Naoto Kan, Japanese Prime Minister, Expected To Resign On Friday
TOKYO �\ Japan's unpopular leader Naoto Kan is expected to resign Friday, fulfilling a promise to step down after parliament approved two key pieces of legislation.
That would set the stage for a leadership election Monday within Kan's ruling Democratic Party of Japan and a new prime minister – Japan's sixth since 2006.
The two bills were approved Friday and local media reports said Kan would resign at a party gathering later in the day.
Potential successors include former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Trade Minister Banri Kaieda.
The 64-year-old Kan has seen his approval ratings tumble amid a perceived lack of leadership after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis.
Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 12121 Location: It was fun while it lasted. Country:
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:58 pm Post subject:
It's beginning to remind me of South Vietnam in the '60s. Nguyen Cao Ky tells the story about how he became Prime Minister: He heard they were having a meeting to select a new prime minister so he rushed over to help with the decision. He walked in the door and somebody said, "We've already selected someone." He asked, "Who?" Everybody pointed at him and said, "YOU!!"
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 2:06 am Post subject:
gaijinmark wrote:
It's beginning to remind me of South Vietnam in the '60s. Nguyen Cao Ky tells the story about how he became Prime Minister: He heard they were having a meeting to select a new prime minister so he rushed over to help with the decision. He walked in the door and somebody said, "We've already selected someone." He asked, "Who?" Everybody pointed at him and said, "YOU!!"
They better lubricate that revolving door to the Prime Minister's office because that sucker is squeaking badly from all the spinning of people coming in and out who purportedly represent themselves as the chief executive of Japan.
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:24 am Post subject:
Step right up! Get your hot beef...get your hot particle, radioactive beef right here...
==================
Beef containing radioactive cesium served to elementary school children in Kanagawa
National Aug. 25, 2011 - 05:30PM JST ( 115 )
YOKOHAMA �\ Japantoday
Beef containing higher than the government standard levels of radioactive cesium has been fed to children in elementary school lunches in Kanagawa Prefecture, it has been revealed.
Yokohama city authorities confirmed Thursday that beef from cows raised on a farm in Fukushima Prefecture was served to elementary school children in 16 schools throughout the city.
According to city authorities, out of a group of 229 cows, 12 were found to contain higher than standard levels of radioactive cesium. Of those 12 animals, beef from one was used in the school lunches.
A spokesman was quoted by TV media as saying the amount of contaminated beef per student amounted to around 30 grams, so there should be no effect on health. Authorities say Yokohama schools have been refraining from using beef in school lunches since July and that the policy is set to continue indefinitely.
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 10:22 am Post subject:
Itazura ichiban wrote:
No word on how much higher...
What do you mean? Please explain.
Edit: I believe you're referring to the actually level of radiation over the standard set. Frankly I believe it's practically beside the point. Several months after the 3/11 triple disaster in Tohoku...yet government officials cannot even monitor the supply chain with enough diligence to prevent such an incident from happening. It's inexcusable and demonstrative of the incompetence of government bureaucrats in Japan.
To be honest, I don't think the Japanese government is capable of leveraging this disaster as an opportunity to efficaciously reform itself for the benefit of its people. The status quo is too well entrenched.
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 12:49 am Post subject:
Get a bob cut, you energy slut.
===========
Japanese company orders 2,700 staff to get the same haircut
A Japanese company is taking the national campaign to reduce power consumption to extremes by prescribing an energy-saving haircut for all its staff.
By Julian Ryall in Tokyo
26 Aug 2011
Construction firm Maeda Corp. has requested that its 2,700 staff adopt identical hairstyles - the men a short back-and-sides but slightly longer on top and the women a "cute" bob with a longer fringe that can be swept to one side.
"Our company is very keen on protecting the environment and we encourage our staff to adopt many environment-friendly actions," said Chizuru Inoue, a spokesman for Maeda Corp.
"We are not sure of the data yet, but we believe if people have short hair they do not need to use their hair driers for so long and they will use less water," she said.
"If all our staff do this, then it may save a lot of power."
Another advantage, she said, is that it is easier to make short hair neat again after staff have been wearing hard hats and sweltering on construction sites.
"I've had a lot of our staff calling me yesterday and today to ask where they can get their hair cut in the correct style," Inoue said.
The Japanese government has called on companies and households to drastically reduce the amount of energy they consume after the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant was destroyed by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Other nuclear plants across the country have been shut down for emergency safety tests over the summer, usually the time of peak energy demand in Japan due to the heat and humidity.
Other companies have introduced power-saving schemes, including shifting production to weekends and at night.
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 6:31 am Post subject:
gaijinmark wrote:
Well, the new PM is ��c. I was hoping somebody else would win, I already know these two kanji!!
Watching the coverage though, not surprisingly, the guy with the biggest grin on his face was ex-PM Kan.
All hail Japan's newest empty suit.
Quote:
�gMr. Noda�fs biggest battle will be overcoming the vested interests that have made it so hard to bring change in Japan,�h said Norihiko Narita, a political scientist and president of Surugadai University outside Tokyo. �gIt will be extremely difficult for him to fare any better than those who came before him, to say the least.�h
"Our company is very keen on protecting the environment and we encourage our staff to adopt many environment-friendly actions," said Chizuru Inoue, a spokesman for Maeda Corp.
Why don't they just tell them to shave off all of their hair, that would be the most 'environment-friendly.'
I guess now people can say, 'I'm not balding, I've just decided to go green."
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:03 am Post subject:
Jav_sol wrote:
Why don't they just tell them to shave off all of their hair, that would be the most 'environment-friendly.'
I guess now people can say, 'I'm not balding, I've just decided to go green."
Seriously. While the idea of saving energy or staying cool is admirable in light of the potential power shortfalls, the idea of cutting your hair does not strike me as making even a negligible impact.
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 11:28 am Post subject:
bmwracer wrote:
Though if they all got bobs, it'd look like a Nodame convention.
It would definitely be some sort of convention, man....not one that I would want to pay for...b/c I doubt there would be anybody as noteworthy as Megumi Noda. However, if they had some fools there that looked like Kazuo from Puri Gorota I might have to reconsider.
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