Comments on: Agriculture Minister Matsuoka Buys the Farm　（松岡が自殺した。） http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/ Independent Podcasting from Tokyo. Featuring Seijigiri, a discussion of Japanese news and politics, as well as TPR News, our twice a week look at Japan's top stories. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:44:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: The One With The Kanji Of The Year « So no one told you life was gonna be this way. http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-537216 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:04:00 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-537216 [...] It wasn’t really a shocking choice, given all the news stories this year, starting off with fake health benefits from natto, and continued with one scandal after another, from construction companies faking earthquake resistance to beef-free beef croquettes. Besides Japanese news reports faking reports on the health value of food, there were also various reports on Japanese TV stations faking programs, Japanese companies selling expired food, and foreign countries copying Japanese stuff. This in turn leads us to the number two choice, 食, shoku, food, where in addition to the ironically-named Meat Hope beef mentioned before, trusted souvenir brands Akafuku and Shiroi Koibito amongst others got caught reusing ingredients that had passed their expiry dates. To round out the bad news, third was 嘘, uso, lies, which claimed the life of one politician this year. Tsk tsk. [...] […] It wasn’t really a shocking choice, given all the news stories this year, starting off with fake health benefits from natto, and continued with one scandal after another, from construction companies faking earthquake resistance to beef-free beef croquettes. Besides Japanese news reports faking reports on the health value of food, there were also various reports on Japanese TV stations faking programs, Japanese companies selling expired food, and foreign countries copying Japanese stuff. This in turn leads us to the number two choice, 食, shoku, food, where in addition to the ironically-named Meat Hope beef mentioned before, trusted souvenir brands Akafuku and Shiroi Koibito amongst others got caught reusing ingredients that had passed their expiry dates. To round out the bad news, third was 嘘, uso, lies, which claimed the life of one politician this year. Tsk tsk. […]

]]> by: Kanji of the Year 2007 » 世論 What Japan Thinks http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-533089 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 06:19:29 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-533089 [...] 90,816 people voted by internet, postcard and by attending the temple in person, and the top kanji chosen by them was 偽, nise, gi, meaning imitation, deception, or bogus. This year has been full of such stories; it started off with fake health benefits from natto, and continued with one scandal after another, from construction companies faking earthquake resistance to beef-free beef croquettes. This leads us to the number two choice, 食, shoku, food, where in addition to the ironically-named Meat Hope beef mentioned before, trusted souvenir brands Akafuku and Shiroi Koibito amongst others got caught reusing ingredients that had passed their expiry dates. To round out the bad news, third was 嘘, uso, lies, which claimed the life of one politician this year. [...] […] 90,816 people voted by internet, postcard and by attending the temple in person, and the top kanji chosen by them was 偽, nise, gi, meaning imitation, deception, or bogus. This year has been full of such stories; it started off with fake health benefits from natto, and continued with one scandal after another, from construction companies faking earthquake resistance to beef-free beef croquettes. This leads us to the number two choice, 食, shoku, food, where in addition to the ironically-named Meat Hope beef mentioned before, trusted souvenir brands Akafuku and Shiroi Koibito amongst others got caught reusing ingredients that had passed their expiry dates. To round out the bad news, third was 嘘, uso, lies, which claimed the life of one politician this year. […]

]]> by: ken http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-130042 Wed, 30 May 2007 16:33:00 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-130042 <em>There’s going to be a period when the DPJ may well be too timid or too afraid of looking insensitive to really lay into crooked LDP members. The LDP could and will spin this to help them and hurt the DPJ</em> True...the LDP could take a page right out of the Rove playbook. There are two potential situations: 1) The DPJ proceeds by being afraid of seeming insensitive. In this situation, the LDP just needs to usurp their stance and say, "Why did they give up on this? Can you elect people who just give up?" 2) The DPJ proceeds by pushing and forcing the LDP to discuss the issues. The LDP says that they are insensitive, insulting the dead and holding up procedures in an effort to 'politicize' the situation. Who would vote for such people? It looks like they're taking path #2. As the LDP decided to push through their bill on the pension system, DPJ President Ozawa refused to postpone his debate with Abe so that Abe could go down to Matsuoka's funeral in Kumamoto. Abe whined to reporters about this, without mentioning that had the debate been postponed, he would have gone to Kumamoto and let the bill be pushed through without the debate, and without him being there. It's getting harder to believe anything that comes out of this man's mouth. There’s going to be a period when the DPJ may well be too timid or too afraid of looking insensitive to really lay into crooked LDP members. The LDP could and will spin this to help them and hurt the DPJ

True…the LDP could take a page right out of the Rove playbook. There are two potential situations:

1) The DPJ proceeds by being afraid of seeming insensitive.

