LDP parliamentary affairs chief Hiroshi Moriyama. With the next general election just around the corner in Japan, the ruling bloc is becoming increasingly concerned about the fallout from a series of corruption scandals involving lawmakers who once belonged to the coalition.
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quote of the day
It's a very big problem. We need to take it seriously.
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piskian
Wink,wink.
Robert Cikki
Before the elections or important event - "we need to take it seriously".
After the elections - "まーーーむずかしいねーー。そうがない。申し訳ありません”.
Corruption is a Japanese sport, a political sport. But what is commonly considered corruption in the West is not considered corruption here in Japan. Or the word corruption is confused with another, better-sounding word. For example, "service" or "consultation". Or more recently, "dining out". It is so, and it has always been so. And I don't believe it's going to change for the better in the next 100 years.
blahblah222
But it is actually not a problem. LDP will always win unless there are mass defections by the politicians themselves from the party. Voters don't really vote for policies or personal character. They vote based on heritage and legitimacy.
When Akimoto re-runs, you can bet he will win in a landslide.
englisc aspyrgend
Until the Japanese voter changes their attitude towards politicians and starts to hold them to account, nothing will change. Foreigners from cultures with a different viewpoint will simply be seen as, well, foreigners!
snowymountainhell
Noted* *@englisc aspyrgend 7:46pm:
… nothing will change.”
snowymountainhell
Yet *@englisc aspyrgend 7:46pm, “**some” of those here that have identified themselves as “Japanese” citizens, with a right to vote in most elections, seem as up & down with their support or condemnation as infected numbers before and after a BIG event or holiday or, as mercurial as the Japanese weather during a change of seasons. Seems they routinely love to use “ALL CAPS” to praise the “GOOD” or to condemn the “BAD*”.
-@englisc aspyrgend 7:46pm: “*Until the Japanese voter changes their attitude towards politicians and starts to hold them to account, *nothing will change.
smithinjapan
Hahaha... we need to, but we most certainly won't.
Simon Foston
blahblah222Sep. 11 03:33 pm JST
That's not the whole story. Plenty of Japanese politicians of all parties get elected even if they don't win majorities - under the first past the post system they only need to win more votes than the other candidates, which in some cases can be only 30% - 40% of the voters, including the ones who don't bother to vote at all. Veteran LDP politicians are also guaranteed victory because loopholes in the election funds laws let them hoard up cash for election campaigns and bequeath it to their offspring, and places where this kind of behaviour is most common are typically over-represented in the Diet due to the government deliberately dragging its feet on constituency re-districting. What the voters want doesn't have a whole lot to do with it, really.
Aly Rustom
agree with all of the above posters. I too fear that nothing will change.
Simon Foston
Aly RustomToday 07:48 am JST
Nothing will ever change until another party gets into power, possibly not even then if bureaucrats keep colluding with the LDP. The status quo with all its flaws suits the LDP too well.
towingtheline
= we need to takes steps to increase our ability to hide our usual (corruption) activities.