Click here for a transcript of this program.

We begin this week with some discussion of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Indonesia, India, and Malaysia. He left on Sunday and is expected back in Tokyo tomorrow, Saturday.

Then we turn to domestic politics, with consideration of developments in the appointment of the second Abe Cabinet. Some of those developments quite surprising.

And finally we look at Prime Minister Abe's political style, in search of explanations of the problems he has faced since his selection last September. I suggest that he may simply be conflict-adverse. Or that he's relying on individuals for advice who are out of touch with the current political situation in Japan.

Included in all this is consideration of the continued unusual situation in Japan's Ministry of Defense. With the outgoing administrative vice minister openly criticizing his minister. And Japan's communications media not saying much at all about it. Which calls into question their concern over political control of Japan's military!

August 17, 2007. Volume 03, Number 29

Click here for a Transcript of This Week's Program

Thanks for tuning in again. This week I'd hoped to continue the post mortem of the October 29th Upper House election. But as so often happens, pressing events intervened. So that will have to wait until next week.

This week we consider the longer-term significance of the eruption of conflict between Defense Minister Yuriko Koike and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihisa Shiozaki. Not pretty! And another blot on the Abe Administration's management of Japan's national government.

We must go into some detail, since Japanese and English language news reports of these events from Japan have been somewhat misleading. For the most part.

In addition, click on over and have a look at the Japan Considered Project interview with Gregg Rubinstein. It's another interesting addition to the collection on the Japan Considered website. Gregg has had an interesting career that spans government service and the life of a busy consultant in Washington. You can go directly to the interview by clicking here.

Also note some more progress on migrating the website to its current home from the University servers. I hope it's easier to navigate. Go have a look at www.JapanConsidered.com.

August 10, 2007, Volume 03, Number 28

Click here for a transcript of this program.

Back home at last from a 24-day Grand Northern Sojourn. This program coming to you from the home studio. Hopefully with a little better sound quality. Thanks for tuning in.

This week we begin by considering a couple of important international developments. The first, how the North Korean government's abduction and imprisonment of Japanese citizens has become a political football in Japan's domestic politics. Then evidence of a subtle change in the tone of Japan's relationship with Mainland China.

The remainder of our program this week is devoted to continuation of the July 29th election postmortem. This time focusing on the response of the Abe Kantei to the shocking defeat.

And we close with a clip of Tony Rice's "Changes" that I hope you enjoy.

August 3, 2007. Volume 03, Number 27
For a transcript of this program, click:
http://www.japanconsidered.com/Podcasts/Scripts/070803JapanConsideredPodcastTranscript.html

Greetings again from the Mobile Studio. Still on the road, and finally about to get another WiFi uplink. Hope all works.

This week we focus on the results of the Sunday election for the Upper House. As predicted, the LDP lost, and Lost Big! This is quite an event. For the first time since formation of the party in 1955, the LDP is not the largest Party in both houses. So, it's important.

This week, we'll try to sort through what actually happened, and why it happened. I'd hoped to include the significance and consequences, but that'll have to wait until next week.

Continue to send your comments and suggestions to Robert C Angel @ Gmail.com. I read them all, and respond directly to as many as possible.

RCA