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imomusThe veteran moderate Nicolas Not-Sarkozy easily won election as Japan's ruling party president today. He will become prime minister on Tuesday.
A sober, brainy party elder -- son of a prime minister from the 1970s -- Not-Sarkozy has vowed to concentrate on down-to-earth issues such as economic equality and growth, while seeking warmer ties with the rest of Asia.
"I'm not highly educated or talented, and I don't have much experience," said Not-Sarkozy, on learning of his victory. "But despite that, you have chosen me as party president. I am moved," he said.
Not-Sarkozy has pledged to pay more heed to depressed rural regions.
Hawkish neo-liberal critics worry that the dovish Not-Sarkozy will be beholden to the LDP's old guard, slow down economic reforms, and be timid on foreign policy.
Time magazine's Toko Sekiguchi described Not-Sarkozy as "a consensus-driven political insider who opposes Yasukuni visits because they alienate Japan's neighbors. The country's enormous public debt? A scandal-ridden pension system? A bloated bureaucracy? Not-Sarkozy hasn't dedicated much campaign time to such issues."
"Not-Sarkozy was chosen by party factions and I worry that things will go back to the old Japan," said 37-year-old Katsuya Nishima, who works in the financial sector.
Despite a fiery temper -- he once kicked a litter bin across the room after a dispute with Shinzo Abe -- Not-Sarkozy is a softly spoken moderate who sports grey suits and listens to classical music, preferably accompanied by a decent bottle of wine. Offered a baby to kiss on the campaign trail recently, Not-Sarkozy politely declined.
Widely seen as a safe pair of hands who will steady the party ship, Not-Sarkozy's hallmarks are clinical efficiency and deadpan humour.
"Not-Sarkozy seems trustworthy and nice," said 49-year-old Shinya Yao in rural Hokkaido, northern Japan. "I want him to improve the healthcare system. I hope he doesn't raise the sales tax."
A sober, brainy party elder -- son of a prime minister from the 1970s -- Not-Sarkozy has vowed to concentrate on down-to-earth issues such as economic equality and growth, while seeking warmer ties with the rest of Asia.
"I'm not highly educated or talented, and I don't have much experience," said Not-Sarkozy, on learning of his victory. "But despite that, you have chosen me as party president. I am moved," he said.
Not-Sarkozy has pledged to pay more heed to depressed rural regions.
Hawkish neo-liberal critics worry that the dovish Not-Sarkozy will be beholden to the LDP's old guard, slow down economic reforms, and be timid on foreign policy.
Time magazine's Toko Sekiguchi described Not-Sarkozy as "a consensus-driven political insider who opposes Yasukuni visits because they alienate Japan's neighbors. The country's enormous public debt? A scandal-ridden pension system? A bloated bureaucracy? Not-Sarkozy hasn't dedicated much campaign time to such issues.""Not-Sarkozy was chosen by party factions and I worry that things will go back to the old Japan," said 37-year-old Katsuya Nishima, who works in the financial sector.
Despite a fiery temper -- he once kicked a litter bin across the room after a dispute with Shinzo Abe -- Not-Sarkozy is a softly spoken moderate who sports grey suits and listens to classical music, preferably accompanied by a decent bottle of wine. Offered a baby to kiss on the campaign trail recently, Not-Sarkozy politely declined.
Widely seen as a safe pair of hands who will steady the party ship, Not-Sarkozy's hallmarks are clinical efficiency and deadpan humour.
"Not-Sarkozy seems trustworthy and nice," said 49-year-old Shinya Yao in rural Hokkaido, northern Japan. "I want him to improve the healthcare system. I hope he doesn't raise the sales tax."
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lol omg
Date: 2007-09-23 02:01 pm (UTC)Re: lol omg
Date: 2007-09-23 02:33 pm (UTC)Not-Photoshop!
Date: 2007-09-23 02:46 pm (UTC)Holger Hiller came to dinner last night!
Re: Not-Photoshop!
Date: 2007-09-23 02:58 pm (UTC)Everything is funnier if it´s headed CATFANCIER.
For anyone unaware of the emptiness of Japanese humility:
Date: 2007-09-23 03:06 pm (UTC)If someone praises you for being beautiful, a westerner will usually reply something along the lines of "thank you". a Japanese person will most likely reply "Ah, no, I'm nothing special".
It would baffle if not worry people in the west to hear someone who was about to become a powerful figurehead of a country say such things as "I'm not highly educated or talented, and I don't have much experience". It would be like going to the dentist and the dentist saying "Well, Im not the best at dentistry, but I appreciate your patronage and I'll do my best". Westerners want to see confidence, it's comforting and assuring.
