Noda replaces 5 ministers in cabinet reshuffle

Important bills like consumer tax and social insurance should not be linked with scandals from politicians. When scandals happen, bills should be pending which lead to slowing of Japanese economy. To be independent, the government should launch the independent and specific section dedicated to build strategies and execute each programs.

To be independent, the government should launch the independent and specific section dedicated to build strategies and execute each programs.

That's called the bureaucracy. How do you think anything at all gets done in this backwards, politically impotent nation?!?! I'm guessing the ones who get sacked will slowly fade away, and the new ones will err just as stupidly..!

...what next? Noda will be replaced by new prime minister.

Important bills like consumer tax and social insurance should not be linked with scandals from politicians. When scandals happen, bills should be pending which lead to slowing of Japanese economy.

Let me hear your proposal for the solution?

The old Cabinet reshuffle game: it won't do diddly-squat to help Noda with public approval ratings. (Well, maybe for a week or two.)

Tokyo has never cared much about what Okinawa thinks anyway. It's easy to move another hack into the Defense portfolio.

Noda and his Finance Ministry friends are desperately hoping he gets enough time to get the graduated consumption tax rise in place.

Noda, and by extension his DPJ, is done. If Noda is to have any chance at clinging to power for a few more months he will do the smart thing and bring in 5 LDP lawmakers into his cabinet.

useless. if reshuffle would work, the japanese government would have already been changed. it is bureaucrats that needs reshuffling. ministers are nothing more than puppets.

j4p4nFTWJan. 13, 2012 - 11:09AM JST

Noda, and by extension his DPJ, is done. If Noda is to have any chance at clinging to power for a few more months he will do the smart thing and bring in 5 LDP lawmakers into his cabinet.

What alternatives do you have for Japan? Going back to the LDP? Nahh..... They have tanked Japan a big time! I believe Noda has a crystal ball going forward. These are the things he wants to accomplish.

1)Repair Tohoku (jump starting domestic spending)

2)Repair Fukushima Daiichi and clean up contaminated surrounding area

3)Jump starting economy for GDP growth

Your critical thinking is highly appreciated. Await for your response. Thanks.

.

The revolving door is starting to move faster.

I love politics in Japan. Maybe I should run for office.

electric2004Jan. 13, 2012 - 12:27PM JST

The revolving door is starting to move faster.

And you want to see Japan tanking faster and faster as you are creating a political/social vacuum in Japan. How many laundries do you have to do? In the past 20 years, how many PM's have you trashed, and nothing have been done to better your country. You want to see Japan melting away faster and faster. I see. I see your point.

"Noda needs the help of the opposition to pass a package of tax and social reform bills and see through his unpopular plan to raise consumer tax from 5% to 8% in early 2014 and 10% in late 2015."

If Noda thinks the reshuffle will win him cooperation from the LDP he's dumber than I thought. They will simply pounce on this as 'proof' that Noda is incapable of leading the nation, and as usual they'll demand he dissolve the Lower House for an election, etc.

smith, I wanna ask you, really. Is there any alternatives in Japan? Is there anyone who can better than Noda?

Frustrated 10,000 miles away.

globalwatcher...that was awesome.

globalwatcher: "smith, I wanna ask you, really. Is there any alternatives in Japan? Is there anyone who can better than Noda?"

No, not at all. My point was merely how superficial the LDP is and that Noda shouldn't kow-tow to them by doing something just to win their approval. It is a sad fact indeed that Japan has ZERO bright options for PM in the near future, and possibly even the distant future.

Dammit, not yet! I have 2000 yens for Noda staying at least 10 months on the job ('cause I have faith in the entertainment value of Japanese politicians), but this is progressing too fast!!

The only hope on Japan,s horizon is Hashimoto & co.

Hahaha! People fired for not singing kimigayo, libraries closed but streets lit up... Please. You need to learn more about Hashimoto is you think he's going to save this country.

Not happy at all that Rehno is gone. Only person I thought who cared and was doing a decent job.

smth, thank you for your response. I agreed with you on that. What I am afraid the most for Japan is a political/social vacuum as I have mentioned above. By looking back the past 20 years, Japan is going backward evey step ot the way It seems to me everything is completely broken down. Sad.

my2senseJan. 13, 2012 - 12:51PM JST

globalwatcher...that was awesome

Yes, I am very lucky to live here in peace.and nature. Very, very lucky.

Corruption, stubbornness, selfishness and refusing to embrace (or even recognize) change are the real killers in Japanese politics. Until these mannerisms are eradicated from government, nothing will change, and life and opportunities for us who live here will continue to decrease, whilst stress, feeling miserable and suicides will increase.

Changing one or two ministers will have no real long term impact.

I would happily support a hostile takeover of these incompetent government parties and politicians.

I believe Noda has a crystal ball going forward.

Except that crystal balls are not real, so there is no way Noda has one nor the powers one would bring. It's disturbing that anyone would think he can know the future.

I figure Noda bought himself 6 months maximum with this reshuffling of DPJ clowns. Hopefully the LDP will come out hard, demand an election and remind the voters over and over that the DPJ wants to saddle them with a tax burden that will make it more difficult to put food on the table.

