Renho resigns as main opposition Democratic Party leader

It's true she made no headway, unfortunately. So maybe for the best. I hope she gets into the lower house though and continues to work from there.

This stupid "what's wrong with being number 2" woman has had a taste of her own medicine. Yeah, you'll never be a number 1 anywhere, with that big mouth and that attitude.

Wow, I didn't see this coming. I thought with Noda resigning they were trying to find a new path, but not with Renho stepping down. I admit they did poorly in the Tokyo election, but then again so did the LDP. I stated before, maybe she will join Koike's party and try to make a change that way. But I wonder who will now fill the role of Minshinto leader. They are really in trouble, unless Edano steps up, but I can't see that happening. This might be the death knell for Minshinto.

But I am sick of people attacking her for being a foreigner and an outsider, that is just plain racist and stupid.

Speculation on the next leader?

I'll take a wild stab and go for Masato (Matt) Imai.

Ebisen - to me, the 'what's wrong with being number 2?' was a sensible comment.

She was responding to scientists who wanted Japan to have the world's fastest supercomputer. This may be desirable but will inevitably be at the expense of not spending money on something else that may be more important for Japan.

She was asking the scientists for a better reason for funding the project than national pride.

To rejuvenate the DPJ and become a serious alternative to the LDP, they need to be more than just a different bunch of incompetents. They are too much the same as the LDP. Just complaining about a few issues related to security matters and the constitution isn't enough to attract broad support. 

I would suggest they (gasp) differentiate themselves by political philosophy, and therefore completely different policy. For example, adopt a "small government / freedom" philosophy that contrasts with the LDP's "big government / protection of vested interests" philosophy.

Let the LDP keep the vested interests. Aim to attract those who aren't vested interests, or (since many Japanese people are in some form or another a vested interest) at least attract those who stand to gain more from the removal of privilege than they would lose, on the balance.

dual nationality is a non issue. She is an incompetent politician and will lose any movement she tries because she is annoying and incompetent

cucashopboy - I'm a research scientist, and so that you know, in that field, everything in wrong with being #2.

Think deeper: the computer was months from being finalized, with 90% of the expenses already paid for. It was the cheapest JPY/teraflop computer ever built, implying a very high operational efficiency. It wasn't designed for being #2, and getting it to be #2 would imply higher costs than just finishing it as #1. Everything was wrong with her question. It demonstrates a very superficial, not deeply thought "I was elected, so I'm automatically smarter than all the people working in this project" attitude. That really came back to bite her in the ass, as she hasn't had any successes as the lame leader of her party...

She was questioning science projects only because she didn't have the minimal required IQ to see the longterm benefit from the invested inteligence, time and money.

She was doing so well, the current government found something and made her quit, this is too sudden to be anything else.

Everything was wrong with her question

There was nothing wrong with the question; it was an opportunity for those asking for money to be taken away from other projects and handed to them, to justify their use of that money and explain the importance of what they were trying to do. Everyone remembers the question; I for one don't remember the answer.

Good politicians like Renho get pushed off the ladder, while the wizened old men at the top hang on for dear life to their rungs and their brown envelopes. Sad.

I wish Abe and Aso would 'think again'.

It's sad that yahoo news refers to the "国籍問題" as something worthy of concern. It's only a problem because the xenophobic crowd made it so.

ebisen: being number two and being sensible is an entirely good position to take.

Good politicians like Renho

What exactly did she achieve in order to be called good, again?

to justify their use of that money

the money was already used in the decade it took to design and build the computer. If you watched that meeting, you could have seen how virulently loud and plainly impolite she was with the scientists explaining their work to her. I still remember that old lady professor exclaiming in frustration "Can I say something now!?!" after being forced to listen to a 2 minutes hysteric and incoherent question/speech from Ms. Renho Nobody.

The 'democratic' party's a joke. However that said, with Abe on the ropes, someone with more gusto is required to keep the pressure up. Rehno as realised,is not that person. Maybe some stronger opposition may arise from this to dispel the facade that is Japanese democracy? One can dream!

what a waste of time that was. remember all the high hopes?

It's a shame. While the Democratic Party has indeed failed to really take advantage of the scandals of the LDP and appeal to voters, I guarantee that the geriatric Old Boy that is lined up to take her position will be far less popular, and lose even more support, thus cementing Abe's hold on power.

Dango Bongo, you nailed it.

To unite a left wing political party is far more difficult than that of a conservative party. Because they consist of different ideologues.

SchopenhauerToday  07:02 pm JST

To unite a left wing political party is far more difficult than that of a conservative party. Because they consist of different ideologues.

Um... you do know, don't you, that there are quite a few DP members who are just as conservative as anyone in the LDP. The fact that it's a hopeless mish-mash of politicians of all sorts of ideologies is what makes the DP hard to unite.

