The Japan Considered Podcast

Friday, December 15, 2006

Good Morning, again from the University of South Carolina. Thanks for tuning in. I've got a terrific program for you this week, though it's a little long. After a preliminary discussion of the continuing decline in the public approval ratings for the Abe Cabinet, Dr. Edward Lincoln joins us for his comments on Japan's current economy, and on the economic policies of the Abe Administration. Great material.

Dr. Lincoln is the director of the Center for Japan-U.S. Business and Economic Studies at NYU's Stern School of Business in New York, and a professor of economics there. Click here to visit the Center's new Website, which includes a page of valuable links for economic information about Japan.

The SkypePhone interview with Ed was so full of useful information that I've run the whole thing. So, no time once again for bluegrass. Next week fer shur, as we'd say OverHome.

December 8, 2006. Volume 02, Number 43.Good Morning again from the Midlands of South Carolina. Thanks for dropping by. Sorry to have missed last week. Again, the day job seemed to get in the way. End-of-semester tasks such as research papers, grading, and writing exams. Those of you who teach for a living will understand.This week, though, we will continue to consider the internal workings of Japan's major opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan. And how interaction there among the diverse interests represented will affect political and legislative outcomes in Japan.We also take a look at the sharp drop in public approval of the Abe Cabinet. Its determinants, and its significance for short- and medium-term politics in Japan. Key here is a closer look at the Party's decision to allow eleven of the former "Postal Rebels" to return to full Party membership.Then we turn to pending legislation of significance for the Abe Administration. First the efforts to revise the Basic Education Law, and then legislation that would upgrade Japan's Defense Agency to full ministerial status.A warning: No time for bluegrass this week. But I'll try to have something nice next week as partial compensation.

November 24, 2006. Volume 02, Number 42.Thanks for tuning in again today. Without your interest there's little incentive to prepare these programs and to continue to talk into the microphone. Listenership and subscriptions are up all over the world. Well beyond anything I imagined last year when the project began. But we're still a "narrow-cast," rather than a "broadcast" program, and will remain so. Given our specific topic and approach.

This week is all about the gubernatorial election in Okinawa last Sunday. And the significance of that election for Japan overall, the Abe Cabinet, and most important, the Democratic Party of Japan. It's a complex subject and took all of the time available.

We close with another brief selection from North Carolina's Wind Riders. This one from their recent CD, entitled "You Can Share My Blanket." Another great sound from this remarkable group.

November 17, 2006. Volume 02, Number 41.This is it! Our First Anniversary Program. Thanks for tuning in again. Or, for those of you who have found us for the first time, a hearty South Carolina welcome. Each week on this program we consider the longer-term significance of events in the news for Japan's domestic politics or conduct of international relations.

This week, we hear the very beginning of the first program from last year's November 18th program. Then we follow up on last week's consideration of the Town Meeting flap that continues to give the public relations officials in the Kantei fits.

From there we move to consideration of the recent prefectural gubernatorial races, and what they can tell us about change in Japan's domestic politics. We note the DPJ's win in Fukushima, and then look at the arrests of prefectural governors under suspicion of bribery and bid-fixing.

Finally we return to the DPJ's decision to boycott Diet debates over the revision of Japan's basic education bill. Why did they do it? What did they gain? Or lose?

And we close with a stirring clip from a new bluegrass band, the Infamous Stringdusters. You can listen to more of their remarkable sound on their My Space page. Just click here to go there.

April 28, 2006. Volume 02, Number 16.Thanks for tuning in again. No program last week. I was in Washington, D.C., visiting old friends and attending a meeting of the Washington and Southeast Regional Japan Seminar. Current Chair, Professor Tomoka Hamada, arranged a splendid program, the best one in years. This week I've focused on the outcome of the Chiba # 7 district by-election in which DPJ candidate, Kazumi Ota, bested LDP candidate, Ken Saito. And the significance of that election outcome for Japan's politics in the short and medium-term. My interpretation differs somewhat from that of most of Japan's political journalists and commentators. Or, at least, differs from what they were writing during the week following the election.

