Koizumi Endorses Yuriko Koike

Global Talk and Observing Japan are the bloggers to watch for insights into Japan's politics. I like that former prime minister Koizumi says he supports Yuriko Koike, who spoke very well last night on NHK's debate program, about ending Japan's dependency on fossile fuels, and the need to think about sustainable development and "mottainai" (wastefulness). At least compared to the others, she seemed to care about issues that are very, very important.

Comments

Pandabonium said…
Her father was in the oil trade so she may have learned a thing or two from her dad. She also studied in Egypt and speaks Arabic, which is a plus. I'd much rather see her as PM than fascist slave labor family business heir Taro Aso, who once described Japan as "one nation, one civilization, one language, one culture, and one race, the like of which there is no other on this earth." (Historically wrong on several points - guess he never learned about the Ainu, or the Ryukyu Kingdom racial mixing with Korea, China, etc.) At least he didn't end it with "zig heil".

Don't know if Koike really has a shot at PM, but the LDP could sure use a shot of fresh blood and a new perspective.
6:51 pm, September 13, 2008
Martin J Frid said…
Thanks for the insights.

I had no idea that Koike-san also had links to the oil industry, Fukuda-san was in his youth working for one of Japan's oil companies (in the 1950s).

I'm not in a position to vote, and I am very careful about politics here. I just like the fact that Koike-san seems to know that we are at the end of the fossile fuel era, and she is not hesitating to make that known to the general public.

So, is Koike the one to watch?
7:25 pm, September 13, 2008
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