Ruling coalition partner raps Abe gov't over series of gaffes

It must be really annoying having this religious cult to answer to - and sniping at you this way. Does the LDP really need them to govern?

The ministers know they answerable to the dear leader and not the general public and some of those comments echo dear leaders sentiment, hence the continued foot-in-the-mouth comments.

Why weren't they this critical of the Moritomo Gakuen issue? While verbal gaffes are no good, they are simply verbal. The Moritomo Gakuen incident on the other hand looks a lot more like straight-up corruption. And yet, the whole incident seems to be dropped - no one is even talking about it anymore.

"Yamamoto said he went too far with the remark at a seminar in Shiga Prefecture, and had only meant to say that curators should do more to make cultural properties accessible to tourists from overseas."

Yeah, because saying "they are a cancer that needs to be eradicated" is very much similar to that tone, eh? What a bunch of arrogant fools. They do it because not only do they lack common sense, there is absolutely no punishment whatsoever. The worst that happens? They resign, are given amakudari jobs, then joint the game of musical chairs untilt hey can eventually line up for Prime Minister (again), and they get it! How many times has Aso said ridiculous things, like, "Old people should hurry up and die to alleviate the aging population and pension problems", only to say he was misunderstood, retract it, and be given more power and authority? How many times do we have to hear, "We'll take it seriously!" only to have another gaffe, or worse, the next day, and again it be retracted, no punishment given, and another promise to "take it seriously" be issued? The LDP is completely out of touch with not only its constituents, but reality itself.

Komeito are nothing more than government stooges. By unconditionally supporting the LDP Mr Yamaguchi is part of the problem.

Imagine mostly not having the wider public to worry about, having a guaranteed religious constituency to push one into office. The sokka gakai party are a never-ending cancer on Japanese politics who are probably thought of with contempt by the major parties behind the scenes. I hope some day they can be shrunk down to a less bothersome size.

shallots: "The sokka gakai party are a never-ending cancer on Japanese politics"

Soka Gakkai is not a party, and as for being a 'cancer', how so? They have pushed for suffrage for permanent residents, improved relations with China, and have made all sorts of other humanitarian efforts, not to mention reigning in the LDP on many things. You should educate yourself a little before making wild accusations on something you know little to nothing about. I will concede that I was very disappointed when they supported the LDP on "reinterpretation" of the Constitution and deployment of the SDF overseas in favor of holding on to some of the vote, though.

But feel free to tell us how Yamaguchi is wrong in what he has said here about the gaffes and arrogance of the LDP.

Soka Gakkai is not a party,

No, but new koemito is the political branch of the soka gakkai. So they are pretty invested in politics.

The whole mixing of government and religion makes me uncomfortable on one hand, but on the other, they do seem to be a lot more balanced than the LDP a lot of the time.

@smithinjapan disagree all you want but I don't know you, what you know or don't know. Komeito is sokka gakai. If you think not, perhaps (see your ad hominem attacks above). From my perspective, Sokka gakai is LDP's enabler. It's supported bad policy for decades. It flexes it's muscle now and again but ultimately supported all the big lies. Hypocrites! Komeito is a front for a cult and bad for democracy.

shallots: "Komeito is sokka gakai"

No (and try to get the spelling right), Komeito is a political party MADE UP OF predominantly Soka Gakkai members, same as a Christian party is made up of mostly Christians, but is not Christianity.

"From my perspective..."

So you admit it's far from fact, because you are wrong to call them enablers. I suggest, again, you learn some information about them instead of what's been whispered in your ear by OTHERS that equally know little to nothing except the gossip they too have heard.

