Robert Nordström (PhD)

Congrats, that's really cool way to take 漢検！

ありがとう！

Thanks!!

Furukawa only got 14,215 votes, while Nishizawa got 24,594 votes. LDP candidate Komiyama who was the most popular candidate got 37,566 votes.

Nishizawa made a post about the "Party (DPP) not giving me enough information about why they cancelled my endorsement" as a reason for his resignation. In his place, anti-foreigner Furukawa Keigo from the minor right-wing party "Japan Yamato Party" may get his seat.

当選者が開票翌日に辞職願　当選証書も受け取らず　埼玉県議補選 | 毎日新聞 新人4人の争いとなった埼玉県議南2区補選（改選数2、川口市）が8日投開票され、新人で自民の元出版社社員、小見山祐紀氏（38）と、7日に国民民主党の公認を取り消された無所属の参院議員秘書、西澤理（さとし）氏（38）が初当選した。ただ、西澤氏は9日、白土幸仁・県議会議長宛てに辞職願を提出した。西澤氏の

Really silly story from my current hometown. In a special election for the Saitama prefectural assembly seats from Kawaguchi, DPP candidate Nishizawa Osamu got the second most votes and won a seat, but handed in his resignation the very next day.
mainichi.jp/articles/202...

Updated my profile a bit 😊

Even among young people who say they lean to the left, 30% voted for LDP hmmm

I wonder what will happen to the opposition next, will there be any new type of liberal politics, or will the opposition become dominated by conservatives like DPFP and Sansei?

I feared this based on the last week, but LDP are going to get possibly a supermajority from the election, giving an unproven Takaichi the reigns when she's barely set out policies (and what she has are economically and socially volatile) and there's bubbling new scandals

例え自分が投票した候補が落選したとしても、「もう終わった」ではありません。

「選挙で選ばれた＝全権委任された」ではないし「民主主義＝選挙が全て」でもありません。

今後もデモや署名など、意思表示の様々な方法を駆使し、選ばれた人間がそれにどう向き合うか、大切なのは「これから」。

Ok, this Japan election campaign I’ve been too busy with finishing my dissertation and personal matters to even care, but god does it look bleak… just gonna get a whisky and go to bed

(actually, the numbers in the article seems to be for the whole country, there is not 1 million foreigners in Kawaguchi - weird given the 「川口市の事情」in the title)

but yes, it is hard to compare given the different demographics of foreigners and Japanese populations.

データが打ち消す「外国人は社会保障ただ乗り」説　「負担の割に受益少なく」　市長選で注目・川口市の事情は：東京新聞デジタル 外国人が日本の社会保障制度に「ただ乗りしている」といった声は、ネットなどで広まっている。実際はどうなのか、現状を点検した。◆外国人は「...

While the right-wing says foreigners free ride on the NHI in Kawaguchi, as a matter of fact, foreigners pay a lot more into the system than they get out. As shown here, foreigners account for 4% of payments into the NHI but receive only 1.39% of reparations.
www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/464319

埼玉・川口市長選が告示　6氏が出馬　外国人政策など争点に論戦 | 毎日新聞 任期満了に伴う埼玉県川口市長選が25日、告示された。いずれも新人で、元県議の立石泰広氏（64）＝自民推薦▽元市議の矢野由紀子氏（62）＝共産推薦▽元県議の岡村ゆり子氏（44）▽住宅リフォーム会社代表の西内聡雄氏（52）▽介護サービス会社代表の古川圭吾氏（55）▽医療法人理事長の松浦玄嗣氏（53）―

I'm back again! With Japan going to a general election in a few weeks, my current hometown is also holding a mayoral election next Sunday. Among the six candidates, there are two right-wing racist nuts... And your run-of-the-mill LDP guy as well of course.
mainichi.jp/articles/202...

フィンランド「つり目」騒動、与党会派代表らが投稿議員の処分検討へ：朝日新聞 フィンランドの複数の国会議員らが、アジア人差別にあたる「つり目」の写真や動画をSNSに投稿した問題で、連立政権を組む与党の会派代表らは16日に集まり、処分を検討する。フィンランド首相官邸の報道官が1…

Yay, Finland makes Japanese views!! Oh… fuck.

フィンランド「つり目」騒動、与党会派代表らが投稿議員の処分検討へ
digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

Indeed, the article says that the new taxation was announced based on urgings from the automobile industry.

来年度税制改正 EVに重量に応じた課税 導入の方向で検討 | NHKニュース 【NHK】来年度の税制改正で焦点の1つとなっている自動車関係の税制をめぐり、政府・与党は、ガソリン車より重く、道路への負荷も大きいとされるEV＝電気自動車に、重量に応じて課税する新たな仕組みを導入する方向で検討

Japan plans to increase tax on Electric Vehicles (EV) from next year. A new tax based on vehicle-weight will be started, which will be higher for EVs as they in general weight more than gasoline vehicles. I cant help but feel this is orchestrated by the anti-EV lobby.
news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/n...

I know this is very speculative but I wonder if this could have been influenced by pressure from the gov't, as the very same Tokyo High Court made the opposite decision just a year ago. Of course, it would be impossible to prove that Takaichi put pressure on court, but its still quite fishy.

