I'm in Japan now.
Koizumi is the most popular postwar prime minister in Japanese history. He called a snap election last September, an election which turned out to be mainly a referendum on Koizumi's leadership. Result? A massive victory for Koizumi's party, so large that it can now govern all by itself, without relying on its coalition partner.
The source of this article -- the Japan Times -- is politically irrelevant in Japan, not only because it's a leftist publication, but also because it's in English. The English-language press in Japan is like the Japanese-language press in the U.S. -- irrelevant.
Yes --- I think Prime Minister Koizumi has clearly excelled.
The source of this article -- the Japan Times -- is politically irrelevant in Japan, not only because it's a leftist publication, but also because it's in English. The English-language press in Japan is like the Japanese-language press in the U.S. -- irrelevant.
Yes, I have little regard for the Japan Times, and what was undoubtedly meant as criticism in this article I see as high praise for Prime Minister Koizumi.