In this situation, the LDP just needs to usurp their stance and say, “Why did they give up on this? Can you elect people who just give up?”

2) The DPJ proceeds by pushing and forcing the LDP to discuss the issues.

The LDP says that they are insensitive, insulting the dead and holding up procedures in an effort to ‘politicize’ the situation. Who would vote for such people?

It looks like they’re taking path #2. As the LDP decided to push through their bill on the pension system, DPJ President Ozawa refused to postpone his debate with Abe so that Abe could go down to Matsuoka’s funeral in Kumamoto. Abe whined to reporters about this, without mentioning that had the debate been postponed, he would have gone to Kumamoto and let the bill be pushed through without the debate, and without him being there. It’s getting harder to believe anything that comes out of this man’s mouth.

]]> by: ken http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-129969 Wed, 30 May 2007 15:18:45 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-129969 <em>I am not sure that extending condolences to the family means a lot after calling a family member a liar and a crook.</em> I don't see how the two could be related in any way, shape or form. I am not sure that extending condolences to the family means a lot after calling a family member a liar and a crook.

I don’t see how the two could be related in any way, shape or form.

]]> by: Global Voices Online » Japan: "Thought Check" Screening for Citizen Judges http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-129268 Wed, 30 May 2007 07:31:54 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-129268 [...] While news in Japan this week was understandably fixated on the sensational suicide of Agriculture Minister Matsuoka Toshikatsu (and related scandals), as is often the case this country, another story &#8212; somewhat less sensational yet arguably at least as significant &#8212; slipped by without much notice. The story was brought up in a blog entry posted last Saturday at the &#8220;doko doko&#8221; blog of Diet member Nobuto Hosaka of the Social Democratic Party of Japan, the most active member in the House of Representatives (in terms of number of questions raised) and known for being a thorn in the side of the ruling party coalition. Saturday&#8217;s post concerned a new &#8220;citizen judge system&#8221; to be introduced in Japan by May 2009, one which would allow, for the first time in Japan&#8217;s history, a group of six citizen judges (along with 3 professional judges) to preside on cases involving verdicts as serious as the death penalty. (A simulation of the selection process for choosing citizen judges is already being carried out.) [...] […] While news in Japan this week was understandably fixated on the sensational suicide of Agriculture Minister Matsuoka Toshikatsu (and related scandals), as is often the case this country, another story — somewhat less sensational yet arguably at least as significant — slipped by without much notice. The story was brought up in a blog entry posted last Saturday at the “doko doko” blog of Diet member Nobuto Hosaka of the Social Democratic Party of Japan, the most active member in the House of Representatives (in terms of number of questions raised) and known for being a thorn in the side of the ruling party coalition. Saturday’s post concerned a new “citizen judge system” to be introduced in Japan by May 2009, one which would allow, for the first time in Japan’s history, a group of six citizen judges (along with 3 professional judges) to preside on cases involving verdicts as serious as the death penalty. (A simulation of the selection process for choosing citizen judges is already being carried out.) […]

]]> by: DeOrio http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-128535 Wed, 30 May 2007 02:01:26 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-128535 The condolences are more for the general situation his family is in - as much for having been his family as for his death. I do not believe in that hogwash about not speaking ill of the dead. The condolences are more for the general situation his family is in - as much for having been his family as for his death.
I do not believe in that hogwash about not speaking ill of the dead.

