Sh1mon M4sada comments

Japan ought to be wary...both Canada and Australia learnt a very powerful lesson recently, that the Chinese votes will upend democracy, especially with the leverage of Chinese students in universities.

https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2020/04/queensland-university-pledges-loyalty-to-chinese-communist-party/

Japanese students...don't drink the koolaid.

“High tariffs will not bring economic prosperity," Ishiba told a global forum in Tokyo. "A prosperity built on sacrifices by someone or another country will not make a strong economy."

Then Ishiba truly misses the point. Trade is massively imbalanced, favouring mercantile regimes, Ishiba doesn't need a reminder given the unilateral seafood ban by China.

Each and every time Ishiba talks he demonstrate just how little he grasp the situation.

Trade imbalance will cement developing countries into permanent poverty, and countries like Japan into perpetual state of decline. How can developing countries rise when China is exporting massive excess capacity?

Balanced Trade is the only way for all nations to share in the trade dividend.

This guy is in the same class as a sack of bricks. Thailand had an official government rice stockpile that it ONLY starts recycling into the open market after 5 years, rice that is older than 10 years (by all report, is still safe for human consumption) is sold for ethanol production and animal feed production.

Given the massive Thai program, you'd think they know just a little bit more than Tamaki in terms of rice inventory management.

Look at the whose whose of despots rulers linking hands. LOL. They certainly deserve each other.

Timely reminder the CCP wants to usurp international atomic institutions and will use coercion, trade to further its grip on Japanese sovereignty.

This is certainly not good news in the traditional sense, it's a reminder to be wary.

Ishiba is out of his depth. The challenges confronting Japanese consumers and wage earners are enormous, given the chronic lack of productivity affecting food production and salary increases. Yet Ishiba wants to insulate rice farmers from foreign competition.

Average Japanese rice farmer earns a million yens per year, this is seriously uneconomic at national level.

Cash in brown envelopes, rice in brown sacks, party tickets in brown bags

You can see why the factions want to sink Koizumi into the deep.

“I will put an end to the lack of transparency between politics and funds,” he added during his campaigning in Ginza.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/shinjiro-koizumi-japan-liberal-democratic-party-ldp-4635201

Tops public poll, miles a head of any other candidate, but 3rd in LDP party election?

“The environment surrounding the automobile industry is changing day by day. Uncertainty in the business environment is increasing, due particularly to the slowdown in the expansion of the EV market due to several factors, including changes in environmental regulations,” Honda said in a statement.

Slow down in the EV market?

https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2025/trends-in-electric-car-markets-2

ROTFL....

Let's face it, Japan didn't fight back against China when it strangled TDK to death, TDK is now CATL, the world's biggest battery supplier. TDK tech, TDK money, delivering profits and political controls to the CCP.

My guess is Honda management probably begged the Japanese government to do nothing when TDK was being steangled. Honda factories in China were burnt down by wolf warriors a few years earlier.

Japan has to leverage allies, these bilateral trading ties no longer serve Japan. Friendly block is what lies ahead.

Hmmm, Russia has been sanctioned to the moon and back, hasn't affected it economically, not to the average Russian, all living life as normal, and connected Russian lapping up profits left behind by exiting western businesses. As Bill Browder says, the west has to sanctions the oligarchs and their businesses.

BUT the EU needs Russian metals, the world needs grains, energy, and the Chinese is willing to provide currency swaps for Russian goods to flow.

Lets face it, you have to sanction China AND Russian businesses...anything else is just more fakenews to appease the virtuous nosebleeds.

I don't know what 'Power Vacance' mean, is it even a meaningful phrase?

But I do like the idea, ie buying an exceptional experience. I hope his maths is good 7ties billion yens, I am not even sure there's enough landing slots into Okinawa...or hotel beds in order to bring visitors to Okinawa.

He's going to need 5000 visitors a day to the park just to pay for the cost of capital.

The best deal for Japan is going to be the best deal for a friendly trading block. USA has just about reset the block in the Middle East. The North America block is being held back by Canada, Japan don't copy Canada, you could win BIG as the local power in the Asia Pacific block, China will be kept at a distance.

So don't look at it as USA/Japan, look at it as an Asia Pacific block with regional leader (that's Japan).

But I am not holding my breath, these old factional people are completely jaw locked...so first the LDP needs to dissolve the factions and elevate young blood into party leadership.

Isn't it kind of obvious

Not a guessing matter. Fact is voters vote in candidates.

I never said anything about LDP factions and there's more to nepotism than just money

Then you need to prove that he got in on nepotism, which is plainly insulting to the voters who voted him in.

Do you think that was all money he earned himself, and that there was ever a chance of him losing in the constituency his father had held?

His father built up good will in the community, he didn't leave his son anything other than good will. His son still has to win over voters. Plenty of coverage of how he and assistant rented a Toyota, drive around to gather support, using his own money.

Koizumi didn't exactly distinguish himself though. Other young politicians with fewer advantages have risen higher than he's managed.

OK that's your subjective bias, voters thought they'd give him a chance. Then after given a chance he excelled at the portfolio given to him, despite media bias because the factions are against him.

When did I ever mention factions?

That's the point, factions is the reality of Japanese politics, to rise above all this means he has talent.

I don't know why you think I expressed any grievance with factional sleaze.

because you wrote this "have sunk without trace", you don't sink in Japanese politics all on your own, and particularly if you have excelled at the portfolio given to you.

The factions controls everything, the evident is clear, despite Koizumi polling top spot in public polls, he was clearly 3rd in the LDP ballot behind the two powerful factions that foisted Ishiba and Takaichi up. AND now we know they all got SLEEZY gifts.

