TOKYO —

Four more Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers have notified DPJ Secretary-General Azuma Koshiishi that they intend to leave the party in protest at the government’s policies on nuclear power and the planned consumption tax hike.

The four are Hirosato Nakatsugawa, Yasue Funayama, Kuniko Koda and Kuniko Tanioka.

The four said they oppose Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s decision to restart two nuclear reactors at the Oi plant in Fukui Prefecture, as well as the plan to hike the consumption tax to 10% by 2015, TV Asahi reported Wednesday.

Nakatsugawa said another reason for his departure was Noda’s handling of the Senkaku issue, and in particular, his lack of action against Japan’s ambassador to China, Uichiro Niwa, who publicly stated his opposition to Tokyo Gov Shintaro Ishihara’s plan to buy the disputed isles.

This brings the number of DPJ defectors to 55 following the mass exodus by former DPJ leader Ichiuro Ozawa and his supporters two weeks ago.

Japan Today

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  Yubaru at Jul. 19, 2012 - 07:25AM JST

  Bye bye...don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out. I hope all these folks realize that they are just paving the road with gold no less for a return of the LDP.

  The LDP has to be salivating at the opportunity they have.

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  marcelito at Jul. 19, 2012 - 08:10AM JST

  Sorry Yubaru - it is not the defectors but PM Noda who is destroying DPJ by pursuing policies that are totally opposite to what they promised at the election and therefore making LDP look " good " again. The DPJ members who are leaving and those who already left are the ones who can not stand the fact DPJ had completely changed from a party that promised to look after the public first into a mini LDP faction pushing the agenda of the bureaucracy and big business who completely own Noda.

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  CrazyJoe at Jul. 19, 2012 - 08:37AM JST

  The Noda cabinet is collapsing like dominoes do.

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  warispeace at Jul. 19, 2012 - 09:58AM JST

  These politicians are just scrambling for their lives, as politicians do. They know the Noda government has lost all legitimacy as it resorts to the use of police force to quell public gatherings in front of the PM's residence.

  Some people fear the LDP returning. This may happen though a coalition government is more likely. Voters worries should not stop them from casting out representatives who do not respect their will. It's clear the present group represents corporate interests, not those of most people, who are opposed to restarting nuclear power plants and a consumption tax hike when the economy is floundering. If the next group also fails to get the message, they too can be tossed. In the meantime, there is a chance for new grass-roots parties to emerge as Japan finally begins to renews its democracy.

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  Hikozaemon at Jul. 19, 2012 - 11:12AM JST

  People here don't seem to get it.

  55 people have left the DPJ in the last month precisely because it has become the LDP. We are already back under LDP rule. Noda is running on and implementing LDP policies, and adopting the LDP governing style of administrative leadership, even at the cost of his own party's policies.

  What I will credit the LDP is that they are at least honest and open about what they are and what they represent. The DPJ, as an LDP clone pretending to be an LDP alternative has become a lie, that a quarter of its lawmakers can't live under.

  But yeah, "don't let the door hit you on the way out..." and all that...

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  zurcronium at Jul. 19, 2012 - 12:54PM JST

  Hikozaemon,

  You have nailed it. This is exactly like when the socialists lined up with the LDP in the mid-90s and were completely destroyed. Noda has sacrificed the DPJ to get the taxes raised. Perhaps he figured the DPJ was a goner anyway in the next election so he was giving up little in the end anyway.

  So can Ozawa work the magic again and create another anti-LDP party, maybe he aligns with Hashimoto to do so. That would be interesting.

  No matter what happens I am fairly confident that the LDP will not gain full power again, no one sane wants to go back into the past again with the total corruption that the LDP was and still is. The LDP created the nuke industry in Japan for example and is still protecting it, despite thousands of Japanese folks saying no to wasteful and dangerous nuke facilities. Again, business over people is the LDP way.

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  Tom Webb at Jul. 19, 2012 - 01:21PM JST

  Well the opposition party must be getting ready to assume leadership of the country. Thanks to idiots of LDP that caused all this problem in the beginning.

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  Hikozaemon at Jul. 19, 2012 - 01:58PM JST

  Zurcronium - I agree. I don't know if you saw my other post beforeas it was taken down, but as ardent anti-bureaucrats, and civil servant bashers, Ozawa and Hashimoto are natural partners, even though in terms of strict politics, Hashimoto is a lot further to the right of Ozawa, who is in turn to the right of many of those leaving the DPJ. But I think in terms of the shortest route to a credible opposition party when the LDP returns to power next year and the DPJ disappears, that seems to be the way to go. Would not be surprised to see Ozawa take his usual policy head or party president role and let Hashimoto lead the party if it happened.