]]> by: Gen http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-128264 Tue, 29 May 2007 22:48:17 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-128264 An excellent report concerning Matsuoka and his political life : http://epress.anu.edu.au/power_pork_citation.html An excellent report concerning Matsuoka and his political life : http://epress.anu.edu.au/power_pork_citation.html

]]> by: Cal Hobbs http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-127767 Tue, 29 May 2007 18:34:00 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-127767 I am not sure that extending condolences to the family means a lot after calling a family member a liar and a crook. "Hey, he was a liar and a cheat and a crook and a scoundrel and he was a disgrace to his country and family and name BUT we are sure you all thought he was swell." Nice gesture but it might be a bit empty? I am not sure that extending condolences to the family means a lot after calling a family member a liar and a crook.

“Hey, he was a liar and a cheat and a crook and a scoundrel and he was a disgrace to his country and family and name BUT we are sure you all thought he was swell.”

Nice gesture but it might be a bit empty?

]]> by: Liberal Japan » Blog Archive » Toshikatsu Matsuoka commits suicide. http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-126699 Tue, 29 May 2007 05:42:10 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-126699 [...] There has been some excellent blogging on this at Observing Japan and TransPacificRadio. In particular, I&#8217;ve found several relevant posts at Observing Japan to be really helpful in understanding Matsuoka&#8217;s activities. [...] […] There has been some excellent blogging on this at Observing Japan and TransPacificRadio. In particular, I’ve found several relevant posts at Observing Japan to be really helpful in understanding Matsuoka’s activities. […]

]]> by: DeOrio http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-126628 Tue, 29 May 2007 05:03:47 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/05/28/agriculture-minister-matsuoka-buys-the-farm/#comment-126628 I think there's an argument to be made for this being damaging to the Cabinet, of course, but I also think this could help Abe and the restof his Cabinet. There's going to be a period when the DPJ may well be too timid or too afraid of looking insensitive to really lay into crooked LDP members. The LDP could and will spin this to help them and hurt the DPJ, of course. We'll probably start hearing rumbling about how the DPJ has nothing, so it hounds people. I'm really interested in seeing what this story is. Apparently Mrs. Matsuoka knows. Was there something much larger than Matsuoka's dishonesty at play? Could he have been protecting somehow? So many conspriacy theories to play with. . . Abe's not going anywhere just yet. If the LDP takes a big hit in July, then he should worry. Aso has no chance, as Ken pointed out (I'm not quite as sanguine about his performance as FM.) Tanigaki's not making any noise. Shiozaki would seem to be in position, but he has to come into his own and show Nakagawa who the boss is, put forth a stronger presence in the Cabinet. If I'm interpreting things correctly, Koizumi's return would be legal, but barred by party rules, which were changed once for him already. If the LDP really wanted him back, they could change their own rules again, but I think that's unlikely. Koizumi's maverick spirit didn't penetrate enough to create an actual reformist block in the Diet and there are a number of old horse traders who feel they should be given a crack at being PM because they're old. I think there’s an argument to be made for this being damaging to the Cabinet, of course, but I also think this could help Abe and the restof his Cabinet. There’s going to be a period when the DPJ may well be too timid or too afraid of looking insensitive to really lay into crooked LDP members. The LDP could and will spin this to help them and hurt the DPJ, of course. We’ll probably start hearing rumbling about how the DPJ has nothing, so it hounds people.

I’m really interested in seeing what this story is. Apparently Mrs. Matsuoka knows. Was there something much larger than Matsuoka’s dishonesty at play? Could he have been protecting somehow? So many conspriacy theories to play with. . .

Abe’s not going anywhere just yet. If the LDP takes a big hit in July, then he should worry. Aso has no chance, as Ken pointed out (I’m not quite as sanguine about his performance as FM.) Tanigaki’s not making any noise. Shiozaki would seem to be in position, but he has to come into his own and show Nakagawa who the boss is, put forth a stronger presence in the Cabinet.

If I’m interpreting things correctly, Koizumi’s return would be legal, but barred by party rules, which were changed once for him already. If the LDP really wanted him back, they could change their own rules again, but I think that’s unlikely. Koizumi’s maverick spirit didn’t penetrate enough to create an actual reformist block in the Diet and there are a number of old horse traders who feel they should be given a crack at being PM because they’re old.

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