, so your point is moot.

The reason people got upset is because they sensed an intent behind those true facts (example, some other true facts are that danes have, on average, larger testicles than japanese) that did not sit well.
BlackFlag at 01:13 AM JST - 5th October

Have you ever met an ethnic Asian in Japan who does not have a Japanese name and Use a Kanji Variant? You wont.

doesnt stop them from having to register every 3 years or so. I'd call myself Akira NakaGawaSawaTaniZuki if it helped. that he speaks 'generally and frankly' to 'to a tiny portion of the population that are of the same or similar kind or nature but in the privacy of their own homes' ....hahahahahahahaha are you serious?"
romulus3 at 01:25 AM JST - 5th October

Bamboohat,

The reason people got upset is because they sensed an intent

Some people sense ghosts and aliens and God. None of these are logical.

blackflag,

> doesnt stop them from having to register every 3 years or so. I'd call myself Akira NakaGawaSawaTaniZuki if it helped

But that is irrelavent to the fact that they have can fit the description of all of the same or similar kind or nature.
romulus3 at 01:28 AM JST - 5th October

anyway, what nailed this guy is simple. he got a new high profile job and started running his mouth. If it was 6 months later it would barely have rated a mention.
BlackFlag at 01:29 AM JST - 5th October

okay then. wake me up when the MPs and that tricky Government Law are on the same page
Pukey2 at 02:04 AM JST - 5th October

romulus:

Have you ever met an ethnic Asian in Japan who does not have a Japanese name and Use a Kanji Variant? You wont.

What have you been taking? Do you know anything about Japan? Let's see, isn't Oh Sadaharu Japanese? 'Oh' (王) doesn't sound too Japanese. Then there's a soccer player who recently naturalized but chose to keep his Korean surname and Japanized the pronunication of his Korean given name. Maybe Agnes Chan has also naturalised, but she sure as hell doesn't have a typical Japanese name. And the Ainu were forced to adopt Japanese names.

I'm not offended by Nakayama one bit. I just think he's plain idiotic and out of touch with the real world.

And as for Higashikokubaru - I just wonder how much time he'll continue to spend on variety shows, as opposed to......being a politician.
romulus3 at 02:11 AM JST - 5th October

BlackFlag,

at the end of the day the system in Japan is horrible. Vote LDP when things are good coz things are good and vote LDP when things are bad coz the DPJ has no experience.

Japan will never never change and neither will its politicians. I am not defending Nakayama. In a true democracy he could not and his LDP mates could never get away with such things as they do but this is basically Chinese Democracy with politicians who believe they are in a democratic society so they run their mouths instead of being instructed as what to say.

Its a no win situation for the poor Japanese public who will get no pension in a few years.
rjdsr at 02:27 AM JST - 5th October

Nakayama has been a hero champion of Japanese values for many decades. He helped get out the truth on the comfort women issue - that there is zero proof that it was instigated as a Japanese government policy, the truth is that Korean pimps were selling women to soldiers. And, he helped stand up to China in its claims that Nanjing was anywhere near the scale of what the Chinese claim, when they killed far more in their own Cultural Revolution and Great Leap Forward.

It's a shame a great, courageous Japanese leader such as Nakayama will not have the chance to lead this nation back to pride. It is an insult that he cannot have the chance to give his soul for eternal rest at Yasukuni. I pray for him.
projecthaberno at 05:09 AM JST - 5th October

the Teachers Union does suck

Why?