Sunday May 27, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Opposition calls for defense minister to go over 'amateur' comments

Politics Sep. 04, 2011 - 02:23PM JST ( 51 )

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

Order by Time Order by Popularity

51 Comments

2

herefornowSep. 04, 2011 - 07:01AM JST

LOL, classic Japan. Guy shoots himself in the foot after only one day in his post. A post which 25 years in agriculture clearly quailfied him for. Does not bode well for Noda's cabinet.
4

some14someSep. 04, 2011 - 07:09AM JST

Now, Noda's approval rating will reverse from 63 to 36% and 18% by year-end and Japan will have a New PM in the year 2012 !
10

YubaruSep. 04, 2011 - 07:33AM JST

So it begins, as I see all the LDP are amateurs and this guy is just being straight.
1

OracleSep. 04, 2011 - 08:00AM JST

I was prepared to defend him when he said this: "I am an amateur concerning security”, but then he said this: "it is important to pursue security policies from the people’s viewpoint,”

Any politician that said he deserved to go for the first comment should be sacked. But for the second, the call might still be premature, but its not unfounded.
7

globalwatcherSep. 04, 2011 - 08:20AM JST

LDP has to learn to put up and shut up! This guy has just started. Give him a break.
13

Nicky WashidaSep. 04, 2011 - 08:21AM JST

A minister popped into a post he has no experience for? Well theres a shocker. Never heard of that before (sarcasm). Can we see the resumes of all the previous LDP ministers indicating their suitability for their posts? No, thought not.
5

naruhodo1Sep. 04, 2011 - 08:41AM JST

What a bunch of losers! I wish i can sack the next person who calls on another to resign. In fact, there should pass a law to eleminate the words quit and resign from J vocabulary.
2

sojherdeSep. 04, 2011 - 08:53AM JST

Japanese people may say at first they cannot play piano, and when you persist to ask, they play Beethoven,Mozart etc. If you introduce yourself you usually keep the ball low. But it could be that the LDP really is afraid of people who ask questions that would make plain the mistakes of the past when the LDP was ruling.
2

oginomeSep. 04, 2011 - 09:20AM JST

Same game, different faces.
2

DisillusionedSep. 04, 2011 - 09:28AM JST

I've said it before, Japanese politics should be in the entertainment section of the newspaper cos it is a joke! Has anybody else noticed that, the failing of Japan's economy and degradation of society has coincided with the revolving door to the PM's office over the last 15 years or so?
3

tmarieSep. 04, 2011 - 09:34AM JST

And here we go.... Shocking? Not at all.
3

Christina O'NeillSep. 04, 2011 - 09:55AM JST

I am an amatear at security, says the new Defence Minister OOPS
7

paulinusaSep. 04, 2011 - 10:08AM JST

Maybe it's better to be amateur and honest than experienced and dishonest.
0

Elbuda MexicanoSep. 04, 2011 - 10:13AM JST

I am so surprised and shocked by all of these comments! How dare anybody bad mouth the king of Japan! (sarcasm) In this case I have to agree with Disillusioned, this is more like entertainment not real politics but at the end of the day we will all pay for the stupidity and greed of these so called politicians! Just look at Fukushima and the nice mess the Japanese government and Tokyo electric have gotten us into!
6

Ted BarreraSep. 04, 2011 - 10:16AM JST

Ridiculous. They want him out just because he's humble? Typical Japanese political lunacy.
4

ramses68Sep. 04, 2011 - 10:24AM JST

Sounds like they need MORE amateurs in government. Look where all the "experienced" politicians got them.
2

smithinjapanSep. 04, 2011 - 10:48AM JST

"Major newspapers on Saturday noted that Finance Minister Jun Azumi, 49, and Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, 47, are “unknown quantities” with little experience in the fields related to their jobs"

NO Japanese politician has any experience related to their appointments! I mean for lord's sake, a "comedian" can become governor of a prefecture in the bat of an eye, or a judo-ka a politician simply because their face is recognizable. This guy's 25 years or so in agriculture qualify him to be DEFENSE minister?? This is the usual musical chairs and back scratching that goes on in Japanese politics. If Ichikawa keeps his gaffes to a minimum and kisses the right behinds when this cabinet and PM resign in March or so then under the NEXT PM he can get the role of Finance Minister, and for or five unrelated positions after that he can run for PM.