"Sokka gakai is LDP's enabler"

If they are in agreement on something, then they support it. If not, they do not, with one exception being what I mentioned before in allowing "reinterpretation" of the Constitutuion. Beyond that, they keep the LDP in check. The Komeito, for example, has been adamantly against the LDP's attacks on Koike. The heads of the Komeito voted against the Casino bill (a couple of exceptions within the party, which was rare), and were quite upset and vocal about it when the bill was rammed through. The Komeito are ADAMANTLY against Abe or similar lawmakers visiting Yasukuni Shrine, and Yamaguchi verbally reprimanded Abe in his December visit a while back, siding with foreign nations on the subject. The Komeito refused to force their members, at the LDP's behest, to vote for the LDP-backed candidate in Nago, Okinawa, and the LDP-backed candidate lost. The Komeito are against Abe's political policies with regards to the BOJ, and the economy. Abe and the LDP want to isolate China and become more robust through doing so, while the Komeito wants the sabre-rattling to cease and negotiations between the two nations to be more positive and effective. The Komeito have been quite strong in keeping more NPPs from being restarted to date, with their candidates platforming AGAINST nuclear power, while the LDP is clearly for it, and finally among but a few examples I can give you, if not for Komeito the Consitution would already be revised right now; while they caved in letting Abe "reinterpret" it, they kept him from flat out changing it. Things are actually at such a cross-roads with the leaders of the parties that I have a feeling there's going to be a "divorce" soon. I am guessing that the list of examples I gave you above of how the Komeito has opposed the LDP on certain issues, you would be in agreement with. No?

So, if you want to talk about 'enabling', you really ought to be looking at the Isshin no Kai, which looks set to very quickly replace the Komeito as Junior Partner in a Coalition because they make ACTUAL bedfellows with the LDP. If you think the Komeito enables the LDP, what do you think will happen with Hashimoto (or the like-minded) starts working with Abe instead of a man like Yamaguchi, who on this thread says that the LDP has become over-confident and its gaffes far too common and unacceptable?

Strangerland: "The whole mixing of government and religion makes me uncomfortable on one hand"

Then you really ought to worry about the return to Shinto, which Abe is actually trying to press on people and foreign dignitaries that visit, as well as put back into education, citing it's values. No one in The Komeito is trying to force Buddhism on anyone. Well, unless you consider trying to improve relations with others forcing their beliefs, or when, thanks to them, laws against human smuggling and sex-trafficking became stricter, with more punishment for offenders, creating free legal counselling in Japan, upgrading product safety laws, and protecting the rights of crime victims.

Anyway, I could go on, but it's tiring giving facts to people who probably don't want to hear them because they've made up their minds about things they know little to nothing about. Again, the bottom line here is that once again the Komeito has said the LDP is slacking, and the gaffes that result are not leadership material. How you guys could be against that just because you don't understand the politicial organization or the separate religion that comprises a lot of its backers is beyond me.

Smith.

Well said, fully agree with you.

@smithinjapan You make some good points as well as some very silly ones. "No (and try to get the spelling right)"... This sums it up (from RN): "Most people, however, view Soka Gakkai and Komeito as one and the same; Komeito promotes Soka Gakkai’s worldview in national politics and Soka Gakkai provides the votes." I think you would agree and could understand the point I am making. This is what I do not like. You could have gotten this point but you want to split hairs. I take your point about the so called "moderating influence." However, Japan is still a most pro-nuclear (umbrella) country with Komeito's support as well as all the other LDP messes. Did Komeito support the secutity bill? Yes. How about the big lie of Japan's nuclear principles? Yes, you have some points but I stick to my view that this religious cult is an enabler, notwithstanding it's intermittent feckless "moderating." I'll say one other thing: I once had a back and forth here with an SK dude about this topic and he/she was the most misleading and dishonest/deluded person I've ever had an exchange with on JT. He/She went back and erased his comments. They were a testament to sophistry (as it were).

No one in The Komeito is trying to force Buddhism on anyone.

I never claimed they did. What I said was that the whole mixing of government and religion makes me uncomfortable, which you tried to explain away telling me I should be uncomfortable with Abe pushing for more shinto in government. Why should I not be concerned about both? Religion should have no place in government. And soka gakkai has a lot of cult-like elements to it, which is why I find it troubling even if they aren't trying to directly push it on people.

Strangerland.

Care to elaborate on those 'cult-like elements'.

Curious as a SG &SGI Member.

