Monday, September 12, 2005

1) ▼ Dear Mr. Koizumi Junichiro, You achieved an overwhelming triumph. How do you appreciate the victory after spending a night? It is fifty years since “1955-year System” of competing between two big conservative and progressive parties was introduced in the postwar Japan. The newly practiced “2005-year System” may be called “Koizumi Magic System” or “Koizumi Theater System” in the future.

2) ▼ You dissolved the Diet to ask for a national approval for postal privatization. I feel that a landslide victory of voting was caused not only by the approval of postal services reform

3) ▼ “I am ready to die.” “Do you approve or not?” Such articulate speeches or short phrases to catch the eyes and ears may have strongly attracted people. It is said that Sir Winston Churchill, former British prime minister, used to say that “short speech is the best.”

4) ▼ Observing the overwhelming victory, I thought of a word “single.” The election was a single-sided victory by a single decision made by the singled-out party leader. I am afraid that the Diet may become a single stage of Koizumi’s Liberal Democratic Party, and that it would be run single-handedly for his single satisfaction. Even voters who gave you an absolute majority may not wish for those things.

5) ▼ Saito Ryoku-u, a man of letter, was known for his sarcasm in the Meiji period. “Applauding is a way to lead a man to foolishness. Give him more applause and cheers, and he will fall down by himself.” (“Ryoku-u’s Collection of Maxims” published by Fuzambo)

6) ▼ As you are sturdy, however much applause you may receive, you may never fall down, but other than postal service issues, there are mountains of tasks waiting for you. I sincerely wish that you would not collapse Japan by obtaining excessive power of victory. Yours truly.