January 16, 2013
The media is reporting as if the coming Tokyo gubernatorial election is a battle between a former prime minister and a former welfare minister while neglecting to mention Utsunomiya Kenji, a lawyer candidate aiming to build a Tokyo that addresses the needs and concerns of residents. Let’s take a look at what the two ex-ministers did during their tenures.
Ex-Prime Minister Hosokawa Morihiro
Hosokawa became prime minister of a non-LDP, non-JCP coalition government in 1993. His Cabinet’s mission was to function in the absence of the LDP for a while.
Hosokawa now hints at seeking a no-nuke Tokyo, but he promoted nuclear energy as shown in a memorandum exchanged before the inauguration of his coalition government with eight parties (all these coalition parties except Komei no longer exist).
The Hosokawa Cabinet introduced a small-constituency system so that large parties can take over 80% of Diet seats with only 40% of the votes cast. He also adopted a system to subsidize political parties in violation of the right to freedom of political beliefs.
The Tokyo gubernatorial race follows the resignation of former Governor Inose Naoki who received dubious money of 50 million yen from a private medical institution. Hosokawa was also forced to step down due to a money scandal in which he accepted 100 million yen from a major parcel delivery service.
Ex-Welfare Minister Masuzoe Yoichi
Masuzoe, under the government of Koizumi Jun’ichiro who now supports Hosokawa, played a leading role in formulating a new constitution draft in 2005.
He deleted Clause 2 Article 9 renouncing Japan’s war potential from the LDP revised-constitution draft, and inserted the possession of armed forces. He also proposed relaxing procedural requirements for constitutional revisions set under Article 96.
Masuzoe increased nursing-care insurance premiums when he first became welfare minister under the first Abe government.
While serving as welfare minister, he forced through the implementation of a new medical system distinguishing the elderly aged 75 and older from other elderly people, and abolished additional benefits to mother-children households eligible for public assistance.
Masuzoe calls for a society without having to depend on nuclear energy but at the same time accepts the resumption of operations of offline reactors.
Ex-Prime Minister Hosokawa Morihiro
Hosokawa became prime minister of a non-LDP, non-JCP coalition government in 1993. His Cabinet’s mission was to function in the absence of the LDP for a while.
Hosokawa now hints at seeking a no-nuke Tokyo, but he promoted nuclear energy as shown in a memorandum exchanged before the inauguration of his coalition government with eight parties (all these coalition parties except Komei no longer exist).
The Hosokawa Cabinet introduced a small-constituency system so that large parties can take over 80% of Diet seats with only 40% of the votes cast. He also adopted a system to subsidize political parties in violation of the right to freedom of political beliefs.
The Tokyo gubernatorial race follows the resignation of former Governor Inose Naoki who received dubious money of 50 million yen from a private medical institution. Hosokawa was also forced to step down due to a money scandal in which he accepted 100 million yen from a major parcel delivery service.
Ex-Welfare Minister Masuzoe Yoichi
Masuzoe, under the government of Koizumi Jun’ichiro who now supports Hosokawa, played a leading role in formulating a new constitution draft in 2005.
He deleted Clause 2 Article 9 renouncing Japan’s war potential from the LDP revised-constitution draft, and inserted the possession of armed forces. He also proposed relaxing procedural requirements for constitutional revisions set under Article 96.
Masuzoe increased nursing-care insurance premiums when he first became welfare minister under the first Abe government.
While serving as welfare minister, he forced through the implementation of a new medical system distinguishing the elderly aged 75 and older from other elderly people, and abolished additional benefits to mother-children households eligible for public assistance.
Masuzoe calls for a society without having to depend on nuclear energy but at the same time accepts the resumption of operations of offline reactors.