@pacint its a fuzzy concept and one thats not easy to defend they're not Jonestown. But they do exert sone pressure for those involved to associate within the group. There seems to be consistent denial of the political aspect - which is disconcertingly dishonest (and cult-like in an "ends-justify-the-means" way ((see SMITH above))). They seem to believe that their group specifically will save the world or some such thing. In the Buddhist world, that's cultish - relatively speaking.

strangerland: no, i did not explain t away, but stated rather clearly that the Komeito have never trued to push religion on people through schools, laws, or anything else. so, since you are so worried about it, give a single example of where they have, or just admit it's the same uneducated paranoia shallots adheres to (despite being proven wrong).

one example, strangerland. just one. but, you won't give it. instead YOU will deflect and back track as usual.

And the "cult" thing... you guys really have no clue what you're talking about. stop with the gossip of equally uniformed Japanese friends on the issue.

shallots.

Not what I have seen as a member. Zero pressure to do anything.

Buddhist world, ROFL. Which of the 3 major groups(Mahayana, Theravada,Vajrayana)?

@pacint this has been my experience in Japan with friends and friend of friends as far as the "influence" goes. I wouldn't be surprised if the international organizations put on a different face. I had one acquaintance, for example, who was pressured to convert and he felt rather forced into it. As far as soteriology, this is what I've seen just glancing around at the lit. I think the last SK I went back and forth with here out and out said that SK was THE way to ave the world. I'm no expert, but the categories may not be the most useful way to look at it. For example, Mahayana contains both Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, which are so very different. However, Thich Nhat Hanh, in a version of Vietnamese Zen, for example, makes a point of writing out a precept against ideology and pressuring even one's children to believe something. The fact that Komeito has a fairly deliverable constituency, regardless of the merit of positions or the talent of the pol, is anti-democratic and, downright spooky.

pressured because of marriage - i meant.

Many couples where the spouse is not a member and never pressured.

Said that there are all types of people who act/demand differently regardless of their affiliation, may it be politics, religion, whatever and thus don't represent.

Care to elaborate on those 'cult-like elements'.

Well, all religions are cult-like to some degree. I'm not really clear on the difference to be honest.

But as for Soka Gakkai specifically:

https://www.reddit.com/r/sgiwhistleblowers/comments/223hpw/sgi_cult_info_connecting_the_dots_a_resource_list/

I knew a Japanese woman who lost a lot of money to them, and had to 'escape' (her words).

And the whole thing about being pressured to vote for a political party due to your religions affiliation reeks of cult-like behavior to me.

Komeito have never trued to push religion on people through schools, laws, or anything else... give a single example of where they have

They have a political party. By definition, they are pushing their religious beliefs through law, particularly since they require their followers to vote komeito.

It does seem we've discovered Smith's religion though. He has never reacted so strongly to anyone talking about religion until this one.

@pacint I'm sure there are many fine people in SG. However, I would be very wary of a religion that supports a conservative government for so many decades. You can not be the independent conscience in a society and create a political party, making political deals (on everything from taxes to security). One has to choose. If they want political power, then they are not an independent voice of conscience. They are a force for politics. This is not to say that one can't be religious and political. But having a party is different. I suppose if it weren't for that I would care much less. Many religious groups think they are the only way to some salvation. I'm against the idea wholesale but it matters much less to me if they don't bother society too much. I think SK and Komeito own the results of the conservative governments they've supported. They're saving the world and dismantling the economy, selling away the future, etc. To join it is to join all that.

Stranger.

Sounds like the old stories pushed around decades ago, before SG and Nichiren Shoshu parted ways.

Read up about it.

FYI, I only pay 603yen/minth for 2 publications.

No other fees or similar are even mentioned.

@pacint You see this is what I don't like and why I don't trust SG. Why not just say, "yes, SG basically supports Komeito and Komeito gets most of it's support from SG members. And what's wrong with that?" Instead, I often get this disingenuous line: "oh no. It's not true. They are not really connected."

Final post here.

Looks like Komeito is supporting Koike now and might split from the coalition.

Whatever they do they have their unwavering supporters.