Sunday May 27, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Japan's new leadership wins solid backing in more polls

Politics Sep. 05, 2011 - 06:52AM JST ( 15 )

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15 Comments

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some14someSep. 05, 2011 - 07:43AM JST

Good luck ! May this Cabinet become longest surviving regime and stop producing PM every few months.
0

LockOnSep. 05, 2011 - 10:41AM JST

I truly hope Noda and his cabinet pulls through, but a 65% approval rating isn't indicative of success. Kan's approval rating was initially the same before it plummeted.
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smithinjapanSep. 05, 2011 - 11:05AM JST

"The survey of more than 1,400 households also showed 63% support for temporary tax hikes that Noda..."

I like that the guy seems honest and a little more down-to-earth than some of his predecessors, and I'm glad that, aside from a few picks to appease the inner-party opposition and Ozawa he's chosen some fresh faces, but anyone who thinks a tax hike will be temporary is nuts.

Now that Noda was shot down by the LDP for a 'grand coalition', I hope Noda will stick it to them and FINALLY start attacking Tanigaki's character and what not. I hate the sniping that dominates American politics, don't get me wrong, but enough's enough! Noda's popularity would increase even more if he showed some back-bone and told the LDP off when they call for his or others' resignations.
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HikozaemonSep. 05, 2011 - 12:46PM JST

Smith - because of Kan's failure in the last upper house election, LDP has the DPJ over the pommel horse like the guy in Pulp Fiction. And Noda isn't the right character to give mad-dog responses (unlike Ishihara in the LDP).

Noda's job is to minimize damage and rebuild the DPJ sufficiently so that it can survive the upcoming slaughter it faces in house elections next year. He's basically a caretaker, and he's only going to focus on doing whatever the Finance Ministry tells him to.

Basically, he marks a return to stabilized party politics, and a return to bureaucracy led policy making like Japan had for 50 years under the LDP. With Kan out, and Ozawa facing trumped up corruption charges, the establishment has achieved its goal of removing people within the DPJ that represent a threat to their monopoly on policy creation., and mark a return to political rubber stamping of rule by administrative guidance. The DPJ is now in autopilot, and the electorate is relieved - until of course they wake up and realize that with the DPJ politically now neutralized as any kind of ideological alternative to the LDP, it really no longer makes any difference which party is in power.

Japan is back to business as usual.
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smithinjapanSep. 05, 2011 - 01:15PM JST

HikoZaemon: "Smith - because of Kan's failure in the last upper house election, LDP has the DPJ over the pommel horse like the guy in Pulp Fiction. And Noda isn't the right character to give mad-dog responses (unlike Ishihara in the LDP)."

I agree with you, I was just saying it would be nice to see Noda do it. I also agree that no party is better than the other, and think they have been the same for a long, long time -- especially given that most DPJ members are former LDP flunkies. However, this is the critical point for Noda; if he simply does nothing at this point in time then he's done within a year, likely, and it is indeed back to 'normal' for Japanese politics. I suspect that is what will happen, as you have pointed out.
-1

soldaveSep. 05, 2011 - 01:43PM JST

65% and more than likely it's all downhill from here. Who'll be the next PM next summer is more than likely what's getting discussed.
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SushiSake3Sep. 05, 2011 - 01:59PM JST

If you've seem the Daily Yomiuri headlines this morning - the new Noda cabinet has a 65 percent approval rating.

Sounds good except they haven't done anything.

Probably even more amazing - 19 percent disapprove - of a cabinet that hasn't done anything.

What is there to disapprove of????

The only thing it looks like people were approving/disapproving of was the people chosen for the cabinet - which hasn't done anything.

Weird....
1

davidattokyoSep. 05, 2011 - 06:05PM JST

I can't think of any countries in the world where a political party can change it's leadership and

get a 300% improvement in the polls.

It goes to show how pointless the notion of political parties in Japan really are.

There is no strategic vision anywhere in Japanese politics, the whole system needs a good shake up. Policy-centric politics rather than people-centric politics. Japan needs some non career politicians to come in with some actual vision and I'm sure they could inspire the voters to join them. There are loads of successful business people in Japan, any one of them could do a better job at leading in a useful direction than the clowns ostensibly in charge.
-1

davidattokyoSep. 05, 2011 - 06:16PM JST

smith, Noda might look like he has some back-bone, but he'll run the risk of exposing his own lack of vision and/or stir up policy disagreements within his own party.

These are guys who stand around a train stations and say "my name is Blehbleh, please give me your support". Anyone could do this - no wonder they are so useless. Why are spend and hope crooks like Ozawa and Noda / Kan even in the same party?

There is something deeply wrong with the whole system.
0

gonemadSep. 05, 2011 - 06:49PM JST

Oh, the approval polls again. I wonder what the exact questions are. Just before his election, in a similar poll only 11% thought that Noda would be suitable for PM (note: less than the approval rate for the outgoing Kan cabinet!) and now without doing anything else than presenting his cabinet the numbers skyrocket to above 60%?
2

CrickySep. 05, 2011 - 07:17PM JST

Only been in office 1week, what is this "survey" based on? If anyone can shed light on this, please. Did I miss a policy change? Did he appear with Smap?
-1

just-a-guySep. 05, 2011 - 07:24PM JST

Now I know why almost all Japanese PM has to apologise and bopwing at the end when they resign! The expectations and demands from the people were too high,too impossible to achieves!
1

Christina O'NeillSep. 05, 2011 - 08:10PM JST

I take it that this poll was taken prior to the statement of the minister of the environment Mr Hosono, requesting prefectures throughout Japan to accept contaminated nuclear debris for internment within their own environments
0

FoxieSep. 05, 2011 - 08:54PM JST

But now that everybody knows that he received a donation from a Korean, how long will he stay on?
0

globalwatcherSep. 06, 2011 - 04:24PM JST

He was not my choice for a PM, but I am beginning to like this guy. Sounds very humble, honest and sincere. I am glad to hear Japanese people are behind him. You Go Noda! Let's go and get it!