A New Woman for a New LDP?

The LDP, facing its worst predicament ever, looks like it will face its next general election with the increasingly unpopular prime minister, Aso Taro, at the helm. With a sputtering economy marked by among the worst growth rates in the postwar era, the Aso administration seems almost criminally incompetent, as Finance Minister Nakagawa Shoichi resigns after a drunken press conference at a G7 meeting in Rome.

The LDP is desperate to remain in power, to be sure. So what last-minute gambit might they try? Demonstrate their superior statesmanship by attempting to achieve an unexpected, last-minute major breakthrough on the Northern Islands dispute with Russia? More cash handouts to keep pockets full and the consumer economy humming along? It seems as though that most prefectures are content to ride out the electoral storm under Aso’s umbrella, citing a lack of better alternatives and the potential ignominy of having four prime ministers before a general election.

There is a Hail Mary option, however. The idea is certainly not without precedent in Japanese politics. As Sumiko Iwao’s book The Japanese Woman reminds us, in 1986 the SDPJ chose a female figurehead, Doi Takako, “at a time of crisis, to play the role of sacrificial lamb.” Little did they know how popular she would become. Even former Prime Minister Koizumi used female “assassins” to slay postal reform rebels in the dramatic electoral victory in fall 2005.

Today the Gifu Prefecture LDP branch argues that if the LDP can’t win unless they do something like choose a woman to carry them through the election (josei o katsugu kurai de nai to katenai). It’s not surprising that the suggestion would come from Gifu, home turf of LDP darling Noda Seiko, who has openly nursed ambitions to become Japan’s first female prime minister. A few years ago, her potential candidacy might have seemed hopeless. She was expelled from the LDP for voting against postal reform, but since then she has worked steadily to rejoin and rehabilitate herself within the party.

The other natural candidate is Koike Yuriko, a former television broadcaster fluent in Arabic and a Koizumi ally known for her hawkish views and deeply conservative outlook. Koike also formally cast her lot for LDP President in 2008, the first real candidacy for a woman in the party’s history.

This is the Sarah Palin option, and it is not without its merits. The LDP wants to remain in power more than anything in the world, but it badly needs to convince voters that is clean, competent, and working to solve Japan’s very serious problems. Might they choose a beautiful face reflecting a new LDP? Whatever gambit they ultimately opt for, however, most Japan-watchers — and by now most Japanese voters — know it is just lipstick on a pig.

 

Obama’s Magic in Japan

After spending a few hours reading newspaper articles and blogs around the Internet about the US presidential race in Japan, I get the impression that Obama’s candidacy has struck a chord in Japan for his inspiring speeches, calls for reform and unity, and intriguing personal biography — many of the same reasons he is so popular in the United States. Although most American press reports on Obama in Japan have focused on cheering from a Japanese town with a kindred name, the Obama phenomenon seems much broader than that. Here I briefly highlight two articles about Obama that first caught my eye, as they show how some view Obama as a symbol of racial healing and political change.

The left-leaning Asahi Shimbun, Japan’s second-largest daily, hailed Obama’s victory in the Democratic presidential primary process as politically transforming, but the editorialist seemed genuinely puzzled by Obama’s warm reception among voters. The editorial noted that it must have “caught many readers by surprise” that the United States had sufficiently overcome racial prejudice for Obama to receive such wide support in the primaries. After noting that the secret of Obama’s success was to downplay the racial discrimination he might have faced, the Asahi indicates that they still have doubts about how much America has really changed, explaining, without further comment, that “[t]he decline in support for Obama toward the end of the campaign seems to imply the hesitation in American society to accept a black as a presidential candidate.”

The LDP’s Saito Toshitsugu, a member of the House of Representatives, sent out an official e-newsletter in March gushing about Obama’s political savvy, while caricaturing Hillary Clinton as a beastly politician. The staff-written newsletter explains that, with the enormously popular slogan of “Yes We Can,” Obama speaks to what people hold in common and gets them excited about politics again. In praise familiar to American readers, Obama is lauded for garnering support from all races, men and women, young and old alike, as he not only cuts into Hillary Clinton’s support base, but also attracts voters from the Republican Party. According to the newsletter, Hillary Clinton, by contrast, couldn’t hide her “true” hysterical nature (honrai no hisuterrikuna seikaku) when she scolded, “Shame on you, Barack Obama!” The writer hopes that Japanese politicians, too, will embrace a spirit of “Yes We Can” and show citizens their reform-minded spirit.

 

Noda Seiko Presents Juno

According to news reports, recently there was a preview screening of the movie Juno, starring Ellen Page, in Nagatacho, with a special talk by Diet member Noda Seiko. Noda has famously written brutally honest books about her own experience with fertility treatment and has attempted to make a name for herself by offering new policy ideas to boost Japan’s declining birthrate.

