* * * * * * * * * T E R R I E 'S T A K E * * * * * * *<br>A weekly roundup of news & information from Terrie Lloyd.<br>(<a href="http://www.terrie.com">http://www.terrie.com</a>)<br><br>General Edition Sunday, July 18, 2010 Issue No. 574<br>
<br>+++ INDEX<br><br>- What's New<br>- News<br>- Candidate Roundup/Vacancies<br>- Upcoming Events<br>- Corrections/Feedback<br>- News Credits<br><br>SUBSCRIBE to, UNSUBSCRIBE from Terrie's Take at:<br><a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie">http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie</a><br>
<br>BACK ISSUES<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take">http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take</a>, or,<br><a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/">http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/</a><br>
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or call: 03-4550-2557.<br><br>------------- PBXL is Business Communications -------------<br><br><br>+++ WHAT'S NEW<br><br>A major staffing company called FujiStaff Holdings has just<br>set up a new subsidiary, called Inter Agent, which will <br>
find internships at Japanese firms for foreign <br>students. Inter Agent is apparently wanting to take <br>advantage of the fact that there are around 130,000 foreign<br>students studying in Japan at any given time and many of <br>
them want to stay on and get jobs after they graduate.<br><br>The timing is such that those larger companies which are on<br>a major globalization push are obviously going to be <br>looking for Japanese-speaking foreigners who can learn the <br>
company's methods and processes, and eventually get <br>assigned positions in that firm's holdings abroad. As an <br>example, Panasonic has said that next spring it plans for <br>80% of its new hires to be from applicants who are <br>
non-Japanese.<br><br>Actually, staffing giant Pasona Group started a similar <br>business back in 1988, helping westerners studying in Japan<br>to find work experience at Japanese firms. In 2007 they <br>moved to take applications from China and Taiwan, and in <br>
2009, 620 of those applying for internships came from those <br>two countries -- although only 8 were accepted to finally <br>take up actual internships. The reasons for the low <br>acceptance rate were as always, language and prior work <br>
skills.<br><br>But while FujiStaff and Pasona are still looking for the <br>right formula to get more foreigners into the workforce <br>via internships and trainee positions, there are already<br>plenty of companies tapping into the foreign student<br>
resources pool. According to the Immigration Bureau, <br>10,277 foreign students in 2008 changed from student<br>status to either an engineering visa or a humanities visa. <br><br>We don't know how many of these were achieved by <br>
internships and trainee positions, but knowing that <br>Japanese companies are typically cautious about bringing in<br>foreign staff, we imagine that many of these students <br>changing status are doing so after becoming known to their <br>
future employers by some low-risk means such as doing an <br>internship. Indeed, in our opinion, internships are an <br>ideal method for foreigners to segue into a job with a <br>Japanese employer, because the initial shock of having a <br>
foreigner in the ranks is soon overcome by growing <br>familiarity and support from co-workers who generally <br>respect a newcomer for having the gumption to do something <br>challenging in their lives. <br><br>[Continued below...]<br>
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or check out our website: <a href="http://www.denphone.com">http://www.denphone.com</a>.<br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>[...Article continues]<br><br>Internships mean different things to different people. <br>
Conventionally for westerners it is a non-paid opportunity <br>for a student or new-to-Japan young person with little or <br>no work experience to work in a company for 1-3 months, <br>with the objective of either gaining recognition on their <br>
resume or to eventually gain employment at the company they<br>are doing the internship for.<br><br>Since the 2008 Lehman Shock, most larger firms (foreign <br>firms in particular) are more reluctant to give <br>internships, because they realize that the real expense of <br>
having an intern is not the cost of the desk and <br>infrastructure, but instead lies in the care and attention <br>the intern needs from existing personnel in order to get <br>trained. This means that internships with foreign firms are<br>
more typically found with smaller firms that are looking <br>for a helping hand in return for providing training and <br>experience. However, as FujiStaff and Pasona believe, there<br>is an increasing number of Japanese companies who are <br>