Friday, April 14, 2006

Volume 02, Number 15.Thanks for tuning in again, and for subscribing. I have to spend the latter half of next week in Washington, D.C. So there will be no Podcast on Friday, April 21. But I'll be back the Friday after that, April 28th. So stay subscribed. This week we take a closer look at Ichiro Ozawa's first week as President of the Democratic Party of Japan. I focus on what his selection and presidency can tell us about the distinction between factionist and populist party leaders. Then we consider a surprising development in the North Korean abduction issues. And finally we take a web audio tour of this site, www.Japan Considered.org. Best wishes for the Easter weekend, and drop back by on Friday, the 28th.

Friday, April 07, 2006,

Volume 02, Number 14Thanks for tuning in again this week. Click on over to the Japan Considered Project, sponsor of this podcast, at www.JapanConsidered.org, and have a look around. The interviews with other specialists on Japan's domestic politics and international relations have been especially popular of late. And send your comments and suggestions to me at [email protected]. News of the Democratic Party of Japan's efforts to select a new president has dominated Japan's media for the past week. We begin with a look at the selection of Ichiro Ozawa to succeed outgoing president Seiji Maehara. I apply the "factionist" versus "populist" categories introduced week before last to the leadership change.Then we consider recent developments in Japan's management of relations with North Korea. Nothing exciting has happened this week. But I believe the accumulation of actions taken by the Government of Japan are worth considering together. Finally we take a very short web sound tour of the ITV-Japan streaming video site. This is another useful resource available to us all free of charge. As usual, we close out with a clip of bluegrass music, this time featuring John Starling and the late John Duffy. From their two-CD 20th anniversary album recorded for Sugar Hill Records.

Friday March 31, 2006. Volume 02, Number 13Thanks for tuning in again this week. Our subscriptions numbers still are climbing steadily. But many more of you are downloading the audio file and/or the transcripts directly. That's unusual for a podcast. But, I guess, the result is the same. Glad to have you listening. Please continue to send your comments and suggestions to me at [email protected]. I'm looking into adding a resource that will allow you to submit short audio comments as mp3 files. But that will take a while. This week's events tended to pile up toward the end of the week. With important developments today, in fact. We consider first the background of Seiji Maehara's resignation today from the DPJ presidency, and its implications for national politics in Japan. Then we look at positive and less positive developments in Japan's relationship with China. And finally we consider the current legislative agenda. I'd hoped to cover recent developments in the relationship with North Korea, but that will have to wait. Last week I ran across a podcast that those of you studying Japanese language should find useful. It is called Japanesepod101. You can find it by searching on iTunes, or through a Google search. Here is their website, which, I understand, is about to go through major revisions. A group of four language specialists produce a daily program. Quite an accomplishment. So have a look at:Japanesepod101

March 24, 2006. Volume 02, Number 12Thanks for dropping by again this week. Send your comments and suggestions for the program to me at [email protected].And check the Japan Considered Project website for additional information related to Japan's domestic politics and international relations. I have added an interview with Professor John Campbell of the University of Michigan to the Interviews page. That makes a total of thirteen interviews, so far. John also has contributed an Occasional Paper to the collection.This week we complete our consideration of the race to succeed Junichiro Koizumi as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, and prime minister. I describe how two groups, that I call the "Factionists" and the "Populists," are pursuing their agendas through the LDP presidential succession race, and then consider the significance of this for Japan's domestic politics and international relations.Next week we will return to the regular program format, with commentary and analysis that focuses on three or four events of importance from the past week's news.Here are links to individuals and organizations mentioned during today's program:Liberal Democratic PartyJapan Considered ProjectRounder Records

March 17, 2006. Volume 02, No. 11Welcome back for another week of the Japan Considered Podcast. Thanks again for subscribing, or for downloading the audio file. E-mail your suggestions and comments to me at [email protected] week we begin with response to a listener's question. Why all the coverage of the Democratic Party of Japan when they appear to be going nowhere.After discussion of what we can learn from observing the DPJ, we shift to the first part of a two-week consideration of the race within the LDP to succeed Junichiro Koizumi as Party President. This includes profiles of the two leading candidates, and review of the April 2001 election that put Koizumi into office.We conclude with a short clip from "Big Spike Hammer" from Volume Three of the Bluegrass Album: California Connection. You can order a copy of the CD from Rounder Records at the link below.Some Links to individuals and organizations mentioned this week:The Democratic Party of JapanThe Liberal Democratic PartyShinzo AbeYasuo FukudaYasuhiro NakasoneRounder Records