Japanese press are suggesting that Inada and the SDF chief of staff Kabe, who have both just been fired on Sunday evening may have been timed to coincide with Renho's resignation to minimise damage for LDP and cronies. I feel some sympathy for Renho because she is basically a good person, unusually honest for a politician, despite being ineffective as a leader. Renho's poor performance has several reasons behind it. A common reason among many especially older generations is that she was born as a Taiwanese national and is not Japanese. I have heard people, including both my Japanese parents-in-law openly say, I will never vote for her because she is Chinese. How disgusting. This is regardless of the fact that she renounced her Taiwanese citizenship long ago and considers herself as Japanese. Unlike Inada who is finished and will never regain the trust of the people, I hope Renho will continue to join the efforts to keep the highly corrupt and inept LDP ruling party in check.

shes nothing but a pretender and a bs exponent.

she was one of the few that could effectively put heat on both the bureaucracy and the LDP dinosaurs

really? what did she do? what is her approval rating? why is her party floundering? She and her party can nto even capitalize on Abe's down ratings. She is inept, and annoying

Japan is going back to one party country, Which Japanese party know how to behave as an opposition party? Forget about Komeito. A majority of Japanese are not religious.

She will be a candidate for the next election. Than she will try to fight against political collusion by herself, We need to wait reaction of other parties.

Well, here goes the only prominent female character in the Japanese politics. Get high folks, the ship is sinking further...

Well, here goes the only prominent female character in the Japanese politics

heard of Yuriko Koike? The most popular politician in Japan, and female

Not surprised. DP is in such a disarray that nobody can fix it. Not her fault. Japanese people will wait patiently for Koike's party to grow into national politics to replace both LDP (which went too far right) and DP (which went too far left).

You must be living in some parallel world Japan to say it is a non issue

No, I actually watch Japanese news every night. It is already pretty much a dead issue. The main headline tonight was the girl from SPEED who is a politician had an affair with a Kobe politician. 25 minutes on and on. Slow news day?

Not her fault

It is her fault. She is (was) the leader. When the LDP approval rating is at an all time low, you must be a very inept and incapable politician to LOSE ground to them. And did I mention she is annoying?...

socrateosToday  09:57 pm JST

Not surprised. DP is in such a disarray that nobody can fix it. Not her fault. Japanese people will wait patiently for Koike's party to grow into national politics to replace both LDP (which went too far right) and DP (which went too far left).

Going too far left isn't necessarily a vote loser, just ask Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn. It doesn't seem to hurt the JCP much either. But with all its openly conservative, nationalist, revisionist lawmakers I think the DP is probably split between going too far left and too far right, and ending up going nowhere as a result.

At least, she has the courage to resign. These days, Japanese men behave like women, Japanese women behave like men, so true.

I'm a research scientist, and so that you know, in that field, everything in wrong with being #2. well unfortunately for Japan they dont have the spare cash to invest in having the worlds fastest super computer, even if they manage to hold the top spot itll just be taken away from them again by China or the US, China has billions of surplus cash to throw at a national pride project, US has access to the fastest and heavily discounted processors of Intel, many of Intels cutting edge processors arent even available to companies outside the US. Japans new AI cloud 130 petaflops super computer is said to be trumped by the new IBM Summit at 200 petaflops.

It wasn't only her fault. Much more was from her Democratic Party, it's a group of no stability amongst themselves. Let's remember how many prime ministers had to change in only 3 to 4 years of government, relevant to one stable government.

wtfjapan, super computer doesn't make stupid people super smart.

With her giving up DPJ, Abe position in. LDP is solidified. Meaning a couple more years of Abe era.

I would suggest they (gasp) differentiate themselves by political philosophy, and therefore completely different policy. For example, adopt a "small government / freedom" philosophy that contrasts with the LDP's "big government / protection of vested interests" philosophy.

If only... completely agree that Japan has long needed philosophically based political parties, and desperately needs a "small government/freedom" one. Sadly, though, I ain't holding my breath for a leader to create one, or the populace to get behind one if created. We can dream, though.

As we have any better and who's not a member of the ultra-conservative/nationalist group Nippon Kaigi?:( Probably the only opposition leader who proved as a valid member to Abe's prime minister position! And we'll have to wait even longer for Japan to have their first female prime minister in history!:( The last we needed in order to conquer the hawkish Abe, was a disunited opposition!:(

 She admitted in October last year that she still possessed Taiwanese nationality but said this was due to a misunderstanding on her part

I was this story alone that made me feel she had no backbone. It is a stupid old law and she could have used her power to debate it.

She resigned from her position.

She is sill party member.

t certainly wasnt a non issue when she became a DP leader 

um, how many months ago was your news?

toshikoToday  12:50 am JST

With her giving up DPJ, Abe position in. LDP is solidified. Meaning a couple more years of Abe era.

Why? Abe's problems had little to do with her. He won't be in a strong position while people think Koike could replace him.

Alexandre T. IshiiJuly 27  11:22 pm JST

It wasn't only her fault. Much more was from her Democratic Party, it's a group of no stability amongst themselves.

True, she might have done better if she hadn't been leader of such a hopeless bunch of buffoons.