committed to going global and therefore have made foreign <br>interns part of their strategic action list.<br><br>Last month, Mitsui Chemical announced that has started an <br>internship program for Indian post-grad students in <br>
chemistry-related courses to work at company plants in <br>Tokyo and Osaka. Unlike internships at other companies, the<br>Mitsui opportunities will be just 4 weeks a year, but come <br>with a daily "salary" of JPY3,000 as well as a flat <br>
JPY300,000 payment to cover air travel, accommodation, and <br>food. <br><br>Another company that has an internship program is Rakuten, <br>which last year took on 300 new graduates. In their case, <br>the internships are available for certain job <br>
classifications while the students are still at school. <br>Their main requirement is that if a foreign student is <br>applying, that they are able to communicate in Japanese -- an<br>interesting requirement, given that the company has now <br>
committed to making all internal communication in English by <br>2012.<br><br>We have seen a number of less well-known companies work <br>aggressively to bring in foreign students in Japan with the<br>intention of signing them up as employees. One major SI <br>
firm we are familiar with has dozens of Chinese trainees <br>and some full-time employees, with the stated goal of <br>sending them back to China in the future to represent the <br>company with their Japanese customers in that country. We <br>
imagine that this same scenario is happening amongst the <br>hundreds of Japanese corporations who are now expanding <br>breakneck into Asia and elsewhere. It's not hard, then, to <br>see who is hiring those 10,000 foreign students a year.<br>
<br>Within the LINC Media and Japan Inc. Holdings groups of <br>companies, we offer 5-10 internships are year and most of <br>these interns enter the business during the Northern <br>hemisphere summer break and/or immediately after the <br>
graduation months of April and October. We typically take <br>on interns for 2-3 months and go on to hire about 20% of <br>those people who want to stay after completing their term. <br>Of the remaining 80%, most are just interning for the <br>
summer holidays, and go back to school after they are <br>done. <br><br>Like most smaller companies, we do not pay our interns, but<br>do provide commutation and other allowances depending on <br>circumstance and the duration of the internship. So, <br>
needless to say one of our most important questions when <br>getting an internship request from abroad is to ask the <br>person if they have some means of support, or family to <br>stay with, while they are in Japan. If they do not, then we<br>
are unable to take them on.<br><br>Then there is the "other" definition of internship in <br>Japan: which is one of virtual slave labor. We are <br>referring to the foreign trainee and technical internship <br>program established by the government some years ago to <br>
allow 200,000 young people from developing countries to <br>learn on-the-job at Japanese companies. After three years <br>of such "work experience" these workers are supposed to <br>return home again, armed with their new-found knowledge.<br>
<br>Of course the reality is sadly different, as was exposed <br>through the death through overwork ("Karoshi") of a 31-year<br>old Chinese trainee in June 2008. Last week the Ibaraki <br>Labor Standards Office found that the trainee died from <br>
overwork, after having done over 100 hours of overtime <br>every month in the three months prior to his death. The <br>Japan International Training Cooperation Organization <br>reckons that 35 trainees died during FY2008, with 16 dying <br>
of causes symptomatic of karoshi. In FY2009, 27 such <br>trainees died.<br><br>These government-sponsored traineeships/internships do come<br>with salary, which we suppose makes them marginally better <br>than a standard internship -- except for the fact that they<br>
run for years versus weeks. But the amounts paid are so <br>low, typically around JPY100,000/month for the first couple<br>of years, that they can hardly be conducive to learning on <br>the job. Rather they create an atmosphere of desperation <br>
that obviates any original purpose for people coming in on <br>the program. Instead, the interns become a source of <br>underpaid labor for small manufacturers who would otherwise<br>go out of business.<br><br>Genuine internships on the other hand are supposed to be a <br>
fair and reasonable trade of personal effort by the intern <br>over a short period of time in return for training and work<br>experience by the company offering the internship. While <br>some people think that 3-4 weeks should be long enough for <br>