Noda drew attention to how differently teen pregnancy and childbirth are depicted in Japanese and American popular culture. She claimed that a story like this would be treated in a serious, somber light in Japan (and would be a tearjerker, to be sure!), so she was suprised at how drastically different Juno portrayed these big decisions. Although I’ve only seen a few episodes of the popular Japanese television drama about a 14-year old teenage mother, the tone was indeed generally serious.

Noda also drew some comparisons between Japan and other advanced industrial countries, particularly the United States, where she studied abroad as a high school student over 30 years ago. She recalled sometimes seeing students who were pregnant or pushing baby carriages to school, pointing out that teenage pregnancy is by no means a “new” issue in the United States. She claimed that in the United States, people are more likely to accept and value new life, even when it is brought into the world by a physically and economically immature teenage girl.

Noda also tied discussion of the movie into the declining birthrate issue, her signature policy area, by pointing out that Japan currently lacks the infrastructure to accommodate foster and adoptive parents sufficiently. She pointed out that more married women are working these days, but many couples still need some economic help before they will be able to have children — if the husband doesn’t receive an expected bonus at work, for example, they may have to rethink whether they want to have another child. Echoing a common problem framing of the declining birthrate, Noda also argued that men, rather than women, play the leading role in the declining birthrate problem because even if the birth of a new child floods them with feelings of joy, they still end up inevitably consumed by work. She hopes that Japan, which lags other countries in this area, updates its childrearing support systems and institutions to accommodate these new and changing situations.

I looked up some Japanese blogs to see if there was any reaction to the event, and a few young women reported attending the event, being surprised at how personable and engaging Noda Seiko was, and remarking that they were starting to take more interest in both politics and the declining birthrate issue. Another comment that came up a few times was reiteration of the sentiment that teenage pregnancy would never be depicted this way in Japan. The movie will be released in June nationwide.

 

Jesse Ventura for Senate

Word on the street is that Jesse Ventura may be entering the Minnesota Senate race against Al Franken and Norm Coleman. While promoting his new book on tour, Ventura seems to be testing the waters for a bid against two candidates he feels are woefully inadequate.

For voters weary of our current two-party system and standard platforms, Jesse Ventura has never been short of new, bold ideas for political reform. In musing about his potential Senate bid, Ventura’s proposals already include abolishing the federal income tax in favor of a national sales tax, making it harder for the president to go to war, reinstating the draft, and especially requiring Members of Congress to make special contributions to any war effort.

Jesse’s entry into the race would throw expectations into total chaos. In principle, I love political chaos and welcome anything that confounds what everybody thinks and draws attention to the wacky politics of the great state of Minnesota. But it makes me an eensy bit nervous. While Ventura bested Norm Coleman in a three-way bid for governor in 1998, my hunch is that a Ventura-for-Senate candidacy would be much more likely to hurt Al Franken, whose tough, sometimes mean-spirited brand of comedy probably appeals to the same set of independents and lefties who are looking for a fresh approach to politics. Then again, an awful lot of independents and R’s are upset with Bush, and no one has been a bigger water-carrier for Bush in the Senate than Norm Coleman. So just enjoy basking in the chaos.

If he really decides to take the plunge, Ventura’s best hope is that he can get support again from political adman Bill Hillsman, whose brilliant spots in 1998 were instrumental in transforming Ventura into a cool, credible candidate. But as Ventura points out, he can run even on a small budget because he is capable of generating so much free media. If I were still living in Minnesota, I’d be sure to wear my feather boa in solidarity to the polls.

 

Plagues of Frogs, Portents of Peril

Apparently before the terrible earthquake in China’s Sichuan province, residents near the epicenter of the quake observed erratic, foreboding signs from local wildlife and zoo animals. According to reports, the first indication of natural disturbance was when groundwater levels fell dramatically three weeks ago in the area of the quake. In the town of Mianzhu, residents began to worry about an impending natural disaster three days before the earthquake when thousands of frogs alighted on their town. On the morning of the quake, animals in the Wuhan zoo within the vicinity of the quake were expressing various forms of distress — zebras banging at the door to get out, elephants swinging their trunks, and normally languid big cats pacing about.

The National Geographic Web site reports that there are several different theories about why animals might be able to sense earthquakes and other natural disasters ahead of time. One is that they notice trembling in the earth far before humans become aware of it. Another is that they are perceptive to electrical changes or sense a particular gas being emitted before the earthquake hits. Although American seismologists have been skeptical about studying animal warning signs, some scientists in China and Japan have embraced the project as worthy of further scientific study. Apparently Chinese officials are serious enough about animal-based signs that they evacuated the city of Haicheng in 1975 before a 7.3-magnitude quake hit after observing animal warnings, arguably saving 150,000 casualties. I find this all fascinating — why don’t we investigate this more?

 

Kimura Takuya for Prime Minister

Just as I’m despondent and thinking about canceling my cable subscription because the AZN channel went bust, I’m struck by another pang of jealousy that I can’t kick back on a couch in a Tokyo apartment on Monday nights to watch a rare Japanese political comedy-drama, a show on Fuji-TV called “Change.” To top off my agony, the show’s theme song is “Miles Away” by Madonna and it stars SMAP boy-band member and all-around heartthrob Kimura Takuya, known popularly as Kimutaku.