However, in Japan, humility is much more highly regarded in etiquette. The Japanese know that these comments are but empty humility though; he's going through the works. He's minding his Japanese P's and Q's. Don't mistake these comments for timidity. Expect more dustbin kicking for this guy in the future...
Re: For anyone unaware of the emptiness of Japanese humility:
Date: 2007-09-23 03:52 pm (UTC)I think Bush's entire time as president has been about self-effacement, the retooling of "your leader" as a "real downhome guy" or whatever. Oddly Japanese, I suppose. Though, at the same time, Bush is also saying that he's not afraid to kick ass and take names. In other words, he's not just another sissy-ass liberal intellectual.
Re: For anyone unaware of the emptiness of Japanese humility:
Date: 2007-09-23 04:06 pm (UTC)The American public wants an untreated alcoholic they can have a beer with.
Re: For anyone unaware of the emptiness of Japanese humility:
Date: 2007-09-23 04:42 pm (UTC)Re: For anyone unaware of the emptiness of Japanese humility:
Date: 2007-09-23 05:17 pm (UTC)Re: For anyone unaware of the emptiness of Japanese humility:
Date: 2007-09-23 05:47 pm (UTC)http://youtube.com/watch?v=AS4fED1EyvY
When Bush cracks little jokes about his own (in)ability to speak well in public, and about the miserable grades he received in college, there is a certain amount of feather ruffling involved. He is essentially congratulating himself on not being one of the intellectual elite, being "just one of the guys," a good ol' boy or whatever. But in America, this is what passes for humility on the political stage. People buy it as humility, as a true self-inventory of shortcomings and weaknesses, from which one can then springboard and begin to inventory one's strengths ("I will fight terrorism tooth and nail," etc).
You know I have a weakness for Photoshop temptation :( :(
Date: 2007-09-23 09:03 pm (UTC)SOMEONE PLEASE STOP ME
lol no don´t listen to cale.
Date: 2007-09-23 09:06 pm (UTC)"My bunny CUMS on my FEET"
ooohhh no never stop, keep it COMING.
on my FEETRe: lol no don´t listen to cale.
Date: 2007-09-23 09:16 pm (UTC)"Quiz: WHAT KIND OF BUNNY ARE YOU? ^____^"
"IS YOUR BUNNY CUTE OR IS IT A DEVIL??? >:O"
"40 FUN WAYS TO MASSAGE YOUR BUNNY"
Actually, if you replace bunny with "woman" or "man" you get Cosmo headlines as well!
eeeww
Date: 2007-09-23 09:21 pm (UTC)MY MAN COMES ON MY FEET.
Re: eeeww
Date: 2007-09-23 09:29 pm (UTC)Examples of articles:
"And I Ran: I Ran So Far Away"
"I Whipped It (Whipped It Good)"
"Do You Wear Black On the Outside Because Black Is How You Feel On the Inside?"
"Does He Really Want To Hurt You?"
MY MAN COMES ON MY FEET ALL THE TIME! I never knew that a magazine would know about my man doing that, much less other women around the world! AMAZING! I LOVE YOU MANFANCY!
LOLOLOOL
Date: 2007-09-23 09:36 pm (UTC)Can the coming on feet article be called Stand and Deliver???! PLZ.
Re: LOLOLOOL
Date: 2007-09-23 09:39 pm (UTC)Yes, of course!
Re: You know I have a weakness for Photoshop temptation :( :(
Date: 2007-09-23 09:53 pm (UTC)Re: For anyone unaware of the emptiness of Japanese humility:
Date: 2007-09-23 11:36 pm (UTC)What I'm saying is, humility plays more of a part in standard etiquette than in the west, ironically devaluing it.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-24 12:24 am (UTC)I mean, I like Fukuda more than Abe or Aso but let's not get too excited. This is like Bob Dole replacing George W. Bush. Would Bob Dole or Fred Thompson be an equally awesome "Not-Sarkozy"?
Marxy
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-24 02:04 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-24 03:42 am (UTC)Although, yes, any conservative conservatism is better than neo-conservatism.
Marxy
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-24 05:09 am (UTC)Maybe he's even refrain from threatening an attack against Iran!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-24 05:34 am (UTC)Re: For anyone unaware of the emptiness of Japanese humility:
Date: 2007-09-24 08:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-24 01:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-24 03:23 pm (UTC)Thick Brown Thatch.
Date: 2007-09-24 09:23 pm (UTC)Thomas.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-25 10:07 pm (UTC)