The LDP calls for resignation are petty and are simply their usual 'resign now' demands, but they are correct that the man, and other men, are inexperienced. Noda simply made stupid choices to appease the government masses instead of doing the smart thing and choosing people who are actually qualified and skilled.
1

Greg DemmonsSep. 04, 2011 - 10:50AM JST

Shigeru, you also had no experience when you were the Defense Minister. Your education and experience are in finance. You have also publicly announced your belief in UFOs and aliens. You and your kind are the reason Japan is sinking, and it is obvious from your positions that you have no clue about how to do anything.
0

Greg DemmonsSep. 04, 2011 - 10:52AM JST

It is highly likely that sometime soon the new minister will get to pressing security issues, as you did, noted in Bloomberg http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=apLM6Rsq0jXY .
3

johninnahaSep. 04, 2011 - 10:55AM JST

You know, I feel much happier to have a person with a background in farming in his position than some psychotic "shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later," cowboy.

Maybe he'll put his mind to defending his country instead of paranoically seeing "terrorists" behind every clump of grass!

Watch the old Peter Sellers film, "Chance," or "Being There," to see how agriculture and politics go well together.
0

Greg DemmonsSep. 04, 2011 - 10:56AM JST

"Ishiba said yesterday a Japanese military response, such as those in the Godzilla movie series, would require legal review and said he is studying ways Japan could deal with an attack."

If they descended, saying `People of the Earth, let's make friends,' it would not be considered an urgent, unjust attack on our country,'' he said.How can we convey our intentions if they don't understand what we are saying?''

Ahem....so Mr. Ishiba, you were saying...?
1

GWSep. 04, 2011 - 11:01AM JST

Its clearly time for ldp the shut the hell up unless they have something constructive to do regarding Tohoku!

Otherwise SILENCE, got that you stupid putzes!
1

Johannes WeberSep. 04, 2011 - 11:30AM JST

Honesty in Japanese politics. A rare thing indeed. It could be contagious, so let's bash him as fast as possible. LDP sucks.

I am waiting for one sentence from the entire bunch of politicians: we all are and have ever been amateurs regarding nuclear power.
-1

RecklessSep. 04, 2011 - 11:40AM JST

Don't these guys have PR handlers to prime them on what to say, speechwriters, etc.? Even a CEO of a small company has a PR department to give advice when making public statements.
1

AlphaapeSep. 04, 2011 - 11:47AM JST

Yasuo Ichikawa told Japanese media just before his formal appointment to the defense brief: “I am an amateur concerning security,” comments that the opposition Liberal-Democratic Party said proved he was not qualified for the job.

At least he knows what his strengths are. But if he is going to be effective, he willl need to rely on the professionals in the Self Defense Force to provide him with clear informaion to make a thoughtful decision. So many times, I see here on this blog many people who say "If I were him I would" based on what we have heard or read or understand. We all seem to think we are rational people (at least I hope) and feel that even if we have not been doing a job for a lifetime, that given honest information we can make a rational decision based on facts, and not being beholden to a certain political group.

Well, I hope this guy can do that. If he gets bad advice, then that should be the fault of the Self Defence Forces, since they are doing nothing but grooming incompetent paper pushers tothe highest levels.

I say let him keep his job. He can do no worse than some of the supposed "experts."
-2

AsagaoSep. 04, 2011 - 12:06PM JST

Three days on, the new PM says he is a Dojyo and is now facing allegations of corruption, the Foreign Minister starts abusing China over it's navy boats and now the Amateur Minister of Defence says it's a great idea to have a civilian who knows nothing in control of the nations security. Not bad start.
-1

YubaruSep. 04, 2011 - 12:22PM JST

Japanese PM's usually don't pick their cabinet ministers for their expertise, they get chosen for their alliance to the party, or in the hope that their participation in the cabinet will bring about an alliance.

Hence the career government employee's are the one's holding the reigns to the power behind all these politicians. It isn't hard to understand either considering the revolving door PM's. Someone somewhere has to keep things running smoothly and it sure the hell isn't the cabinet, they are just figureheads.
2

MASSWIPESep. 04, 2011 - 12:35PM JST

Oh come on, Ichikawa's "amateur" remark is just an example of garden-variety mandatory expressions of modesty according to Japanese social conventions. Look around online for the full context of his remarks and you'll see that Ichikawa had an important qualification as well, stating that although he is an amateur, his appointment is also an indication of civilian control over Japan's military.
-2