According to plot summaries I’ve read, Kimutaku implausibly plays a dorky elementary school teacher in Nagano prefecture, who is suddenly called to run for political office when tragedy befalls his family. His father is a Diet member and his eldest brother was going to take over the father’s political seat, but they were killed in an accident — leaving Kimutaku as the only political heir-apparent! Apparently the charming bumpkin Kimutaku is elected and then manipulated by party members to become the next prime minister of Japan, but the show provides hope to all those who want to see political reform in Japan.

Japan already has a fair number of celebrity politicians, so there is a reasonably good chance that Kimutaku could be elected in real life if he had those types of ambitions. The Diet and governorships are already full of Olympic athletes, professional wrestlers, and comedians. Kimutaku’s campaign, in a sense, has already begun, with Fuji-TV hawking “Change”-related products such as tissue boxes and suggesting that he will have a 100-percent approval rating.

The drama’s title “Change” probably owes to cultural cross-fertilization from American politics. In Fuji TV’s announcement of the show in March, the decision to call the show “Change” is followed directly by a reference to how the dueling campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have signaled that Americans are welcoming a new era of political reform. According to the Fuji-TV news release, in Japan, on the other hand, there is a sense of political stagnation — but Kimutaku may be just the person to bring real change as Prime Minister, as well as to change people’s hearts. It sounds as if just like Barack Obama’s “bottom-up” presidency, Kimutaku’s man-of-the-people will be able to inspire everyone from the youngest child to the most grizzled, cynical political veteran.

Although a female Prime Minister is still probably unimaginable for many Japanese, Fuji TV reports that Prime Minister Kimutaku will choose a “strong, ambitious woman” as his political secretary, played by Fukatsu Eri. The position of political secretary is actually a very important one in Japan, as the person is often groomed for future political leadership roles, including that of politician. And, indeed, it looks like Fukatsu’s character might be the real brains behind Kimutaku’s novice political operation. Only time will tell, however, if Kimutaku’s leadership and new vision of political reform will also bring about developments in her character or important policy changes and rights for women more broadly.

 

God Loves You, E.T.

Today’s Boston Globe reports the Vatican’s chief astronomer, Jose Gabriel Funes, instructs us that the Christian faith does not preclude belief in extra terrestrials. Funes asks us to broaden our minds: “How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere? Just as we consider earthly creatures as ‘a brother,’ and ’sister,’ why should we not talk about an ‘extraterrestrial brother’? It would still be part of creation.” Smile on your extraterrestrial brother; you are his keeper and stewards, now, of the heavens and the earth. Also, as it is written in Leviticus 19:33, “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him.”

Although I was surprised that the Vatican even has its own official astronomer, this newly revitalized debate about space aliens and the Christian faith raises another important theological question: Who would best be their patron saint? Perhaps Saint Francis of Assisi, for his love of all creation? Or because this part of God’s handiwork remains hidden to us, maybe it would be better to choose Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of the missing and lost?

 

Neptune Nettles for the Clown Convention

The Republican National Convention could be an ideal opportunity to showcase the new Republican brand, modeled by presidential nominee John McCain. After the George W. Bush administration has tarnished the R’s good reputation for prudent foreign policy and sound fiscal management, the Republicans are touting “Reasons to Believe” in their policy prowess regarding six important areas: the economy, facepainting, energy, health care, ballooning, and security. 

Although McCain has not yet picked his veep candidate, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty could be a very good choice indeed to show the public that the Republican Party is serious about both black magic and the circus arts.  McCain has famously said that he does not know much about the economy, but Pawlenty has presided over two terms of fiscal management without a single tax increase.  Despite the grassroots appeals of citizens who are “Happy to Pay for a Better Minnesota” Pawlenty stuck with his pledge to the Minnesota Taxpayers League not to budge. It is precisely this fidelity to no-new-taxes, along with some photo-ops to visit Minnesota troops in far-flung locations, that has vaulted Pawlenty into the Big Top of Republican politics.  It’s even possible that Pawlenty may be able to unveil a new, ready-to-use I-35 W bridge in time for the convention; I’m hoping that he will don a red nose to signal that it’s safe for clown cars again.

The Republican National Convention could also be the scene of major social disruption.  I’ve heard that the Minneapolis and St. Paul Police Departments are giving all their officers special riot training in light of fairly serious whispers about nefarious attempts to bring 1968 Chicago-style tactics to the streets.  My suggestion to fellow Democrats is to stock up instead on clown supplies, cream pies, and pea shooters.  Maybe even a few carefully placed banana peels will help trip things up a bit.  When my insane clown posse goes mano-a-mano with these bozos and gives them the bird, you better believe those downhearted Republicans will be needing a Smile-on-a-Stick!