Who is going to be Japans new PM ?

Davey · 8 Sep 2006

Well the race officially started today.

TOKYO ― Official campaigning for the race to succeed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi began Friday as Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe and two other contenders filed their candidacies for the Sept 20 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election. The issues at the center of policy debate among Abe, Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki and Foreign Minister Taro Aso are Japan's strained ties with China and South Korea, a possible tax hike, constitutional reform and income and regional disparities.
Abe is far ahead of the pack in popularity in various public opinion polls and has secured the support of over 70% of fellow LDP lawmakers who will vote in the party election, leaving Tanigaki and Aso to fight it out for the second place.

So who is going to be the next PM? Is it going to be Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki or Foreign Minister Taro Aso.

So share your Idea and Vote.

nice gaijin · 8 Sep 2006

I'm afraid I'm not too up-to-date on the state of Japan's politics, but if name recognition is any indication, the only candidate I recall hearing about is Abe. It seems that's he's in the lead already, so it's reasonable to assume things will stay that way, unless something dramatic occurs.

yukio_michael · 9 Sep 2006

There are only two votes, but I voted Shinzo Abe, as well!

DoctorP · 9 Sep 2006

I think Abe has the inside track. I really don't see it being all that close of an election.

ricecake · 18 Sep 2006

No doubts, Abe is the next Japanese PM.

4321go · 18 Sep 2006

Shinzo Abe?
I heard that he is very young~ only 51 years old~
but I doubt he will bring much change to the current situation ~
but things will be better ~I mean the relation between China and Japan there is no need to worry~

Maciamo · 20 Sep 2006

It will almost surely be Abe Shinzo. However, I am not sure this is a good thing since he is more nationalistic and more of a hard-liner than Koizumi.

In the tradition of post-war Japanese politics, Abe has had a relative in office before him; his grandfather served as a cabinet minister. What worries me more is that his wife's grandfather was none else than Kishi Nobusuke, a convicted war criminal pardoned by the US for his skills in tracking communists, and PM of Japan between 1957 and 1960. If Korea and China already complain about Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni, where such war criminals are buried, how will they react to the grand-son-in-law of a war criminal taking office? It wasn't an issue is the 1950's when Kishi was in office simply because Japan and China had cut all official relations at the time. But now...

Elizabeth van Kampen · 20 Sep 2006

Abe also wants more nationalism in the schools. That is really sad, at least in my eyes, all children in this world should be able to from their own opinions. That counts even more so in democratic countries.

pipokun · 20 Sep 2006

Maciamo said:
...
If Korea and China already complain about Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni, where such war criminals are buried, how will they react to the grand-son-in-law of a war criminal taking office?
...

Did you really spend your 4 yrs in Tokyo? You are an expert on Japaneseness, aren't you? The one phrase, war criminals are buried, makes me think you're just the same as ignorant Asians.

4321go, you're right.

DoctorP · 21 Sep 2006

pipokun said:
Did you really spend your 4 yrs in Tokyo? You are an expert on Japaneseness, aren't you? The one phrase, war criminals are buried, makes me think you're just the same as ignorant Asians.
4321go, you're right.

Wow, that was a bit harsh... even if it had come from me!

Maciamo · 21 Sep 2006

pipokun said:
Did you really spend your 4 yrs in Tokyo? You are an expert on Japaneseness, aren't you? The one phrase, war criminals are burried, makes me think you're just the same as ignorant Asians.
4321go, you're right.

You have been waiting years to find a post where I would make a small mistake just to reprobate me, haven't you ?

OK, not "buried", but "enshrined". It is even worse, actually.

DoctorP · 21 Sep 2006

I think that Japan will benefit from a little injection of nationalism. Japan has no identity now...change will be a good thing.

pipokun · 21 Sep 2006

Maciamo said:
You have been waiting years to find a post where I would make a small mistake just to reprobate me, haven't you ?
OK, not "buried", but "enshrined". It is even worse, actually.

That's the same as what you did to your friends, students, or wife to pick up your conclusion, or simply easy generalisation.

Anyways, tell me how it is worse.

shiroma · 27 Sep 2006

NHK news

LDP President Abe Named as Prime Minister

Shinzo Abe comes from a distinguished political family and has been groomed for the top job in Japan all his life. Today he got the promotion he has longed for. He's now Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The leader of the Liberal Democratic Party became the youngest prime minister in post-war Japan this afternoon. What will be his and Japan's future?

News Today 30 Minutes takes an in-depth look into the new administration.

Yohei Kono/ Lower House Speaker
"The Lower House has chosen Mr Shinzo Abe as Prime Minister."

Voting to choose a new Prime Minister was held at an extraordinary session of Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.

Outgoing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his Cabinet had resigned en masse earlier in the day.

Mr Abe won 339 votes, or about a 70 percent majority, in the 480 seat Lower House.

The Upper House also nominated Mr Abe as Prime Minister with a majority.

RockLee · 27 Sep 2006

Abe it is !

nice gaijin · 27 Sep 2006

I watched his speech at 9:15 last night. I say "watched" because I was in a crowded bar and couldn't hear a damned thing.

Who is going to be Japans new PM ?

Who will be the next PM?

Shinzo Abe

Taro Aso

Sadakazu Tanigaki

Davey

先輩

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

yukio_michael

後輩

DoctorP

先輩

ricecake

先輩

4321go

Happy

Maciamo

先輩

Elizabeth van Kampen

先輩

pipokun

先輩

DoctorP

先輩

Maciamo

先輩

DoctorP

先輩

pipokun

先輩

shiroma

先輩

RockLee

Hullu

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

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