LDP exec apologizes for calling typhoon damage 'so-so'

Again and again the politicians in Japan show how out of touch they really are....

" so-so compared with predictions," does not mean so-so overall.

He is 80 years old and has lived through WWII so any disaster where less than 1000 people are killed is considered "so so".

Now that's one helluv an excuse.

"was inappropriate if I caused misunderstanding to people affected by the disaster."

Yeah, sorry... I don't consider that an apology.

Kumagaijin: "He is 80 years old and has lived through WWII"

What's your point? If anything this should make him realise how precious life is and that any single life lost is too much. He should be happy he has people making excuses for him, though.

He is 80 years old and has lived through WWII so any disaster where less than 1000 people are killed is considered "so so".

Obviously Toshihiro Nikai's home and business has not been affected, or damaged by the Typhoon.

if I caused misunderstanding to people affected by the disaster.

=There was nothing wrong with what I said, the problem is with the people who didn't understand me.

Invalid CSRF

One thing that humanity needs to learn is that anything and everything that is said is completely open to ones personal interpretation.

@kohakuebisu

"Having empathy for people is part of his job."

Having no empathy is one main sign of narcissism and NPD

Having empathy for people is part of his job.

It is possible to say that the typhoon effect was mitigated without upsetting those severely affected by it. A competent politician would be capable of this.

These LDP heavyweights were out of touch with the real world! And they wont  goto see for yourself!

re: killing more than 70 people. At one point, more than 6 million people were advised to evacuate.

Human life is now so-so, right on top of yesterday's Taito City refusing homeless people shelter in the midst of a very powerful typhoon. No clearly he words were poor in taste and taken out of context. His words were in comparing 1958 to this typhoon. The word so-so was his way of not saying a more appropriate word i.e. "diminished damages, few damages but unfortunate due to loss of life, etc.

Funny thing is he will die sitting in his Diet seat still collecting tax payer money and brown envelopes and getting re elected. Well it's not funny as a a minister of cyber security has no experience with computers or the minister of women affairs disparaging of diet members who have children. While trying apparently to encourage births? My point is those in charge have no absolutely no idea what normality is for the underlings.

if I caused misunderstanding to people affected by the disaster."

"If'

He still doesn't think his utterance was inappropriate and insensitive.

Having dead woods like this in position of power is a big worry for the future of this country.

Silly old sod.

Another useless LDP dinosaur who should be watching afternoon TV.

We really need to subject these guys to the same mandatory retirement rules they allow for us. This git is 80.

Why describe Typhoon Hagibis as so-so, it is a nonsensical adjective, why even mention it at all?

There is little or no logic to the outcome of such a statement. Maybe too much sake?. That photo suggests Toshihiro Nikai has more than a few pages stuck together.

Reminds me of Bush and "Brownie" after Hurricane Katrina.....

Demanding Politician show a modicum of empathy doesn't require phones to be thrown out of the windows, DaDude, especially from high-rise apartments, in a so called fit of rage, may I suggest slippers on, and kick the furniture as an alternative.

The LDP's sense of empathy towards others or their awareness of what is happening in the real world around them is so-so.

The damage was indeed so so compared to what was predicted for the size and power of that beast of typhoon.

I know. The headline says 'so-so' and article says 'so-so compared with predictions.' Am I supposed to be angry and throw my phone out of the window in a fit of rage?

I probably state this once to often. there is no fool like an old fool, well....

Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of the party, apologized and told reporters that the comment "was inappropriate if I caused misunderstanding to people affected by the disaster." …....

Toshihiro Nikai compounds his political arrogance with a shameful non-apology. If this not a bona fide example of a politician that has little or no empathy for the victims of the destruction inflicted by Typhoon Hagibis then he should resign and put the people out there misery.

Out of touch doesn't come close to this fools lack of sensitively.

This man is a liability. nine times out of ten his lips move

Lol @ diaper dinosaur.

And yet,the populace will still vote these same crustaceans back in office. Oh well. You get what you get.

Wow I thought he quit ages ago. Wasn't he part of a donation scandal back in 2009 that also involved Aso and Ozawa? He is what, 80 years old? Time to throw in the towel mate.

The damage was indeed so so compared to what was predicted for the size and power of that beast of typhoon.

Why would a comment like that be so offensive to anyone???

speaking his mind, just back tracks when he gets called out on it. Same old diaper dinosaur.

inappropriate if I caused misunderstanding to people 

Again, making out it's peoples fault for not understanding what they said ...

This entire outdated ruling class of old men need to be removed.

Yet another pomade-slathered octogenarian feudal overlord exposing his total lack of empathy and utter contempt for the long-suffering people of this country.

Very many politicians can be found on the psychopathy spectrum, the sort of narcissistic, selfish human incapable of displaying empathy for those less fortunate than themselves, but compensated by a high regard for those with the means to help them feather their own nests and feed at the trough of self-enrichment. No surprise then to hear an LDP grandee blurt out his true feelings (honne): Property Ueber Alles, innit?

Another guy who looks like he should have retired twenty years ago.

In Japan, if you can't lie, you are not a good politician.

told reporters that the comment "was inappropriate if I caused misunderstanding to people affected by the disaster."

Classic political non-apology. This guy's a true vet.

Akie* freedom of expression is a completely different issue here. No one is trying to shut him down.

The guys under scrutiny because he is supposed to be a leader and was seen in this case, or at least his off the cuff remarks were, to be insensitive to those that were hit hard by the storm. Being a politician in a free society it is natural for people and the press to voice their objections. Unfortunately not everywhere shares the same freedoms. Some countries you get arrested or harassed, or lose social credit points for questioning your appointed civil servants.

As for this case of ‘foot in mouth’ disease, well there’s nothing new there with these aging LDP boys and the backlash is understandable. 66 lives lost.

Bill Adams, after the fiasco in Chiba and the Abe Gov't doing nothing there to help the people, and now this with more than 60 people losing their lives, for a senior politician to say "so so" is so insensitive and wrong.

If he had stated that he was so relieved that it was not as damaging as was first predicted but that the gov't would do all it can to help those affected, it would have been far better received.

I think all he was trying to say was that, terrible and tragic though it was, it could have been worse. Compare and contrast with the typhoon of 1958!!

I hate the way journalists try to always place the worst spin possible on what people in public life say, just so that they can jump down their throats and cause a bit of sales-boosting sensationalism.

There is no apology needed, he has the freedom of expression, doesn't he ?

The big Suprise was reporters actually understanding his incoherent ramblings usually his comments are met with blank stares and a pow wow to see if anyone made sence of what he mumbled.