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In this edition of TPR News: Fukuda talks tough, but his approval ratings keep falling; Korea’s Lee visits Tokyo; tax hike; Americans buy udon because Fukudome is batting .317; more on Steel Partners; a temple is defaced in Nagano after declining to host the Olympic torch; and more.

Politics

“Please tell me who in your party I can speak to, who can be trusted.”

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda appeared to catch DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa off-guard and surprised some political observers by expressing his frustration in a more assertive way than usual during their televised debate on Wednesday, April 9th.

While such debates are often formal and lacking in substance and Fukuda has been criticized for preferring old school back room horse trading to publicly hashing out disagreements and selling his policies to the public, the beginnings of change on both fronts crept up during the leaders’ first debate in three months.

After securing the DPJ’s agreement on the approval of Deputy Governor Masaaki Shirakawa, who became acting Governor immediately upon assuming the post, as Governor of the Bank of Japan, the LDP nominated Hiroshi Watanabe to fill Shirakawa’s newly vacated Deputy Governoship. The DPJ, as expected, fell in behind Ozawa and rejected Watanabe on the grounds that he had been a senior bureaucrat at the Ministry of Finance - the same reason given for rejecting three previous nominees for Governor or Deputy Governor.

Some observers viewed Fukuda’s unusually aggressive comments, attacking Ozawa’s leadership and the DPJ’s tactics of stalling in the Diet and complaining to the press, as signalling a change in tactics. While the opposition camp has publicly criticized Fukuda, his LDP, and their tactics, Fukuda has stuck to attempting to work out deals behind closed doors, the same unappealing practice televised debates between the Prime Minister and opposition leader were supposed to reduce when they were begun a few years ago. (Read on …)

In this edition of TPR News: Fukuda’s approval ratings are down; the gas tax expires; BOJ to get a head; administrative reform weak; trouble with Australia; the best companies in Japan - in general and for women; Nintendo on top again; US Sailor charged with murder; Yasukuni hits theaters, or does it?; and liquor at your door.

Politics

Things are still looking grim for Prime Minister Fukuda and his Cabinet. According to a survey by the right-leaning Sankei Shimbun, the Prime Minister’s approval rating has fallen to 23.8% as his disapproval rating has risen to 59%. This doesn’t necessarily mean the opposition Democratic Party is looking any better, though. As the fight over the renewal of the temporary gasoline tax grinds on, 63.9% of respondents approved of Fukuda’s proposal to place gas tax revenue in general funds, thus nullifying one of the DPJ’s most convincing reasons for opposition to the extension of the three-decade old “temporary” levy - the breaking up of the Tanakaist dorozoku, or “road tribe”, that has long used gas tax-funded patronage to keep power and influence.
As expected, the DPJ held off from voting on budget-related bills and the gas tax expired on March 31st, causing gasoline prices to drop by about 24 yen. While the DPJ leadership sees this as a victory, others in the party worry that such stances are giving them the appearance of being a “party of defiance,” especially as the Prime Minister had acceded to one of their main demands and a plank in the party’s platform - adding gas tax money to general revenue.

As the expiration became a sure thing, Fukuda said, “The regions will end up with a revenue shortage and industry will stagnate. I wonder if the DPJ will really do this and ignore the regions. There’s still room to discuss this matter.”

Appearing to be holding out despite getting what they wanted, the DPJ have altered their goal to the permanent abolition of the levy, with Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama saying, “Many citizens are hoping for the abolition of the provisional tax rate. We’ve fought unyieldingly on this issue and are finally seeing the fruits of our efforts materialize.” (Read on …)

We’ve been away, but we haven’t forgotten you, dear listeners. Thanks for sticking around - don’t forget to check out some of TPR’s other recent releases while TPR News has been away, viz. a couple new installments of Japan’s (self-declared) finest political podcast, Seijigiri.

In this edition of TPR News: More bad news for the PM; the gas tax fight continues as government waste comes to light; the opposition rejects three for the BOJ; North Korea might make it off the terrorism sponsor list; KFC prices to rise; kafunsho is bad for GDP; ShinGinko Tokyo, Shinsei Bank, and Resona Bank in trouble; and acquittals.

Politics

Things are just not looking up for Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. According to a Yomiuri Shimbun poll last weekend, support for the Cabinet dropped to a new low of 33.9% as disapproval climbed to 54%. The leading reason for disapproval of the Cabinet was “Cannot approve of the Cabinet’s political stance,” followed by “Cannot expect much from the Cabinet’s economic policy” and “Cabinet lacks stability.”

With the contentious gas tax set to expire at the end of the month, the opposition DPJ may have the public on its side. In an Asahi Shimbun poll, 59% of respondents said they opposed the ruling coalition’s bill to extend the three-decade old temporary tax. The same percentage said revenues raised by the tax should be considered general funds and not be earmarked for road construction. The same poll saw Prime Minister Fukuda’s disapproval rating climb over 50% for the first time. In the aforementioned Yomiuri poll, 64% of respondents opposed extending the gas tax beyond its March 31st expiration date. Interestingly, though, 63% of the respondents to the Yomiuri poll also said the ruling and opposition camps should make concessions to reach an agreement on the gas tax bill - a process that, because of the ruling coalition’s supermajority in the Lower House, would seem to favor the extension of the gas tax that the ruling coalition seeks. (Read on …)

In this edition of TPR News: Pols are unpopular; the MSDF is back in action; the Atago crash; the gas tax; Fukuda visits Korea; 1981 murder suspect arrested in Saipan; more food troubles; the latest business news; and more all around.

Congratulations to the Black Stripe Theater, whose production of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross was not only top notch, but also sold out for all five of its performances. Keep an eye on their blog and check back with TPR to find out more about future productions.

