Who will be Japan's next Prime Minister?
Japanese Margaret Thatcher?
The often shaken AND stirred Kono, TARO Kono?
Mr. Speak-softly-and carry-no-nukes?
Or Woman woman?

Former Diet Aide Derek Wessman tells us "the thing" about each of the four candidates.

Ollie's disappointed that the new boat doesn't work with the old charger.

Bobby is tired of Japan asking him if he's cold.

Topics discussed on this episode range from:

• How hard we all tried to avoid this.
• Something that's been weighing on Brian
• Podcast guest scheduling issues
• How Derek wields his Twitter account and why his following loves him
• When and why he does his deep dives into Japan politics
• Thanks for all the TELL Step Up Challenge Donations
• Why we're seeing a PM replacement just before a general election
• How and why Suga's popularity plummeted
• A look back on Derek's Suga predictions from our Super Suga Special Show
• Suga's efforts to prioritize the coronavirus pandemic post step-down
• What Suga got right and what the LDP hopes to continue to carry on
• Suga's CO2 Policies
• Perennial Candidate Noda Seiko and what her chances of leading the LDP are
• The Fukuoka/Kitakyushuu Rivalry
• Noda Seiko's weaknesses as a candidate, and whether or not she's just here to steal votes from Kono
• How the office looks very different now that we're post Olympics, post vaccinations
• Hardline conservative Takaichi Sanae, and the power of the backing of Abe
• The root of what her candidacy is about, and what the actual give and take is between conservative supporters and conservative politicians
• The truth about what revising Japan's constitution to allow it to have a military would mean
• Takaichi's Margaret Thatcher obsession and what we can learn from it
• Kishida Fumio and the complicated web of LDP relationships and support
• Kishida's long game
• Bobby get's the word for denuclearization COMPLETELY WRONG: it's HIKAKUKA 非核化
• KONO TARO, and why non-G-folks generally like him
• His vaccine roll-out and how he may have been pretty effective in navigating bureaucracy
• His progressiveness
• What DISADVANTAGES Kono in this election
• Who Derek thinks has the best chance
• Ollie asks which candidate would be the best if your goal is to tank the LDP

Topics discussed on the extras include:

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Social Media Links:

Derek Wessman: Twitter

Ollie Horn: Twitter | Instagram

Bobby Judo: Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Other things to click on

Some are affiliate links because we're sell-outs

• We record remotely using Squadcast and the podcast is hosted on Transistor. 
• Bobby uses the Samson Go Mic and Ollie uses the AT2005USB mic