[ShepherdsDog]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012 ... ction.html

$1:

Public broadcaster NHK's exit polls projected that the LDP, which ruled Japan for most of the post-World War II era until it was dumped in 2009, won between 275 and 300 seats in the 480-seat lower house of parliament. Official results were not expected until Monday morning. Before the election, it had 118 seats.

As mentioned in the story, China's not going to like this....but who cares?

[commanderkai]

7 Prime Ministers in 6.5 years. Sheesh. Congrats to the Liberal Democrat Party and Prime Minister-elect Shinzo Abe, though.

[Dragon-Dancer]

They really don't have much luck keeping anyone in the top job. Too little backbone, too much bowing out to save face.

[bootlegga]

$1:

It remains to be seen how he will behave this time around, though he is talking tough toward China, and the LDP platform calls developing fisheries and setting up a permanent outpost in the disputed islands, called Senkakus by Japan and Daioyu by China — a move that would infuriate Beijing.

The LDP wants to revise Japan's pacifist constitution to strengthen its Self-Defence Forces and, breaching a postwar taboo, designate them as a "military." It also proposes increasing Japan's defence budget.

Yep, that'll piss off China (and probably North Korea too).

Despite that, it's not nearly so bad as Shintaro Ishihara's party getting about a lot of seats - he wants to join the LDP/New Komeito coalition. If he does, he will steer them far right and that could cause serious problems, or even a conflict in the future with one or more of Japan's neighbours.

$1:

One of the new parties, the right-leaning, populist Japan Restoration Party, won between 40 to 61 seats, NHK projected. The party, led by the bombastic nationalist ex-Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara and Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto — both of whom are polarizing figures with forceful leadership styles — could become a future coalition partner for the LDP, analysts said.

Ishihara was the one who stirred up the latest dispute with China over the islands when he proposed that the Tokyo government buy them from their private Japanese owners and develop them.

[Jughead]

bootlegga bootlegga:

Despite that, it's not nearly so bad as Shintaro Ishihara's party getting about a lot of seats - he wants to join the LDP/New Komeito coalition. If he does, he will steer them far right and that could cause serious problems, or even a conflict in the future with one or more of Japan's neighbours.

True. It also depends on which neighbour. I'm sure the Philippines will be thrilled with the new government.

[BartSimpson]

Seems to me that the Japanese voters are made of sterner stuff than the Chinese and the Norks thought they were. Look for this new government to start interdicting the Chinese at the Senkaku Islands.

With prejudice.

[Saipan]

Interesting people these Japanese. No private ownership of firearms yet higher suicide rate than Canada.

(and Canada higher than USA)

Seems when acces to firearms is hard people become depressed and just want to kill themself

[BartSimpson]

Saipan Saipan:

Interesting people these Japanese. No private ownership of firearms yet higher suicide rate than Canada.

(and Canada higher than USA)

Seems when acces to firearms is hard people become depressed and just want to kill themself

Suicide in Japan is a unique aspect of their rigidly structured society and a deeply ingrained sense of personal shame and accountability. I don't think that the availability of guns would have any impact on suicide rates in Japan given that those suicide rates are driven by tremendous social and cultural values.

Meaning that people in Japan commit suicide for extremely structured reasons and that it is not the rash decision that it typically is in the rest of the world.

Using Japan for pretty much any sort of argument outside of a Japanese context is pointless since the Japanese are so utterly different from everone else.

[Saipan]

Ah, but Wendy Cukier bunch claim access to firearm causes suicides