Big deal, the ministry bureaucrats and US military are still calling the key shots.

I would happily support a hostile takeover of these incompetent government parties and politicians.

@tokyokawasaki, I see what you are saying. This s a perfect political climate for a dictator to take over. You may be rigtht on that.

j4p4nFTWJan. 13, 2012 - 02:24PM JST

the LDP will come out hard,

Yeh, right. They have already borrowed from your future and have spent it all. All you have left in your hands are a huge debt, a big gap between rich and poor, no advanced social infrastructure and non economic growth. Right, I see what you want. Hope you have a map to get to a local "hello work" ready.

All cabinet ministers present at a morning meeting handed in a letter of resignation, but in a piece of political theater, most were returned unopened.

I thought this was a very informative/good article overall, but I was left wondering about the quoted sentence above.

There are 17 Cabinet ministers (I think). How many of them attended the "morning meeting"? Why did they submit letters of resignation?—Was it because they were dissatisfied and wanted to resign? Or, was it because they wanted to show their willingness to support PM Noda should he seek their resignation? Anybody here know the answers?

On a different vein, I know that in Japan resignations are often not 'accepted' by higher ups. I had a Japanese friend who tendered her resignation at a Japanese company. The GM refused her resignation and she continued in her job for many years after. I was flabbergasted (and still am) that his refusal of her resignation would actually pressure her into continuing with the job.

In my opinion, Noda is the best prime minister Japan has had in a long time, just what Japan needs to deal with Japan's post-disaster recovery and economic mess. Also, appointment of Okada, a major Ozawa foe, to deputy prime minister is a great move.

Let's hope we now finally see some positive results going forward.

Piltdown Man,

Noda is the best prime minister Japan has had in a long time

If you define "a long time" as being since when the DPJ swindled the public into winning the election, then perhaps. But Noda doesn't even have half the skills of the worst LDP Prime Ministers.

tokyokawasaki: "Changing one or two ministers will have no real long term impact."

Nor will it have any real short term impact.

globalwatcher: I don't support totalitarianism at all, but given the way politics have been here and the rate at which politicians change and get nothing done but drive the nation down the toilet, a dictator might actually work.

Oh, and while Hashimoto is good at making solid decisions, the decisions he make do not show an adequate understanding of the public as a whole -- he is yet another rich politician/celebrity whom people like for his flair, but do you know anything about his actual policies??

But Noda doesn't even have half the skills of the worst LDP Prime Ministers

j4p4nFTWJan. 13, 2012 - 04:41PM JST

You made me laugh with tears, I mean tears. Bwhahaha.

What was a name of PM who loved reading Manga and could not read Japanese Kanji when he was delivering speech that was written by bureaucrats? I now remember , "A'so".

I remember him saying to Obama at Washington, "Congratulations, President Obama, you did it once, it took me three times to get elected as a PM of Japan!" Obama said, "A'so. hmmmm." This was widely televised in nightly news in USA and he made us laugh. Are you saying Noda is worst than A'so?

j4p4nFTW: "But Noda doesn't even have half the skills of the worst LDP Prime Ministes"

Not true at all. Noda can read Kanji, right? Aso couldn't. And don't tell me you think Noda is worse than that selfish lout Tanigaki.

selfish lout Tanigaki

@smith

Tanigaki has two silver tangues who was once for tax hike now he oppose tax hike. Is he a bipolar politician or what?

globalwatcher: Tanigaki is a very childish, very selfish fool who can't even ACT like he's looking out for the best interests of the Japanese. When he gets elected after Noda he'll propose the exact same things as Noda did in terms of tax hike, and then the DPJ will instead chime in for his resignation and for an election. They're all the same.

@smith, no wonder here we have been calling J. politics is a circus with a bunch of clowns. It is sad to watch them while Japan cannot get anything done.

globalwatcher: To be fair, other countries have more than their fair share of bad politicians, and it seems 'democracy' in many nations has ended in deadlock. The US is another example where the two parties simply fight for the sake of fighting, and literally NOTHING is getting done. One side proposes legislation, and the other side blocks it. People become unhappy and vote for the opposition. The newly elected party then introduces legislation (often the same or similar to that which they opposed previously) and the opposition simply opposes it. The only difference I see with Japanese politics is they are ALL exactly the same (at least the ideologies of the parties in the US differ). The DPJ are just LDP rejects, as are all the splinter parties. And they are being replaced at such a quick pace that is VERY sad indeed.

@smith, I agreed. But at least, we have a law already in place for automatic debt reduction. As Obama said anyone who tries to remove THAT will be challenged. The Supercommittee was a total failure, the dom/the rep (tea party) cannot agree on anything at all. The most recent public pole shows American voters are not very happy with the congress today, and they only received 13% approval rating.

good morning, globalwatcher :)

Did you read my post against your idea of "100% government housing elimination".(it was removed) Do you still support 100% elimination?

I wonder what the new cabinet will do about government housing elimination... Get rid of everything? Even for JCG and JSDF???

Even the BBC reporting of this (and they are usually very careful about being politically correct and putting any possible statement in single quotes) quoted it as "a bit of political theatre".