In the last 15 years has any Prime Minister had a favorable support rate?

Probably doesn't matter to any political candidate from a major party. The candidate running third to the two factional heavy weights (Ishiba and Takaichi) was Shinjiro Koizumi - he lead easily in the public opinion polls but it's the factions that elects the leader.

people still remember that they were even worse than the LDP.

This ^^^ exactly, they even toyed with communism at one stage.

No other party has enough money to afford the number of candidates they'd need to match the LDP's. It's nothing to do with if they're better or not

The LDP got the money because they got the votes. Most democracies supports the system in the same way, you get more votes, you get more funding. This means wealthy candidates are not at an advantage, or worse still candidates that hoard donations from self interested companies are not at advantage.

In Japan it guarantees money and power for vile LDP

Then prove it and get paid by the media, I'm sure they'd be very interested given young Shinjiro didn't get any help from the LDP factions.

Really?

Yes, you weren't aware he campaigned using his own money, rented a Toyota and together with his friend roam the electorate, without ANY LDP funding or endorsement?

He scored a role with CSIS, and was lead Pacific CSIS before running. All on his own. OK, sure the factions are not behind him, so no matter how talented he is, he's always going to loose out to old factional characters like Ishiba, but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a go.

He was in charge of Reconstruction, massive budget and not a single scandal. Compare this to other cabinet ministers like Kono who can't avoid a scandal even if he tried.

Ishiba got in on 'ticket sales' scandal, surprise surprise, he lead the tally and probably controlled it all.

have sunk without trace

You expressed grievance with factional sleeze, and yet you expect him to 'rise' above the factions. Clearly, logic defies you.

With Ishiba at the top, you'd expect this is the best cabinet he can round up. Shinjiro has got to step up and roll.

Picture says it all. She tried to destroy Britain, he's trying to find someone to lay the blame for Britain's future demise at his hands.

Another nepo-baby out of touch with real life.

Nothing wrong with continuity, he's got there on his own steam btw, and despite his inexperience, has done a great job.

You gotta work with what you have, and Japan has deep rooted traditions. The challenge is how to still move forward, these old guards like Ishiba are incapable of moving anywhere.

Japan needs a younger forward looking, in touch political class. IMHO Koizumi fits the bill, but Japan needs dozens more like him.

LDP elders should really accept they shouldn't be running the country, instead they should be the steady hand that guide the young blood.

Japan is one of the bad guys,

Naaah, Japan has been 10% base since its inception, because USA sees Japan as a valuable allies. Structural trade issues, ie imbalances will be worked out with each and every session, 3rd one shortly, the only nation that has had that much access.

If structural imbalances can't be resolved, then the world will be imposing structural containment on the developing nations in South America, Africa, Asia, because Chinese et al excess capacity means these nations will never be allowed to develop like China, Japan, SK, Taiwan did. If USA does not prevail, it wil be a slow painful death sentences for developing nations. Cruel!

The only businesses currently adversely affected are ones that swallowed fake news and ignored tariffs messaging 2 years ago. The writing is on the Wall (st), equities roaring, hedgefunds short covering.

You use fake news to plan for your business, don't expect workers to pay for your mistakes. Reset - yeah baby!

I like visiting a pharmacy in any case, and I stockup on pain killers and cold and flu, and well, hay fever is top notch in Japanese pharmacies, so much choices. Just love the advice of Japanese pharmacists. But I think availability in kombinis is not a bad thing if labelling is adequate.

The reputation of America diminishes every day, trade talks or not.

LOL, ROTFL, $1.2 trillion just in one country 1 day ago (Qatar), detente with Syria, Iran negotiating, Ukraine negotiating, UK deal underway, 1st in Europe...round rock, cave, roll....

How about pursuing trade opportunities in the 180+ countries not named the USA? Show a spine for once.

Because Japan is savvy, and learns from mistake of China. Trade surplus with USA, record rice prices domestically, the opportunity to build ships for USA in USA, after it invested in steel in USA...be part of advanced chips alliance, mineral alliance, energy alliance, AND new twin engine fighter jet (Rafale got shot down by old Chinese jets...).

Now China on other hand squealing in Geneva 'we sorry, we take back retaliation, sincerely, respectfully, and now want same deal 10% baseline as friendly nations got for 90 days', 'so sorry', 'can keep fentanyl tariff, can keep Trump 1.0 tariff', 'we made mistake with Boeing also, we need planes', 'so sorry'....LOL (not at factories that had to shut, at the Xi comedy).

Giving it away to a foundation controlled by a trust deed that obeys every wishes and whims is giving?

The regulator 'should' know bookings sites already have much of the shared info, IN ONE database, AND track potential customers at the same HQ.

Good! We have bipartisan support for this then. Should go even further, like how Cray, SGI machines were tracked and audited during their life, and end of life destroyed and recorded.

Well, let the Brits work out there problems, that’s on them

some dude is probably neck deep in fake news he's probably still regurgitatin' 'Brexit' is going to send the UK in the dark ages, because the fake news is still saying it, and even AI is hallucinating it.

The UK has grown as the same pace as France and Germany post Brexit, it's the eastern states in the EU that's been doing the heavy lifting in terms of growth, but that's because they are not as integrated into the EU as say France. On top of all this, CPI, job security has actually improved for the working man in the UK.

Beware of the fake news and their lemmings!

Like everywhere else, it's a way for social media conglomerates to collect even more identifiable information about you. Don't believe a thing, Luxon has joined the trough.