Politics

68% of people distrust political parties and politicians and feel that their vote has no influence according to a Yomiuri Shimbun poll conducted last week. Somewhat surprisingly for a poll conducted by the Yomiuri, which tends to get results a bit more favorable of the ruling coalition than other major dailies, over 60% of respondents said they wanted to see an occasional change in the ruling party and 40% of respondents who supported the LDP said they would welcome a change.

Bringing the sole accomplishment of the 2007 extraordinary Diet session to fruition, the Maritime Self-Defense Forces resumed their refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. On Thursday, the MSDF supply ship Oumi supplied a Pakistani frigate with 160 kiloliters of fuel. (Read on …)

In this edition of TPR News: A Marine stands accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in Okinawa; Iwakuni moves closer to hosting US jets; the gyoza scandal continues as most people say they won’t eat Chinese food; the latest business news; and much more.

Politics

The top story of the past few days has been the arrest of a US Marine in Okinawa for the rape of a 14-year-old junior high school girl on Sunday. We’ll have more on the crime itself in the Society section.

The case, of course, has serious political ramifications as well as criminal ones as it arouses greater opposition to the Marines’ never popular presence in Okinawa among the locals, leading to protests which could slow the relocation of the units currently at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Camp Schwab, a process already dogged by environmental concerns and the opposition of Okinawa’s relatively new Governor Hirokazu Nakaima. The rape and the furore surrounding it could also force the US to consider accelerating construction of a base on Guam to which many of the Marines based in Okinawa are set to be moved.

The assault, at least the eighth sex crime perpetrated by American military personnel in Okinawa since the end of World War II, could also spark a reevaluation of Japan’s defense agreements with the US, including Japan’s share of the financial burden for the relocation of the Marines to Guam. While Tokyo has supported the Marines’ internal moves in Okinawa and their presence in the prefecture, which is home to 75% of the US forces in Japan, it has had to apply significant pressure to the Okinawan government and local groups in order to move things along. Needless to say, Okinawans are not becoming any more amenable to giving the US military what they and the central government want. (Read on …)

In this edition of TPR News: Australia heightens the rhetoric against Japanese whaling; Fukuda’s advisory panel backs off on barring politicians from consorting with bureaucrats; the gas tax debate heats up; Osaka has Japan’s youngest governor; car sales are up; incomes are down; poisoned gyoza! Posioned gyoza!; and Japan hangs three.

TPR is proud to support the Black Stripe Theater’s presentation of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, February 22nd to 24th at Theatre Iwato.

Politics

In the Japanese press, throwing a stink bomb and boarding a ship makes one a terrorist. In the Australian press, being detained after making non-lethal attacks on a ship and illegally boarding it, makes that same person a hostage.

While both Japan and Australia say the issue will not harm their otherwise cordial relationship, the acrimony surrounding Japan’s whaling in the Southern Ocean, near Antarctica, continued to rise as Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith made his first visit to Japan since the government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd took power. Australia has said it would dispatch a Customs vessel to the Southern Ocean to monitor the hunt, which Australia vociferously opposes, and Japan, in response to increased pressure from environmental groups, has decided to have its Coast Guard protect its whaling fleet. (Read on …)

TPR News is finally back from its lengthy Winter hiatus just as Tokyo is finally starting to look wintry. Last year’s record for the latest recorded snowfall in Tokyo (officially none) will remain very safely intact as a couple inches of the stuff of Irving Berlin’s dreams piles up - the most we’ve seen for at least a few years now.

In this edition of TPR News: The Diet session opens; Fukuda gets a bump in popularity; the DPJ and LDP get set to tussle over the gas tax; Disney ties up with SoftBank; no smoking in cabs; fewer new adults; and a record number of death sentences.

Politics

The ordinary Diet session began in Friday. Last week’s polls show a slight increase in approval of the Cabinet over last month, with the Asahi Shimbun showing a three point bump, from a low of 31% in December to 34% in the most recent poll, with 45% disapproval. The Yomiuri Shimbun registers 45.6% supporting the Cabinet and 41.6% not supporting it. The Mainichi Shimbun and Sankei-FNN polls show results similar to those of the Asahi poll. Jun Okumura of GlobalTalk 21 has placed the polls in parallel, along with some comparisons between now and how the LDP and DPJ were polling shortly before last July’s Upper House elections. (Read on …)

In this edition of TPR News: Prime Minister Fukuda gives his first press conference of the year; the DPJ polls thirteen points ahead of the LDP; both camps get ready for a general election; Nagano joins Juki Net; the Nikkei plummets; Tokyo Stock Exchange President blasts the government and regulators; Toyota passes Ford; casino bill to be presented to the Diet; prisoners are unhappy with their pajamas; Waseda opens a journalism school; and more.

Politics

The kerfuffle over whether or not Ichiro Ozawa was resigning, the inability to use an Upper House majority to get anything done, public opinion polls showing people see gridlock in the Diet as a worry, and a new Prime Minister from the LDP have not been enough to turn people away from the Democratic Party of Japan or boost confidence in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. According to a Mainichi Shimbun survey, 82% of respondents were interested in a possible general election, 51% said they’d vote primarily based on issues, and 46% said they hoped for a DPJ victory, as compared to only 33% wishing for an LDP win. The poll shows the DPJ’s advantage over the LDP increasing from a 7% lead just after the DPJ’s victory in the July 29th Upper House elections to 13% in the most recent poll.

Presumably, voters are angered by the flood of scandals that have poured out of the LDP over the past year or so and by the myriad instances of LDP mismanagement. From a solid majority approval rating when he took office in September, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda’s approval rating has fallen to around 30%. (Read on …)