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 Topic: PoliticsThe new items published under this topic are as follows.
Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Wednesday, August 17, 2005 - 07:15 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan said Tuesday in its manifesto for the upcoming general election that it will reduce state expenditures by 10 trillion yen over three years through fiscal 2008 and downsize postal funds if it forms the next government. The DPJ also promised to withdraw Japan's Ground Self-Defense Forces troops by December this year from the southern Iraqi city of Samawah where they have been engaged in reconstruction work, and proposed to build a national war memorial for the war dead.
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Read full article: 'DPJ pledges 10 tril. yen spending cut over 3 years' (4252 bytes more)  
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Tuesday, August 16, 2005 - 08:00 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has asked Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie to run on its ticket as a candidate in the Sept. 11 House of Representatives election, senior LDP members said Tuesday, in an apparent bid to attract urban swing voters. "There is great significance in fielding outsiders like Mr. Horie," said one senior member who asked not to be named, indicating the party's hopes to have Horie as a key candidate. Another senior LDP member, however, expressed doubts that Horie would actually accept the offer.
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Read full article: 'LDP asks Livedoor's Horie to run in election' (877 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Tuesday, August 16, 2005 - 07:58 AM
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(Kyodo) _ Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi did not visit the war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Monday, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, although two members of his Cabinet and a group of other lawmakers did so amid strained ties with neighboring countries over issues related to the war. Instead, Koizumi offered flowers at the tomb for the unknown war dead at the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Monday. At a separate government-sponsored memorial service, he also offered an apology for Japan's wartime aggression and vowed the country would never wage war again.
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Read full article: 'Koizumi skips Yasukuni Shrine visit on war-end day' (4862 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Monday, August 15, 2005 - 08:06 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi issued a statement on the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II on Monday, apologizing to the victims of Japan's past aggression and expressing willingness to join hands with Asian neighbors like China and South Korea to help maintain peace in the region. The statement, which the Cabinet adopted earlier in the day, was the first of its kind issued by a prime minister on the anniversary since 1995.
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Read full article: 'Koizumi apologizes for past aggression, seeks ties with Asia' (2181 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Monday, August 15, 2005 - 08:06 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ The following is a translation by Kyodo News of the full text of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's statement issued Monday on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. "In marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the war, I once again recall that the peace and prosperity we now enjoy was achieved on the noble sacrifices of many who lost their lives against their will in the war, hereby renewing my pledge that our country shall never again follow the path toward war.
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Read full article: 'Full text of Koizumi's statement on 60th anniversary of end of WWII' (3610 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Monday, August 15, 2005 - 08:06 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ In a move rarely seen by a legislator, Kanako Otsuji, a member of the Osaka Prefectural Assembly, told reporters Friday that she is a lesbian and is publishing an autobiography that centers on her quest for sexual identity. When she ran in an election for the 112-seat prefectural assembly in April 2003, Otsuji, 30, gave up the idea of coming out to the public because she was unsure she could win understanding about her sexuality from the general public in the prefecture with a population of 8.84 million, the second largest after Tokyo.
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Read full article: 'Osaka Prefectural Assembly legislator comes out as lesbian' (590 bytes more)
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Posted by: tokyosweetie on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 01:41 PM
Politics
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Power, grace and great style
By Karen Thomas, USA TODAY
Esquire's list of the best-dressed men in the world this year hits stands Monday. And while it is Hollywood-heavy, the magazine's second such list sends a message to young hunks to wake up and dress up.
Hitmaker Pharrell Williams, 32, tops the 2005 list because of the way he infuses high-end haberdashery into today's baggy hip-hop craze, says David Granger, the magazine's editor in chief.
"Really, it's mostly confidence. He has a way of mixing fine tailoring with clothes that are relaxed, so he looks equally put-together and casual at the same time," Granger says.
But Williams says he is not trying that hard to have a "killer" style. "I just dress how I feel, so I always look comfortable. That's the only way to look good," the music producer says.