an internship we think that three months is a more <br>reasonable exchange. Our reasoning for this is simple: if <br>the purpose of the internship is to gain meaningful <br>experience and to perhaps prove oneself to a future <br>
employer, anything that can be taught in less than 2-3 <br>months is probably not going to amount to much of value to <br>either the intern or the employer. <br><br>There has to be a limit, of course, and rationally, this <br>
would be the amount of time that it takes for a potential <br>employer to decide that the intern is the right material <br>for a hire. 2-3 months is plenty of time to make this <br>decision, and by no coincidence is also the same amount of <br>
time given to a company to decide whether or not to retain <br>or fire a new employee. It also happens to be the amount of<br>time most students have off before having to return to <br>school after the summer break.<br><br>
The question inevitably comes up of whether interns should <br>be paid, especially since regular new employees are paid for <br>their services. Our response is that if the person applying <br>for the internship has no obvious skills or experience to <br>
warrant their applying for an open position, the chance of <br>companies even interviewing such people is low. Whereas, <br>someone starting on an internship is able to show growth <br>and on-the-job aptitude, and so have a chance to convince <br>
those they are working with that it is worthwhile extending <br>a job offer to them. <br><br>Before anyone complains how evil unpaid internships are, <br>consider that not only are they completely voluntary, but <br>that many well-known organizations provide such <br>
opportunities. You may be surprised, for example, to know <br>that the U.S. government's Foreign Commercial Service in <br>Japan offers unpaid internships. To see more on this, go <br>to:<br><a href="http://www.buyusa.gov/japan/en/internship.html">http://www.buyusa.gov/japan/en/internship.html</a>.<br>
<br>Now that only 80% of this year's university graduates were <br>able to land jobs before leaving school, maybe it's time <br>for the unemployed 20%, the government, and smaller <br>Japanese companies to come up with a standardized <br>
internship/work experience program that will help both <br>sides. In particular, the government needs to recognize the<br>difference between internships and paid employment, so that<br>issues of compensation are dealt with and all parties to <br>
realize the full value of the internship system. They also <br>need to introduce a more specific type of visa for foreign <br>interns, who otherwise have to come in either on a visitors<br>visa (in which case they definitely can't get paid) or they <br>
are forced into one of the above mentioned much abused <br>trainee visas.<br><br><br>...The information janitors/<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>--------- BIOS - Bilingual IT Systems and Support ---------<br>
<br>Formed in 1998, BiOS is a full-service IT solutions <br>provider, delivering SI and business support services to <br>foreign multinationals, including some of the world's<br>largest banks, logistics, and retailing companies.<br>
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* BiOS Advanceserve: Secure Online Data Backup (free trial)<br><br>BiOS is committed to providing quality services at <br>competitive prices. We're here to help!<br><br>Phone: 03-5773-3090, Email: <a href="mailto:solutions@biosjp.com">solutions@biosjp.com</a><br>
Web: <a href="http://www.biosjp.com">www.biosjp.com</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br><br>+++ NEWS<br><br>- NTT buys Dimension Data<br>- Tesla/Toyota RAV4 slated for 2012<br>- New condos on market jump almost 67%<br>
- People staying in Japan for summer?<br>- Big demand for new Mitsubishi electric car in Australia<br><br><br><br>-> NTT buys Dimension Data<br><br>Not one to do things by halves, NTT has announced that it <br>will buy South African SI company, Dimension Data, for a <br>
whopping US$3.2bn). NTT has been out of the M&A market for <br>sometime after the debacle with its purchase of Verio some <br>years ago. Once again we feel that NTT has overpaid, and <br>believe that it will find the acquisition of Dimension Data and <br>
its various holdings to be more than a mouthful. ***Ed: This <br>acquisition is of particular interest to those of us in the SI<br>business here in Japan, since Dimension Data owns Datacraft,<br>a significant player in the bilingual IT market in Tokyo.** (Source: <br>
TT commentary from <a href="http://thehindu.com">thehindu.com</a>, Jul 17, 2010)<br><br><a href="http://www.thehindu.com/business/companies/article517194.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/business/companies/article517194.ece</a><br>