  Fact is, all these people leaving the DPJ will need to form some kind of cohesive political unit before the next election if they wish to remain in the Diet, and for DPJ dissenters, joining an Ozawa/Hatoyama/Hashimoto alliance seems probably the most natural way.

  It will be very interesting to see how the small parties do in the next election too - you have the People's Party, Conservatives, Stand Up, People's New Party and Komeito that along with the current DPJ are really LDP policy clones. It will be interesting to see whether they can distinguish themselves from the LDP enough to get votes (Komeito gets a fixed number of votes of course, but the others are more vulnerable). The Socialists seem to be dead in the water. I really don't see any currently viable political unit that is a viable alternative to the current LDP/DPJ/Komeito alliance in substance.

  These lawmakers are going to need to organize fast to present a credible alternative to the DPJ/LDP coalition before the next election is called. To that end, if more people leave, Noda just might call a snap election to try to stop anti-LDP/DPJ members organizing in time.

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  Hikozaemon at Jul. 19, 2012 - 02:11PM JST

  Other big question now is how much longer Hatoyama and his faction stay in the DPJ. Given that most others seem to have given up hope of influencing the Noda/Kan/Okada factions in control of the DPJ and are leaving, it seems to me that his mission to stay and try to get the DPJ back on track is lost.

  I would look out in the next couple of months for another large defection of at least another dozen DPJ lawmakers led by Hatoyama.

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  presto345 at Jul. 19, 2012 - 08:33PM JST

  Good riddance.

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  smithinjapan at Jul. 19, 2012 - 10:35PM JST

  The saddest part is that, if these lawmakers and Ozawa et. al. don't join the LDP directly their new party will immediately seek some kind of alliance with them. So you have a bunch of LDP dropouts scampering back to the LDP after the DPJ has become just like the LDP. In other words, nothing here ever changes and we're stuck with the same revolving door of politicians.

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  kazetsukai at Jul. 19, 2012 - 11:39PM JST

  Sad that politicians do not have the will and gumption to build upon and better a political party, especially the one in power. For now, there appears to be no "real" political party that can be effective in running the national government. At least the current party in power is trying to make some sense, regardless of the "petty" opposition and proven ineffectiveness of the other parties.

  What the parties need is "real" and "positive" LEADERSHIP and not petty and self-righteous divisiveness, regardless of the disputes and differences in opinion and policies. Make the changes while in power..... because changes in policies and laws are possible ONLY when in power to do so. One must FIRST work with what is already there, functioning and available.

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  ikkoikki at Jul. 20, 2012 - 12:35AM JST

  Rats leaving a sinking ship.

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  zurcronium at Jul. 20, 2012 - 12:57AM JST

  HIkozaemon,

  another large defection would mean the collapse of the DPJ control of the Lower House and a general election. Hashimoto already has his folks ready to run in the local elections against the DPJ and LDP. No doubt they will be the big winner next election at the expense of the LDP and DPJ both. Read Van Wolferen's latest post on the Ozawa move. As usual he is spot on.

  Smith, the LDP will not accept Ozawa people. They are enemies. The LDP represents the past and the MOF henchmen. Ozawa is the only viable threat to them. In fact the LDP engineered the ouster of Ozawa from the DPJ as part of their vote for the consumption tax increase. It is personal with the LDP and Ozawa. After all he was the one who ended their stranglehold on power in 2009. And briefly in 93 too. Ozawa is in a class by himself among Japanese politicians. He learned from the best, Tanaka.

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  ubikwit at Jul. 20, 2012 - 10:42AM JST

  noda's fall accelerating, picking up speed,

  golden parachute fails

  djp smashed on the rocks

  yet another transient PM blipped his way across into oblivion

  soon washed away by the waves.

  a mirage within a dream

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  Hikozaemon at Jul. 20, 2012 - 02:38PM JST

  Smith - bureaucrat bashing Ozawa is the sworn enemy of the LDP. Tanigaki was demanding before the tax Bill that Ozawa be expelled by the DPJ as a precondition to any coalition with the DPJ. The LDP only had two messages for months - control Ozawa and call a snap election.

  Ozawa's departure has made it much easier for the DPJ to comply with LDP policy demands that underpin their coalition now. Why would these people leave the DPJ for the LDP, when they are leaving in protest at the DPJ becoming the LDP?

  The truth is at the moment, the only ideological opposition left now are the communists (1%) and social democrats (0.5%) - all the other parties - the DPJ, LDP, Komeito, Conservatives, People's Party, etc.. are all alligned on policy. I hope the DPJ defectors can coordinate to be a credible DPJ/LDP opposition ahead of the next election.