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The leader of the opposition Your Party has indicated that he intends to renege on an agreement to cooperate with the Japan Restoration Party in the upcoming Upper House election. The decision is thought to be a result of offensive comments made by its Osaka Mayor and Restoration Party co-leader Toru Hashimoto on the issue of the so-called "comfort women" during World War Two.
Your Party's Yoshimi Watanabe told reporters that, "I don't understand the type of person who freely continues to say things that destroy public trust. We appear to be straying off course," TBS reported Monday.
If the Your Party splits from the Japan Restoration Party, it is expected to field candidates in districts that the Japan Restoration Party is also aiming to win. However, some Your Party members have expressed fears over the split. As a result, a party spokesperson said Monday it has sent a questionnaire to the Japan Restoration Party and will base its course of action on the answers to those questions.
The Your Party and the Japan Restoration Party had announced plans to work together in fielding candidates in 25 constituencies in the House of Councillors election to be held this summer. However, Hashimoto is under fire at home and abroad for claiming that comfort women were necessary to maintain military discipline.
Hashimoto said he will clarify his views at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on May 27.
© Japan Today
22 Comments
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taj
I hadn't realizes Your Party and Restoration Party were pairing.
It seems ideal. Exactly what I want to say to Hashimoto.
Rest -Your -Oration
nath
Little bit People's Front of Judea vs Judean People's Front. Hashimoto is still a to**er though.
nath
Hashimoto said he will clarify his views at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo on May 27.
This is bound to be a hoot also. Bet anything he puts his foot further in his mouth.
dcog9065
@AKBfan : I'd be disappointed if he didn't
Amidalism
Looks like Hashimoto needs a week to think up something that can offend the general public of everywhere even more than the last time. Here's guessing he goes all out and claims that the annexation of Korea was necessary.
Jimizo
A good thing. This business will hopefully extinguish any terrifying possibility that this obnoxious loudmouth could be taken seriously, or become a serious force in national politics. It's too late to house train him, but maybe we can keep him chained up in his little patch of the garden.
Probie
Anyone up for betting on how long he lasts before stamping his feet and rage-quitting the interview as he often does when he gets asked something he doesn't like?
shanabelle
Watanabe is wise to distance himself from Isshin-no-kai, they have turned toxic! I like Watanabe and I hope Your party do well in the up-coming election.
rickyvee
anyone else starting to think this is just a ploy by hashimoto to get attention before the coming elections? before this firestorm, nothing had been reported about the JRP in months. now it's the center of attention again. so we're all playing into hashimoto's hands.
Disillusioned
I have a message to the lot of you wankers, "get a real job and leave the politics to politicians!" Just go home and drink yourself into oblivion with your two liters of shochu. We don't care!
edojin
Hashimoto spent the weekend making TV appearances in which he defended himself over his comfort women comments. The more he talked, the deeper he dug the hole that he's going down in. At the rate he is going, pretty soon he is going to end up blaming the U.S. for all Japan's troubles, especially for its history with comfort women. Trouble is ... there are people in Japan who believe him. As he is a "lawyer" by trade, he is a smooth talker ... and, thus, they believe his propaganda.
It will be interesting to hear what he has to say at the FCCJ. Just hope there are some foreign journalists there who can ask him some stinging questions.
Yubaru
I like Watanabe as well and I agree with his decision to split from Hashimoto and Ishin na kai. Smart move on his part.
Yubaru
Now here's to hoping that the "foreign" correspondents ask the hard questions and don't let Hashimoto off with a slap on the wrists!
tmarie
Anyone up for betting on how long he lasts before stamping his feet and rage-quitting the interview as he often does when he gets asked something he doesn't like?
Well this is just it isn't it? He is feeding off of all of this and I have no doubt that he is going to go and counter attack the press yet agreeing for "misrepresenting" what he said. Or perhaps he'll go on again about how people can't read.
Hashi doesn't get that the foreign media isn't the Japanese media and WILL ask him hard questions. I have ZERO doubt that he's going to say something stupid and offensive that most people find shocking and disgusting. However, he's not trying to get votes from us, he's going for the idiots that do indeed think that women offered themselves up to be used and abuse by soliders. He's going for the anti-American bases, the black van men and the other idiots who think this guy is clever. What the worrying thing is is that there are enough of them around in this country to make him think he's right.
I am fully expecting him to kowtow down to Okinawa and demand that the US bases leave - lord knows that will get him votes. I also expect Ishihara to fan the flames. He's an idiot but he's not dumb and that's what makes him so dangerous.
therougou
huh?
Moonraker
Expect more obfuscation in the vein of, "We did this but you did that." The debate never rises above that in Japan. Even many foreigners get sucked into it.
Thunderbird2
Should be interesting to see if his foot emerges from the other end
tkoind2
He is dangerous. Like some have said above, he has people in the country who do buy into his nonsense. And sadly a lot of clueless people who just don't know or care if it is true or not. That lot just likes anyone personable and sadly he is.
As for foreign journalists having a go at him, unlikely. Would be a blast, but have you ever seen something like that happen here? The press meetings here are far too controlled to turn into a real roasting party.
Thing is, this guy's ideas are nuts, but he sadly isn't. He is a real player and it is very likely that this is meant to get attention. He does not need liberal support. He needs right wing nutter support and this will get it, along with some mildly right wingers and nationalists.
He is the one right wing leader that is a real danger. As I have written before, all Hashimoto needs to gain more support is a better crisis. When he gets that we are likely to see his ranks swell.
kidojapan
opposition parties are normally needed to check and balance the government however, Hashimoto kun, check and balance the people not the government..............therefore he is really not needed.
toshiko
Ishin-no-kai has only 3 upper house Councilors. Ishihara is jusr one of 53 representatives. YP has 13 upper house councilors. So, this coming election, YP will gain more councilors. This is just my prediction. There are so many parties and if these parties are all against Ishin-no-kai, we never know what happens. Of cause LDP will win, DPJ lost confidence of Japanese public. Who knows if some members of DPJ goves up their party and join to LDP?
Michael Craig
Your Party is a sort-of right-libertarian party, right?
Japan could needs a little libertarianism.