The top 20
1. Pharrell Williams
2. Jake Gyllenhaal
3. Kanye West
4. Jude Law
5. Andre 3000
6. George Clooney
7. Matt Lauer
8. Josh Lucas
9. Rocker Alex Kapranos
10. Jay-Z
11. New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady
12. Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
13. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
14. Southern rockers My Morning Jacket
15. Luke Wilson
16. New York Jets Runningback Curtis Martin
17. Paul Bettany
18. Bill Clinton
19. Chris Martin
20. Golf's Adam Scott
21. Donald Trump
Granger says today's well-dressed man must have a "balance between dressing professionally and appearing to be totally relaxed." But, men's fashion is sliding toward a dressier look.
"That whole Armani jacket with blue jeans is getting clichéd," he says.
Notable among the list:
•New this year. At No. 2, Jake Gyllenhaal, 24, stands out among today's trendy young stars, Granger says. "It's great to see a young man in Hollywood who actually cares about what he looks like." No. 4 Jude Law, 32, "looks so natural" when he mixes refined British tailoring with casual clothes.
•Returning. Imaginative dresser Andre 3000, 30, last year's No. 1, falls to No. 5 mostly because "he hasn't been very visible this year," Granger says. George Clooney, 44, at No. 6; Matt Lauer, 48, at No. 7; and Jay-Z, 35, at No. 10 each have a style that spans the years.
•Un-Hollywood. Junichiro Koizumi, 63, prime minister of Japan, is No. 12. "The guy takes the Donald Trump look and makes it look oddly international and truly powerful."
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 09:22 AM
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Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi upped the ante in his war against party rebels by instructing that priority be given to fielding female candidates in the Lower House election next month.The move will undoubtedly go down well with women voters. The strategy started to take shape with a decision by ruling Liberal Democratic Party executives on Thursday to field Satsuki Katayama as its candidate in the Shizuoka No. 7 constituency. The seat is held by Minoru Kiuchi, 40, one of the party's 37 rebel lawmakers who voted against Koizumi's postal reform bills, thereby triggering the current political upheaval.
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Read full article: 'Koizumi trying to crush party rebels in election by fielding women candidates' (3826 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 09:21 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reiterated Friday that he will "appropriately" decide whether to visit the war-related Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, remaining noncommittal about the controversial issue ahead of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Koizumi has remained noncommittal about the issue since facing strong protests from China last November against his visits to the Shinto shrine, which honors war criminals along with the nation's war dead. Koizumi last visited the shrine on New Year's Day in 2004.
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Read full article: 'Koizumi avoids saying whether he'll visit Yasukuni on Aug. 15' (100 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 07:08 AM
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(Kyodo) _ Katsuya Okada, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, said Tuesday he will resign as party leader if the DPJ is unable to take over government after the House of Representatives election on Sept. 11. "We would have to take the reins of government at any cost and change the country. If the DPJ fails to take over power, I have absolutely no intention to remain as party leader," Okada said in a news conference. "The election will decide Japan's future. As the party leader, I have a heavy responsibility," he said. Okada's term as DPJ leader runs until September next year.
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Read full article: 'Okada says he will resign as DPJ head if his party loses in election' (730 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - 07:05 AM
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(Kyodo) _ Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's attempt to expel anti-postal reform ruling party members in the Sept. 11 general election represents his determination to advance structural reforms and streamline the public sector, Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said Wednesday. "I think the prime minister wants to clearly show the public that he wants to advance structural reforms and pursue a small government, with privatization of postal services at the core," Tanigaki told reporters.
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Read full article: 'Koizumi is expelling LDP members to advance reform, says Tanigaki' (1215 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Tuesday, August 09, 2005 - 07:53 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ The following is a chronology of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's postal privatization and other major reform drives.
December 1992 - Koizumi calls for a review of postal services in his first news conference as posts and telecommunications minister, stirring controversy.
September 1995 - Koizumi runs in the dominant Liberal Democratic Party's presidential race for the first time, raising postal privatization as an issue.
March 1997 - Koizumi prompts controversy by calling, as health and welfare minister, for postal privatization in a view differing from posts minister.
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Read full article: 'Chronology of Koizumi's postal privatization drive' (3657 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Tuesday, August 09, 2005 - 07:52 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Monday he will resign if the governing coalition led by his Liberal Democratic Party fails to win a majority in the Sept. 11 House of Representatives election, which he called the same day. "I'll step down if the LDP and the New Komeito party fail to win a (combined) majority," Koizumi told a press conference, saying his pet project of fully privatizing the country's postal services will be tested in the election for the powerful 480-seat lower house.
