Monthly Archives: June 2011

Right answer, wrong reason

The media is full of speculation (again) that Kan plans to call an election. After all, he talked up his energy-policy plans and said he expects energy policy to be a prime battlefield in the next election. So that must … Continue reading

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Tepco recount?

Tepco held its annual general meeting of shareholders yesterday, and it was apparently not the quiet rubber-stamp meeting of old. Instead, it was a noisy rubber-stamp meeting, with management positions approved largely on the basis of absentee votes. (This is … Continue reading

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Time for the LDP to grow up

This morning’s Asahi (Japanese) has an editorial basically saying the LDP should grow up. To briefly summarize: Kan has said he wants to do three things before he steps down. They are all reasonable things. But instead of helping Kan … Continue reading

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LDP blows it

For months, the DPJ has been reaching out to the LDP, Komei, and other “opposition parties” in an effort to gain their cooperation in the Tohoku relief effort and the Tepco clean-up. And for months, the opposition has been saying … Continue reading

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Keidanren Chair disses Japanese industry

Keidanren Chair Yonekura is back in the news once again talking about how the Kan plan to emphasize solar, wind, and other “natural” energy resources will drive up electricity costs and drive industry overseas. The “drive up electricity costs” comes … Continue reading

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Turning corners

As the cries for Kan to resign have kept on undiminished, there has gradually emerged a counterstream: Who would do what better? The fact that there are no good alternatives does not make Kan attractive, but it certainly lessens the … Continue reading

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Two men standing

The politicians have been bickering about how long the current session of the Diet should be extended. The DPJ and LDP were pretty much agreed upon 50 days, with the assumption being that Kan would quit at the end, but … Continue reading

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Refugees or villagers

The mayor of Iitate-mura (village) was on television talking about how the villagers are going to have to be refugees for the next couple of years but he hopes everyone can return home after that. Which strikes me as seriously … Continue reading

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What was the speaker’s point?

I was at a talk this evening where the speaker said it would be difficult for the U.S. to justify risking American military lives in an action that does not involve defending an ally’s sovereign territory. (This was in relation … Continue reading

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Who’s it really for?

When we write – and by extension, when we translate – we constantly have to keep the “what’s it for?” question in mind. Is this a manual for maintenance technicians or a user’s guide for lay people? (Look at how … Continue reading

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