Surprise, Anger, and Frustration as Tokyo’s High Court Rules Against Marriage Equality - Unseen Japan Supporters of marriage equality in Japan were met with an unexpected setback after a series of affirmative rulings.

Supporters of marriage equality in Japan faced a setback on November 28th that surprised many. After a series of favorable court rulings across the country, the Tokyo High Court ruled that the lack of recognition of same-sex marriage was constitutional.

buff.ly/HlG6HWe

Looking over this years electoral campaign, it’s quite obvious that Sanseito were allowed to steer the narrative, which likely is why Takaichi became PM in the first place.

I feel that UC is somewhat separate from Sanseito though… And my point was, one positive (among many obvious negatives). Re: foreigners, I have a feeling (but might be wrong) that LDP will moderate their positions once the issue is off the radar.

I think overall, it’s still preferable to Sanseito, in case this leads to the party becoming marginal and their influence waning, they won’t drive the narrative in future elections which I think would be preferable.

自民と維新は↑　参政は↓　衆院選比例区の投票先　朝日世論調査：朝日新聞 朝日新聞社が10月25、26日に実施した全国世論調査（電話）で、衆院選の比例区投票先について、「仮にいま、投票をするとしたら」と尋ねると、自民が32%だった。前回9月調査の26%から上昇した。　自民…

If we want to see something positive in Takaichi, it seems voters are jumping back from Sanseito to LDP.
On the other hand, Ishin also seems to have got a boost from joining the coalition.

digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

早すぎる「ブラボー」はNG？名フィルが異例の投稿、物議かもす | 毎日新聞 コンサートの終演時、観客が称賛や感動の意を込めてステージに向かって叫ぶ「ブラボー」の掛け声。そのタイミングを巡り、名古屋フィルハーモニー交響楽団が11日、公式X（ツイッター）に「早すぎる『ブラヴォー』はうれしいものではございません」と投稿した。表示回数（インプレッション）は4700万回を超え、ブラ

Don’t shout ”Bravo” too soon! The Nagoya Philharmonic is asking concert-goers to keep their Bravos to themselves until the performance is finished, saying shouting bravo at wrong time is bad manners. Please be careful

早すぎる「ブラボー」はNG？名フィルが異例の投稿、物議かもす - 毎日新聞
mainichi.jp/articles/202...

Conservative circles around new LDP leader Takaichi have already started criticizing Ishiba, stating Ishiba wants to tie her to his views by making the statement just before the end of his time as PM

読む政治：「石破カラー」戦後80年見解で集大成へ　保守派は反発、鎮魂に遠く | 毎日新聞 石破茂首相は10日、戦後80年に当たって先の大戦に関する見解を発表する。過去に閣議決定した戦後70年談話などを考慮し、今回は閣議決定を経ない首相個人としてのメッセージにとどめる。ただ、自民党は総裁選で保守色の強い高市早苗氏を新総裁に選出した。「保守回帰」が鮮明となりつつある自民内では首相見解に否定

As one of his final acts as PM, Ishiba delivered a personal statement regarding his views on Japans war guilt, discussing the weakness of Japans pre-war political system that led to the war and stating the necessity of a strong democracy to guard against authoritarianism
mainichi.jp/articles/202...

公明党の連立離脱でどうなる？　首相指名選挙、極めて複雑な状況：朝日新聞 公明党が自民党との連立政権からの離脱を表明したことで、衆院の多数派はどうなるのか――。与党の自公がもともと過半数を割る異常事態の中、国会は極めて複雑な状況に陥る。実現の可能性は低いものの、数の上では…

Hmm, with Komeito out (if they vote against her), Takaichi must get both DPP and Ishin onboard to get enough votes. If they blindly go along, what even is the point of these parties. Interesting days ahead.

digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

公明、自民との連立政権離脱へ「いったん白紙」　選挙協力解消も明言：朝日新聞 自民党の高市早苗総裁と公明党の斉藤鉄夫代表が10日午後に党首会談を開き、連立政権を維持するかどうかについて協議しています。自民派閥の裏金問題などをめぐり、公明は自民からの返答次第では連立からの離脱も…

So, in the end Komeito leaves the coalition, ending 26 years of cooperation with the LDP. The parties will also stop cooperation in elections. Wow

digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

公明、連立離脱の見方強まる　閣外協力に転じる案が浮上 | 毎日新聞 公明党は9日の中央幹事会で、自民党との連立のあり方について協議し、斉藤鉄夫代表と西田実仁幹事長に対応を一任した。国会議員による中央幹事会や各都道府県本部の幹部による「全国県代表協議会」では、党内でくすぶる「連立離脱」に賛否両論が噴出した。斉藤氏は地方幹部との会合で、自民から十分な回答を得られなけれ

Wow, Komeito seems to be moving towards leaving coalition with LDP. Question is, what is the role of the Komeito if they leave the coalition. And they will probably be replaced by DPP and Ishin. Will they cooperate with CDPJ?

mainichi.jp/articles/202...