politics

Ishihara, Hashimoto announce 'third force' in Japanese politics

34 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© Japan Today/AP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

34 Comments
Login to comment

Some say it is wrong to call an ultra-right wing political group the third force. I agree.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

third force is no more than a slight air turbulence, will die down without any major impact on J.politics.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Yo team jingo-jiji! These old fools will totally destroy an already disintegrating political arena. They just don't seem to understand that Japan is already 30 years behind the rest of the world in political reform and they wanna send it even further back. Somebody please tell these jingo-jijis the Edo period is over and Japan has to join the new millennium.the only way Japan will get out of this trouble is by updating and globalizing, but they wanna regress. Japan does not have the resources to be its own entity anymore and needs its international relationships to recover, but these guys have already alienated most of Asia with their imperialistic policies. Gawd help us if they get even more power!

8 ( +14 / -6 )

Polls indicate that the conservative, business-friendly LDP will win the most seats in the 480-seat lower house but will fall far short of a majority. That would force it to cobble together a coalition of parties with differing policies and priorities.

Recipe for a complete and utter disaster. Abe is a very weak leader and barely able to control his own party. Putting him in charge of a coalition is just nonesensical. Plus the fact that the parties all have "differing policies" will guarantee that Japan continues to muddle along with un-clear direction and policies that are constantly changing. The U.S. State Department must be dreading this -- big time. The ship is going down.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Hashimoto told reportetrs.....But he did not mention whether he and Ishihara had narrowed their differences on nuclear power, electoral reform and Japan's participation in the Trans-Pacific Pact (TPP) free trade agreement

I read this and thought of saying something, and then read further to see someone already has.

Noda questioned how a political party could be be taken seriously if they form an alliance by ignoring differences over key issues such as nuclear power, Japan's participation in the TPP talks and the consumption tax

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This is a train wreck in super-slow motion.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Quite surprising that Ishihara was so quick in deciding to agree to all of Hashimoto's policies despite the prior differences, which has made various things clear. One, Noda's political tactics to surprise everyone through the immediate dissolution declaration may be working in that it seems to have created a sense of panic on the part of Ishihara. Two, it has pretty much exposed the lack of serious thinking planning and consequent determination behind Ishihara's political vision and policies which also goes for all other members of the Sunrise party. Three, this will in my view set the tone for all of the other prominent political forces in that they are all likely to hastily end up presenting a very similar manifesto: yes to consumption tax hike under certain prerequisites designed to serve as comforting factors for the voters, yes to abolishing nuclear energy not immediately but within a few decades and yes to entering into TPP negotiations while carefully determining whether the terms and conditions are acceptable for Japan along the way. May have been the best decision Noda has ever made if only considering his own personal interests.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

May the force NOT be with you.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Quite surprising that Ishihara was so quick in deciding to agree to all of Hashimoto's policies

Sorry not true. A quick glance shows the references to moving towards a nuclear-free Japan have been dropped from their agreement.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Quite surprising that Ishihara was so quick in deciding to agree to all of Hashimoto's policies despite the prior differences

But yes you can see how his words and principles mean nothing, and that Hashimoto too will change his tone to get the throne.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Daijoboots: Agree a clear reference to that was removed from their statement which works all the better for Noda which was rather the point of the prior post.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I would like to congratulate the JT Copy Editor who managed to place the Pic of the Day "Anyone for Pork?" next to the photo of these two shamelessly corrupt martinets.

God help Japan if either of these two get their sticky fingers into the national till. The entire national tax revenue will become Shin Ginko Tokyo II. Ooooops, where did all the money go?

This place is astonishing. Overnight the concept of a second stint of cackypants Abe doesn't seem like the worst possible option. Unless he ends up having to enter into a coalition with the two crooks above, and ends up giving them the steering wheel.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Interesting that neither man will run in the elections, meaning that neither will have the chance to be PM. It also means that if this party does anything these two, one a budding, the other out to pasture, wannabe dictators will be the "shadow" leaders continuing in the tradition of screwing up the country even more.

I wonder when the folks in Osaka are going to get ticked off at Hashimoto for continuing to play the part of mayor but trying to run a national campaign. He's stealing their money!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

So the alternatives to Noda are Abe and this cabaret act.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Third force? You mean Third Reich.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Their choice of PM wannabe will be just a puppet. That's their political strategy.

Well, a train is just starting an engine. Once it started, it will accelerate its speed. Japanese political system does not have enough mechanism to stop it (Jingoism and dictatorship) until it wrecks. History will be repeated.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

A very hopeful coalition. It is clear that the "modern " world approach to problems and social change and health is not working, in deed it is a huge failure. One only has to study the news of the past three years to see that. Modern global culture has become a sad shadow of the shallow american dream of everyone for themselves and embrace any and all liberal causes and support any and all groups asking for any and all self determination and support without asking for anything in return.