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Read full article: 'Koizumi to quit if LDP-led coalition fails to win majority' (2920 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Tuesday, August 09, 2005 - 07:50 AM
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(Kyodo) _ The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan began preparations Monday for the Sept. 11 election, called the same day by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in dissolving the House of Representatives, hoping it will be able to put an end to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's long hold on power. "We want to start heading toward a general election that would change Japan significantly," said DPJ President Katsuya Okada. "A DPJ administration would proceed with real reforms. I see this dissolution as a chance to revamp Japan."
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Read full article: 'Opposition DPJ determined to seize opportunity in Sept. election' (2869 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Tuesday, August 09, 2005 - 07:50 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ Japan on Tuesday expressed concern about Iran's resuming uranium conversion activities, which experts say might be used to make nuclear weapons. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told a press conference, "It poses a significant problem" in the context of nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. The top government spokesman also indicated that Japan hopes relevant organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, will devise a measure to discourage Tehran from continuing the conversion activities. Iran said Monday it had restarted nuclear activities at a uranium conversion facility in Isfahan under IAEA supervision.
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Read full article: 'Japan concerned about Iran's resumption of uranium conversion' (100 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 07:26 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ Japan will carefully consider the next step to take concerning expanding the U.N. Security Council following the African Union's decision Thursday not to pursue a joint proposal with the so-called Group of Four countries, which includes Japan, Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said Friday. "We want to consider carefully whether to move toward a vote after looking at the atmosphere in Africa by country again and properly analyzing it, particularly among the G-4 countries, as well as possibly involving some African countries," Machimura said. "We do not take the position that we will go for a vote no matter what. This is what our realistic approach means," the foreign minister told a press conference in Tokyo.
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Read full article: 'Japan to carefully mull U.N. reform after African leaders' decision' (1410 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 07:48 AM
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(Kyodo) _ South Korea on Wednesday lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Japan over references in Tokyo's latest defense white paper to a pair of islets controlled by South Korea but claimed by Japan. Defense Ministry officials summoned Fumihiro Araki, the military attache at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to complain about the "Defense of Japan" report released Tuesday. The annual white paper defines the islands of Takeshima, called Dokdo in South Korea, as part of Japanese territory and says that the issue of its sovereignty has yet to be resolved.
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Read full article: 'S. Korea protests against Japan's new defense white paper' (938 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 07:48 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ The United States and China have agreed to join forces to block a plan to expand the U.N. Security Council put forward by Japan, India, Germany and Brazil, China's U.N. ambassador was quoted as saying Wednesday. Ambassador Wang Guangya said he reached the agreement with John Bolton, his U.S. counterpart, in a meeting Tuesday, because both believe the proposal by the so-called Group of Four would divide the United Nations' 191 member states, the Associated Press said. Bolton did not respond to reporters' questions about details of his meeting.
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Read full article: 'U.S., China to block U.N. reform plan by Japan, others: report' (936 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 08:20 AM
Politics
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(Kyodo) _ Five groups of conservative lawmakers and citizens urged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday to visit the war-related Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, but the coalition partner of Koizumi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party sought an alternative to the shrine the same day. The lobbying activities of opposite directions reflect intensifying public concern about Koizumi's contentious shrine visits amid aggravated ties with China and South Korea as the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II approaches.
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Read full article: 'Conservatives for Koizumi's Aug. 15 Yasukuni visit, Komeito against' (2389 bytes more)
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Posted by: BillyBobJoe on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 08:19 AM
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(Kyodo) _ China's Foreign Ministry criticized Japan on Tuesday for exaggerating about the so-called "China threat" in its newly released defense white paper, and dismissed Tokyo's concerns as "groundless" and "irresponsible." Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kong Quan said the annual white paper compiled by the Japanese Defense Agency and endorsed by the Cabinet on Tuesday harms the two countries' efforts to establish mutual trust on security, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. "It would mislead the public, result in suspicion of each other and opposition to each other in emotions, and harm the Sino-Japanese relations," he was quoted as saying.
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Read full article: 'Beijing says Tokyo exaggerates 'China threat' in defense report' (1793 bytes more)
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