AylerSep. 04, 2011 - 01:01PM JST

oh shut up
-2

chuckbelloSep. 04, 2011 - 01:45PM JST

The guy shoot himself in the foot. Poor thing.
-1

Darren BrannanSep. 04, 2011 - 02:00PM JST

Agro connections.. He could make a dirty bomb from cesium soil, manure, cows and rice a bit of dysentery and set up trebuchets all over Japan to fling the best of Japan's produce at Japan's enemies. Ishihara Shitaro agrees with me on this.
0

edojinSep. 04, 2011 - 02:33PM JST

Here we go ... the Liberal Democrats are already on the attack. During the many years they were in power ... who did they put in as ministers? Many of their ministers were merely chest-puffing politicians who let the ministries do whatever they wanted while they (the flaky ministers) sat on top of the pile and took credit if anything good should happen. Japan lost 10 years economically during the collapse of the LDP hold on power ... and Japan lost another two years because the LDP refused to cooperate with Minshuto on most matters. Now it seems that the LDP will spearhead another downhill slide for Japan as they continue to peck away at Minshuto's try at running the government. And the LDP wants to put their corrupt system back in forefront ... Hang on Mr. Noda ... it's going to be a tough ride ...
2

Jared NormanSep. 04, 2011 - 03:41PM JST

Japan should consider temporary replacing there politics with the WWF fighters it will be interesting to see how debates go. Maybe this way something will get down.
2

smithinjapanSep. 04, 2011 - 04:16PM JST

Jared: "Japan should consider temporary replacing there politics with the WWF fighters it will be interesting to see how debates go. Maybe this way something will get down."

Not a bad suggestion, although in my opinion all politicians should be replaced with those cardboard cutouts of the security guard that they always put out in front of post offices -- a lot more would get accomplished.
0

YubaruSep. 04, 2011 - 04:37PM JST

Japan should consider temporary replacing there politics with the WWF fighters it will be interesting to see how debates go. Maybe this way something will get down.

Yeah they'll all get shot down in flames.
2

Ah_soSep. 04, 2011 - 04:50PM JST

Of course he is an amateur - politics is an amateur business - anyone can stand for election and then be put in charge of anything. The US president is Commander-in-Chief of the military, but he did not achieve that exalted rank by being a great general.
-1

JapanGalSep. 04, 2011 - 08:47PM JST

“I meant to say that most of the people are amateurs and it is important to pursue security policies from the people’s viewpoint,” he said Saturday.

Puke
1

BurakuminDesSep. 04, 2011 - 09:58PM JST

Noda must resign immediately for this. He has had his run. NEXT!
1

WilliBSep. 04, 2011 - 10:35PM JST

LOL, here we go already. First day of the administration, and already the opposition calls for resignations. Classic Japanese politics.
3

sf2kSep. 05, 2011 - 12:10AM JST

The only thing that needs to quit is this diabolical desire to keep asking for resignations. It's destroying a once proud country to be too proud and impossible to do anything as it reacts to any slight. Sad to watch
1

sf2kSep. 05, 2011 - 12:12AM JST

When does this become a joke even for Japan?
0

globalwatcherSep. 05, 2011 - 02:51AM JST

From my experience in the past, the ones who braggs about his knowledge and experience in the past were often times losers, and the ones who were humble to admit his strength and weakness at beginning ended up with exceptional performances. You cannot judge people,s ability by what being said.
1

Juan RodriguezSep. 05, 2011 - 03:09AM JST

This is just another penis measurement contest, can't the new PM utter humble statements about himself without being crucified?
1

realdollSep. 05, 2011 - 04:46AM JST

What's there to know? Just go along with what the US says, like the LDP party does....
0

MeanRingoSep. 05, 2011 - 05:41AM JST

A simple case of "Whoever smelt it, dealt it." Resign LDPers! And I hope your constituents are screaming bloody murder for your behaviour!
0

YuriOtaniSep. 05, 2011 - 06:35AM JST

So it starts, the LDP people can just be obstructionists on the progress of Japan. They also know how to make both China and Korea angry. Maybe we should award them the silver foot in mouth award?
0

betterdaysSep. 05, 2011 - 10:15AM JST

OMG at this rate someone will be shouting for Noda to resign SOON!!!
0

warnerbroSep. 05, 2011 - 10:24AM JST

They could put a taxi driver in charge of a ministry and the outcome would not change. The bureaucrats make the decisions in Japan and sometimes inform the minister about them.
0

Jared NormanSep. 05, 2011 - 04:32PM JST

Smith if you going to use bodyguards for politics they should be from Blackwater/xe, at least they know how to fight.
0

It"S MESep. 05, 2011 - 04:37PM JST

cough Blackwater cough, they no longer got a great reputation after the scandals.

Know some guys that were worked for them some years ago.
0

kaketamaSep. 05, 2011 - 09:04PM JST

If he actually were amateur, ha should know better than to say that stuff in public. In politics, childish honesty would have adverse effect on their reputation.