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Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto on Monday made the rounds of Japan's major political parties, sounding out some of the opposition parties for possible alliances in the run-up to a lower house election expected later this year.
Hashimoto's Japan Restoration Party intends to field candidates in the election.
In a busy day, Hashimoto met Your Party leader Yoshimi Watanabe, Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) President Shinzo Abe, New Komeito party head Natsuo Yamaguchi, People's Life First party leader Ichiro Ozawa and the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary-General Azuma Koshiishi.
Hashimoto told reporters afterward that he had policy discussions with each of the leaders and said he was looking to join hands with some of the smaller opposition parties in the next election to create a viable alternative to the two main parties.
During his current visit to Tokyo, Hashimoto also met with Tokyo Gov Shintaro Ishihara. While details of their meeting weren't disclosed, Hashimoto said he learned a lot from Ishihara about Japan's constitution and foreign policy issues and said that he intends to keep in touch with the governor, NHK reported.
© Japan Today
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Synbios
It seems like Hashimoto is going to have a pretty big political party on his hands, specially when you see the polls that confirm that the LDP`s support is going down the toilet. There are so many citizens and also politicians that are not satisfied with how things are working in Japan right now and hence it is logical that they shift to new groups that can give them new hope.
But with that said, after seeing some of the reactions from Hashimoto and his new allies (Kawamura from the GenzeiNippon, etc.) about some controversial problems (disputed islands, massacres in China, public workers with tattoos, and so on) makes me guess that they have no intention to discuss with other parties in order to make some big decissions and lead the country to a new era, but rather to try to get their point across no matter what without caring what other parties (voted also by japanese citizens) say.
I really hope that if Hashimoto gets the support that he is probably going to get, he would shift to a more moderate and understandable position. After all, he should be working for Japan as a whole and not for his voters only.
Synbios
Sorry, I meant the "DPJ" not the "LDP".
We really need an edit feature Japan Today! :)
Ewan Huzarmy
"Hashimoto said he learned a lot from Ishihara about Japan’s constitution and foreign policy issues"
What,what what ? Ishihara shouldn't have anything to do with foreign policy, and as a Tokyo govenor, should keep his opinions to himself.
yokatta
What is it with politicians in their early 40s these days? They should be more on the side liberalism than conservatism. We've been there on the side of conservative thinking and it's so out of date and unfitting for the changes the world needs. Why are both politicians Hashimoto and Paul Ryan at the same age so dam conservative ...and wanting take the countries backward instead of forward. Anyways it does boggle my mind.
tmarie
Perhaps Hashimoto could clean up Osaka before trying to run the country?
ebisen
And this is how, ladies and gentlemen, The Japanese Hashism era has begun. I must go and laser out that tattoo I had about Wanda.
DP812
Great, Japan's version of the Tea Party is taking root. This will end well...
DP812
There's a difference?