<br>-> Tesla/Toyota RAV4 slated for 2012<br><br>Well it didn't take long for Tesla and Toyota to find <br>common ground, and the pair have announced that they will <br>make an all-electric RAV4 available in 2012. Apparently <br>
Tesla has already built a test unit, and Toyota is believed<br>to be considering using the same power train that is <br>currently used in Tesla's sports car and soon to debut in <br>its Model S sedan. ***Ed: This is big news because it will <br>
catapult Toyota back into the electric car race against <br>Nissan, just in case full electrics turn out to be more <br>popular than their existing hybrids (Prius, etc.). We guess<br>that one more oil shock similar to that of 2008 would just <br>
about do it.** (Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://speedtv.com">speedtv.com</a>, Jul<br>16, 2010) <br><br><a href="http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-toyota-tesla-plan-electric-rav4/">http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-toyota-tesla-plan-electric-rav4/</a><br>
<br>-> New condos on market jump almost 67%<br><br>The building boom that started in early 2008, with land <br>being purchased and contracts being drawn up, is now <br>starting to hit the marketplace in the form of a slew of <br>
condo building projects in Tokyo. The Real Estate Economic <br>Institute Company says that there were 66.6% more new <br>condominiums being offered for sale in June versus the same<br>time last year. Luckily, demand has also been brisk, with <br>
4,303 units (83.9%) being sold. This is a 13.7% better take<br>up than the same period last year. (Source: TT commentary <br>from <a href="http://nikkei.com">nikkei.com</a>, Jul 15, 2010)<br><br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20100715D15SS947.htm">http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20100715D15SS947.htm</a><br>
<br>-> People staying in Japan for summer?<br><br>According to a Nikkei survey, the level of rental car <br>bookings in Japan during the August school break are up by <br>20-40%, indicating that more people are staying inside <br>
national borders this summer break, and taking advantage of<br>reduced freeway tolls. Okinawa in particular is a <br>population destination, with Orix reporting holiday car <br>rental bookings up some 72%. (Source: TT commtentary from <br>
<a href="http://nikkei.com">nikkei.com</a>, Jul 16, 2010)<br><br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20100716D16EE045.htm">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20100716D16EE045.htm</a><br><br>-> Big demand for new Mitsubishi electric car in Australia<br>
<br>The newly released in Australia Mitsubishi i-MiEV has <br>struck a chord with companies all over the nation and has <br>resulted in more than 300% more orders for the vehicle as <br>Mitsubishi is actually shipping. Currently there will be 40<br>
vehicles in the first shipment and these will be leased to <br>primarily regional government bodies and companies. <br>(Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://thegreencarwebsite.co.uk">thegreencarwebsite.co.uk</a>, Jul <br>
16, 2010)<br><br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/36cdj49">http://tinyurl.com/36cdj49</a><br><br><br><br>NOTE: Broken links<br>Many online news sources remove their articles after just a<br>few days of posting them, thus breaking our links -- we<br>
apologize for the inconvenience.<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>---------- Microfinance in the South Pacific --------------<br><br>Help Combat Poverty in the Pacific through MicroDreams<br>
<br>The MicroDreams Foundation is a U.S. and N.Z. based <br>charitable organization that empowers the poorest of the <br>poor to grow micro-businesses and pursue their dreams.<br><br>MicroDreams partners with world class micro-enterprise<br>
development organizations to provide poor families <br>especially in the opportunity-starved nations of the <br>Pacific with:<br><br>- Micro-enterprise development training and financing<br>- Childhood education financing<br>
- Housing improvement financing<br>- Savings<br>- Life Insurance<br>- Increased self-esteem<br><br>The easiest way to help MicroDreams is by donating online<br>at <a href="http://www.microdreams.org">www.microdreams.org</a>.<br>
-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>+++ CANDIDATE ROUND UP/VACANCIES<br><br>=> BiOS, a Division of the LINC Media group, is actively <br>
marketing the following positions for customers setting up <br>or expanding in Japan, as well as other employers of <br>bilinguals.<br><br>** HIGHLIGHTED POSITION(S)<br><br>BiOS is currently looking for an experienced and highly <br>
successful SMB Sales Manager to join our clients, <br>specializing in sales of Software As A Service. This person<br>will lead a sales department which is currently in the <br>process of shifting to a direct sales model for Japan, and <br>
as such the focus is on direct rather than channel or <br>partner sales. Supporting this, and also forming part of <br>your core duties you will manage lead generation to sales <br>closure for Small and Medium sized Business, take ownership <br>
and direct the metrics of lead generation and opportunity, <br>and lead accounts and take an active role in <br>troubleshooting any changes or issues.<br><br>The successful candidate in this role will have more than 6<br>
years experience in IT software sales, ideally with the <br>SaaS background forming part or all of this, and will also <br>have 2 years experience managing a sales team to successful<br>meet and beat targets on a regular basis. In addition to <br>
this, although not mandatory, the most desirable candidates<br>will have some form of telemarketing and/or telesales <br>experience, and will finally have experience managing <br>Japanese customers in direct sales.<br><br>
Remuneration is up to JPY20m depending on your experience <br>and level<br><br>** POSITIONS VACANT<br><br>- President of Operations, Plastics Manuf., JPY12m – JPY18m<br>- eSourcing Account Manager, JPY4.5m – JPY5.5m<br>- Web Apps Support, LCD Manf JPY3.5m – JPY4m<br>
- Unix Engineer, iBank in Okinawa, JPY4m – JPY5m<br>- Fixed Income Developer, European iBank, JPY8m – JPY12m<br><br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br><a href="mailto:stuart.gibson@biosjp.com">stuart.gibson@biosjp.com</a><br>
<br>** BiOS Job Mail<br><br>Every 2 weeks BiOS sends out a regular communication to its<br>job seeking candidates, called BiOS Job Mail. Every edition<br>carries a list of BiOS's current and most up-to-date<br>vacancies, with each entry featuring a short job<br>
description and a direct link to the main entry on the BiOS<br>home page. Regardless of whether you are unemployed and<br>searching, thinking about a career change, or just curious<br>to know if there is something out there that might suit you<br>
better, the BiOS Job Mail newsletter is an easy and<br>convenient way for you to stay informed. If you would like<br>to register for the BiOS Job Mail, or to find out more,<br>please email <a href="mailto:stuart.gibson@biosjp.com">stuart.gibson@biosjp.com</a>.<br>
<br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br><a href="mailto:stuart.gibson@biosjp.com">stuart.gibson@biosjp.com</a><br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>----------- Making Web Sites More Affordable --------------<br>
<br>LINC Media's Electronic Commerce team is proud to announce<br>its "WEB PARTNERS" program, whereby we create fully EC<br>enabled websites with as much functionality as you need, <br>plus year-round support, for a flat monthly fee.<br>
<br>Avoid upfront costs and lack of support after the site is<br>up, with the LINC Media WEB PARTNERS service. Our customers<br>to date include major international airlines, Social <br>Network Service sites, and online stores for consumer<br>
products.<br><br>Program includes:<br>- Japanese/English website development<br>- Configuration of core software (Wordpress or Drupal, etc.)<br>- Software development (PHP, mySQL, etc.)<br>- Daily changes to the site<br>- Hosting, security, and backup<br>
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<br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br><br>+++ UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS<br><br>---------- CCH Japan presents 'HR Seminar 2010' -----------<br><br>Managing and Motivating Your Japanese Team for Success<br>
<br>'Bridging Cultural Differences as a Leader'<br><br>- What expectations Japanese have of their managers<br>- What Japanese think of Western managers<br>- How to pose questions to get the most informative responses<br>
- How to give directions so that they are clearly understood<br>- Giving feedback to Japanese subordinates<br>- Key cultural differences<br>(directness of communication, hierarchy, and management style)<br>- The new workforce in Japan<br>
(The different generations in the Japanese workplace and more..)<br><br>Date: Thursday, 29th July 1:30pm-5:00pm<br>Venue: Happo-en 5F Linden Room<br>Speaker: Rochelle Kopp, Principal, Japan Intercultural Consulting<br>Number of Seats: 50, Language: English<br>
Fees: 20,000 yen + tax<br>Register at: <a href="https://www.cch-japan.jp/contents/register/form">https://www.cch-japan.jp/contents/register/form</a><br><br>For more details, Please Contact us at: <a href="mailto:support@cch.co.jp">support@cch.co.jp</a>,<br>
or 03-3265-1161, <a href="http://www.cch-japan.jp">www.cch-japan.jp</a>.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>------------- ICA Summer Networking Party!!!!! ------------<br><br>The ICA invites you to join our Summer Networking Party at<br>
La Boheme in Shirogane. This will be an excellent <br>opportunity to catch up with old friends, meet new people <br>and network with peers in related industries, or simply to <br>put names to faces.<br><br>Open bar (beer, wine, soft drinks) and great food will<br>
be included. Be sure to bring your colleagues and friends <br>to join the party. Open to all, RSVP required.<br><br>Date: Thursday, 29th July, 2010<br>Time: 19:00 to 21:30pm<br>Venue: La Boheme, Shirogane<br>Map: <a href="http://www.boheme.jp/en/shirogane/home/location">http://www.boheme.jp/en/shirogane/home/location</a><br>
Cost: 3,000yen ICA members, 5,000yen non-members. <br>*Includes open bar (beer, wine, soft drinks) & great <br>quality food.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br>
<br>+++ CORRECTIONS/FEEDBACK<br><br>In this section we run comments and corrections submitted<br>by readers. We encourage you to spot our mistakes and<br>amplify our points, by email, to <a href="mailto:editors@terrie.com">editors@terrie.com</a>.<br>
<br>In Terrie's Take 573, we wrote that a major contributing <br>factor to the DPJ's disastrous showing in the recent Upper <br>House elections was the Consumption Tax issue, and that Kan<br>got his timing terribly wrong in announcing that the <br>
country would have to hike Consumption Tax to at least 10%.<br>One of our readers takes exception to this reasoning...<br><br>==> Reader's comment:<br><br>You have it backwards about DPJ, perhaps looking looking at<br>
things from a parochial, pro-business point of view.<br><br>Consumption tax wasn't the issue in the recent elections, <br>because the LDP also was proposing to increase consumption <br>tax, a fact you fail to mention.<br>
<br>The issue, aside from DPJ's failure of leadership (which <br>was your #1 explanation for loss), was precisely that Kan <br>proposed to lower corporate tax at the same time as hiking <br>the consumption tax. So DPJ looked like it wanted to shift <br>
burden to ordinary working people, while rewarding <br>corporations. LDP didn't endorse lowering the corporate <br>tax. That was a significant substantive difference between <br>them.<br><br>Perhaps your pro-business orientation blinds you to the <br>
fact that many people could object to lowering the <br>corporate tax. Aside from the fact that when Reagan tried <br>his "voodoo economics" of lowering tax rates, US revenues <br>went down. (Real dollar annual tax revenues didn't recover <br>
to 1981 levels until 6 years later, and real dollar <br>aggregate collections between 1982-1989 were less than if <br>than if there had been no tax cut and GDP growth had been <br>zero; whence GWB Bush raised rates again in 1990.) And as <br>
if tax rates are hardly the only or main obstacle for <br>foreign businesses in Japan.<br><br>That the Nikkei, Yomiuri and other local media organs <br>reported this as a "consumption tax" election may perhaps <br>
be attributed to their continuing incomprehension of <br>2-party democracy, rather than to their understanding of <br>voter sentiment. But you should know better.<br><br>*** We Respond:<br><br>Thanks for your response. We take your point on the fact <br>
that this election was more about fairness than just straight <br>consumption tax talk timing, but we do, however, still <br>subscribe to the fact that Kan committed a political sin <br>by refocusing everyone on the inevitable rise in <br>
consumption tax. True, the LDP is already promulgating a <br>rise as well, but the DPJ was previously all for delaying it <br>and of course they won the all-important Lower House <br>partly because of this reason -- along, of course, with the<br>
LDP's own failure of leadership. Had Kan not suddenly done <br>the about face, which certainly did catch most of his <br>colleagues in the DPJ by surprise, then they may have kept <br>those swing voters who now had no reason not to vote more <br>
traditionally -- i.e., for the LDP.<br><br>Ozawa may be a slippery character, but he really <br>understands how shallow voters are when it comes to tax <br>talk, and how to handle the media. Kan is obviously still <br>learning the ropes. He seems like a much more careful <br>
driver than his predecessors were, however, and if he can <br>resist the calls for his head, he might just be able to <br>manage the economy during these critical times of change.<br><br>/...The TT Janitor.<br><br>***********************************************************<br>
END<br><br>SUBSCRIBERS: 9,005 members as of July 18th, 2010<br>(We purge our list regularly.)<br><br>+++ ABOUT US<br><br>STAFF<br>Written by: Terrie Lloyd (<a href="mailto:terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com">terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com</a>)<br>
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