We see Japan actually starting to walk in a new and healthy direction, not just this new party but the current ones are looking with wisdom at the options and realizing that there is great strength and value in traditional values IN Japan and that slavishly folloiwng the "normal" international model is and was a terrible mistake. Japan needs to depend on Japan, there wont be any real help from anyone ....not the help needed to restore the nation to social and cultural health.

I am glad to see these trends covered well and with careful attention by this news service. thank you. None of the western media can be trusted any more they have all become clones of the failed western model. I have high hopes for this new party.

-10 ( +3 / -13 )

I'm sure half of the negotiation time was spent arguing who's name would appear first on the press release.

"The country is going to fall apart if we don't act now!" <------ self-important a-holes.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Ok, so Hashimoto just abandoned his anti-nuclear stance... just to join with Ishihara. What on Earth is this guy thinking? Hashimoto was nothing but an empty suit. They are both going down in flames for sure.

If anybody is worried about these guys... then they shouldn't be. Current polls show that Restoration Party has only about 8% likely voters/supporters, and Sunrise Party has only about 5%, and sinking. They will soon be reduced to total irrelevancy.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/election/shugiin/2012/news1/20121117-OYT1T00838.htm

3 ( +5 / -2 )

May God help Japan!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This election scares me.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I'm looking forward to seeing this fail miserably

3 ( +6 / -3 )

What a pair of unprincipled opportunists. They have opposite views on many issues, yet claim to be a united "third force". I wish the "journalists" at NHK and elsewhere would stop calling them a third force when they will have very few candidates in the election and will likely win fewer seats than than LDP stooges Komeito and, possibly, Ozawa's party.

How can anyone vote for these clowns when you don't know what they stand for (apart from hatred of foreigners)? Are they for or against nuclear power? Will they raise the consumption tax, or not? Do they want to join the TPP or not? Why won't NHK "journalists" ask them these questions and demand a clear answer? I hope this move will lose them votes as it's clear they haven't a clue what they are doing.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Great to see they cooperate faster than i thought. Hope for Japan :)

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Like I said a few days ago when Ishihara formed his moronic Sunset Party -- he'd begin searching for coalition parties immediately. I guess I was only four days off.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Ah yes! A beautiful match made in heaven! Hashimoto and Ishihara! Or is it a match made in hell??

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Two petty would be dictators. One old and wishing for some kind of great legacy, the other a shameless opportunist and neo-fascist.

All I can say is this. If the people of Japan are foolish enough to give power over to these twisted men, then they will surely deserve all the pain and self destruction that results. I just hope that the people of Japan are not that foolish. I sincerely hope so at least.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

tkoind2: "If the people of Japan are foolish enough to give power over to these twisted men, then they will surely deserve all the pain and self destruction that results."

While you are 100% correct, the biggest problem is that they do not and WOULD not recognize that it's their fault, and would continue to look for 'strong' figures to lead them into similar disasters.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Sure, vote third party! Throw your vote away! Hahaha!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Ishihara is media's darling because he does not pose any legitimate threat to the establishment... while Hashimoto/Restoration Party is.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Unfortunately, due to language issue I have no deep access to Japanese media. I am just wondering how this right wing alliance is reported. In any democratic country, this would lead to massive discussion. Hope this is the case (but I have my big doubts - unfortunately). Comments from people mastering japanese language would be highly appreciated.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

One would do well to remember Alex Kerr's comment about Japan: It is a country without any brakes.

Somehow, I'm not reassured by the single-digit support these men enjoy. The thing about Japan is that the country has a nasty habit of allowing itself to be bullied and dominated by small groups (to wit: the yaks, the folks whose ancestors formed the outcast in Edo period, the bosozoku, the uyoku, and before that, the military fascists). If these men play their cards right, you'd be surprised just how far they can go. Once they reach a critical mass (far smaller than you might expect) they might be unstoppable, due to the fact that Japan is not a place where people will stand up and say, "Stop!" If you think I'm wrong, just reflect on how not one major media outlet in Japan has the guts to call Ishihara to task for causing over US$100 million in damage to the auto industry and bringing the country to the verge of war with a much stronger foe.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

old wine in a new bottle

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Are there any liberals left in this country??? Or at least any to call out and seriously OPPOSE the right wing fascists??

Let's see who to choose from....... conservatives who do nothing and refuse to budge, or conservatives who are total nutters and want to turn Japan back to the feudal age.......

With a wide range of choices like this, is it any mystery why Japan is so far behind in global politics?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites