野田総理の情報源 [野田佳彦内閣]
野田佳彦首相も読んでいる英誌エコノミスト
今までほとんど知名度のなかった野田首相だが、あのドジョウ発言で一躍、日本のみならず、海外からも注目されるようになってきた。
イギリスの経済誌エコノミストはかなり精力的に野田氏のことを記事にしています。８月２９日号では、A fish called Nodaという記事を載せています。A fish called Nodaとは「ドジョウ総理」のことを言っているようです。
この記事の中で、野田氏がエコノミストのある記事を読んで衝撃を受けたことが書かれています。恐らく、野田氏はエコノミストを定期購読しているのでしょう。この雑誌から様々な情報を収集しているようです。
野田氏が衝撃を受けたのは、Turning Japanese 「日本化する欧米諸国」という記事です。この記事が載ったときの表紙のイラストもかなり強烈なインパクトがありました。
これがそのイラストです。
野田氏は自身のブログー野田よしひこ かわら版「私の覚悟」でエコノミストの記事のことをかなり詳しく取り上げていました。
このブログを書いたときは、財務大臣でしたが、さすが経済通のことだけあり、外国の経済誌をよく読んでいるようです。こういう記事を読んでいるということは、野田氏は英語が得意なのでしょう。日本のマスコミは野田氏の語学力についてはあまり触れていませんが、松下政経塾の出身者となれば、英語が出来て当然なのでしょう。
さて、野田氏が自身のブログで紹介している"Turning Japanese"とはどういう記事内容なのかは、野田氏のブログを読めばわかりますが、この記事にかなり衝撃を受けたと書いています。財務大臣として大変有益な記事だったのでしょう。この記事の一部を翻訳するなど、かなり力を入れて紹介しています。
実は私も以前このエコノミストの記事をブログー「日本は反面教師か」で取り上げたことがありますが、今や日本は世界から悪い見本として見られているようです。
この記事の日本語訳はJB Pressに載っているのですが、会員登録をしていない人は、一部しか見れないようです。
A fish called Nodaの記事の中で、Turning Japaneseを読んだ野田氏の感想を次のように書いています。
"I feel very keenly the eyes of the foreign media on our country. And I think a lot of Japanese people feel that things aren not working the way they should . When the time comes, I will put myself forward."
「わが国に対する海外メディアの厳しい視線を強く感じました。そして「やるべき事をやっていない」と多くの国民の方々こそが思っているのではないでしょうか。時機が来れば、私は先頭に立つ覚悟です。」
８月１５日に書かれた野田氏の「私の覚悟」というブログ、Turning Japaneseというエコノミストの記事を読んで大変衝撃を受けたという感想とともに、ここで事実上の代表選への立候補をしたのでしょう。
大げさに言えば、野田佳彦総理大臣が誕生するきっかけを作った記事とも言えるのではないでしょうか。
このかわら版の記事は野田事務所のボランティアの人たちによって、千葉県の主要駅で配布されているようですから、千葉県民のかなりの人たちは、すでにこの記事を目にしているかと思います。
A new leader for Japan
A fish called Noda
Aug 29th 2011
THERE is not a lot that instantly stands out about Yoshihiko Noda, who was chosen in an internal ruling-party election on August 29th to become Japan’s seventh prime minister in only five years. But at least two things can be said for him before he is dismissed as yet another here-today, gone-tomorrow face in some G8 summit's photo: he has a healthy sense of crisis, and a nicely self-deprecating sense of humour.
In mid-August, he wrote a blog post (sorry, Japanese only), referring extensively to our cover story of July 30th, “Turning Japanese”, which is about debt and politics in the West. As Japan’s finance minister, he could have focused on the debt issue alone, but instead he chose to translate—and echo—our lament about Japan’s long-standing political paralysis. “I feel very keenly the eyes of the foreign media on our country. And I think a lot of Japanese people feel that things are not working the way they should.” He added, “When the time comes, I will put myself forward.”
At the time, some people would have shuddered at the thought that such a little known politician—and one closely aligned with that bureaucratic powerhouse, the ministry of finance—might replace the woefully uncharismatic Naoto Kan. But there is at least one thing to be thankful for in today’s victory: Mr Noda sidelined one of the main forces of paralysis in the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Ichiro Ozawa, who continues to head the largest faction within the party though he has been indicted in a money scandal and his party membership is suspended.
Mr Ozawa backed Banri Kaieda, a trade minister who looked increasingly in danger of becoming a puppet for the backroom fixer. But though the first vote put Mr Kaieda in front, thanks to the support of Mr Ozawa’s cronies, it was not enough to win him an outright victory. In the run-off, Mr Noda’s supporters joined forces with those of Seiji Maehara, another anti-Ozawa candidate who lost in the first round (and whom we had thought would be the front-runner, because of his support among the electorate at large). Mr Noda won with 215 votes to Mr Kaieda’s 177. It is the second time this year—the first was a no-confidence vote against Mr Kan in June—that Mr Ozawa has failed to impose his will on the party, though that is not to say that he will stop making mischief for the new leader.
Mr Maehara’s performance, at first glance, was disappointing. The pro-America former foreign minister could have used his popularity among the ordinary electorate to galvanise people’s interest in politics after so many weak prime ministers. But he failed to excite his fellow lawmakers and has had funding irregularities of his own, which he admitted during a weekend of campaigning. There is some gossip that he and Mr Noda, who was his senior at the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management when they both studied politics, may have struck a deal to defeat Mr Ozawa and his allies. If true, that would make his defeat look less embarrassing.
But Mr Noda deserves credit, as much as anything, for outshining his rivals in an impassioned 15-minute speech just before voting began. In it he told a very human story about how he had come from nowhere (well, the eastern prefecture of Chiba in fact, but that, to many Tokyoites, is the same), without political connections, and how he stumped on the streets for days at a time trying to drum up political support.
Deftly, he drew attention to what some people regard as his weakest point—that he does not look like a prime minister. “There is no point in a loach trying to mimic a goldfish,” he said, comparing himself to the whiskered, mud-dwelling fish. He then promised, in a loose translation, to “stink like mud” in trying to push the country forward. Neither did he flinch from warning the Japanese that they may have to shoulder a heavier burden (ie, pay higher taxes) because of the nation’s budgetary and debt problems.
These were nice touches, especially after Mr Kaeida’s empty rhetoric. It is hard to get excited, however. A few weeks ago, Mr Noda entangled himself in what could potentially be a point of tension with neighbouring South Korea when he reiterated his long-held view that Japan’s war criminals are not actually criminals. And he has done a less-than-spectacular job as finance minister, though he has been a steady one. The problems he faces are mostly the same as those faced by Mr Kan: the need to clear up a huge natural and nuclear disaster with only a split party, a divided parliament, and no common idea of what the priorities should be. It is a relief to see that he has a flair for oratory. But what he most urgently needs to do is to make the rest of Japan’s political class shut up and get to work.
(Economist 2011/08/29)
今までほとんど知名度のなかった野田首相だが、あのドジョウ発言で一躍、日本のみならず、海外からも注目されるようになってきた。
イギリスの経済誌エコノミストはかなり精力的に野田氏のことを記事にしています。８月２９日号では、A fish called Nodaという記事を載せています。A fish called Nodaとは「ドジョウ総理」のことを言っているようです。
この記事の中で、野田氏がエコノミストのある記事を読んで衝撃を受けたことが書かれています。恐らく、野田氏はエコノミストを定期購読しているのでしょう。この雑誌から様々な情報を収集しているようです。
野田氏が衝撃を受けたのは、Turning Japanese 「日本化する欧米諸国」という記事です。この記事が載ったときの表紙のイラストもかなり強烈なインパクトがありました。
これがそのイラストです。
野田氏は自身のブログー野田よしひこ かわら版「私の覚悟」でエコノミストの記事のことをかなり詳しく取り上げていました。
このブログを書いたときは、財務大臣でしたが、さすが経済通のことだけあり、外国の経済誌をよく読んでいるようです。こういう記事を読んでいるということは、野田氏は英語が得意なのでしょう。日本のマスコミは野田氏の語学力についてはあまり触れていませんが、松下政経塾の出身者となれば、英語が出来て当然なのでしょう。
さて、野田氏が自身のブログで紹介している"Turning Japanese"とはどういう記事内容なのかは、野田氏のブログを読めばわかりますが、この記事にかなり衝撃を受けたと書いています。財務大臣として大変有益な記事だったのでしょう。この記事の一部を翻訳するなど、かなり力を入れて紹介しています。
実は私も以前このエコノミストの記事をブログー「日本は反面教師か」で取り上げたことがありますが、今や日本は世界から悪い見本として見られているようです。
この記事の日本語訳はJB Pressに載っているのですが、会員登録をしていない人は、一部しか見れないようです。
A fish called Nodaの記事の中で、Turning Japaneseを読んだ野田氏の感想を次のように書いています。
"I feel very keenly the eyes of the foreign media on our country. And I think a lot of Japanese people feel that things aren not working the way they should . When the time comes, I will put myself forward."
「わが国に対する海外メディアの厳しい視線を強く感じました。そして「やるべき事をやっていない」と多くの国民の方々こそが思っているのではないでしょうか。時機が来れば、私は先頭に立つ覚悟です。」
８月１５日に書かれた野田氏の「私の覚悟」というブログ、Turning Japaneseというエコノミストの記事を読んで大変衝撃を受けたという感想とともに、ここで事実上の代表選への立候補をしたのでしょう。
大げさに言えば、野田佳彦総理大臣が誕生するきっかけを作った記事とも言えるのではないでしょうか。
このかわら版の記事は野田事務所のボランティアの人たちによって、千葉県の主要駅で配布されているようですから、千葉県民のかなりの人たちは、すでにこの記事を目にしているかと思います。
A new leader for Japan
A fish called Noda
Aug 29th 2011
THERE is not a lot that instantly stands out about Yoshihiko Noda, who was chosen in an internal ruling-party election on August 29th to become Japan’s seventh prime minister in only five years. But at least two things can be said for him before he is dismissed as yet another here-today, gone-tomorrow face in some G8 summit's photo: he has a healthy sense of crisis, and a nicely self-deprecating sense of humour.
In mid-August, he wrote a blog post (sorry, Japanese only), referring extensively to our cover story of July 30th, “Turning Japanese”, which is about debt and politics in the West. As Japan’s finance minister, he could have focused on the debt issue alone, but instead he chose to translate—and echo—our lament about Japan’s long-standing political paralysis. “I feel very keenly the eyes of the foreign media on our country. And I think a lot of Japanese people feel that things are not working the way they should.” He added, “When the time comes, I will put myself forward.”
At the time, some people would have shuddered at the thought that such a little known politician—and one closely aligned with that bureaucratic powerhouse, the ministry of finance—might replace the woefully uncharismatic Naoto Kan. But there is at least one thing to be thankful for in today’s victory: Mr Noda sidelined one of the main forces of paralysis in the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Ichiro Ozawa, who continues to head the largest faction within the party though he has been indicted in a money scandal and his party membership is suspended.
Mr Ozawa backed Banri Kaieda, a trade minister who looked increasingly in danger of becoming a puppet for the backroom fixer. But though the first vote put Mr Kaieda in front, thanks to the support of Mr Ozawa’s cronies, it was not enough to win him an outright victory. In the run-off, Mr Noda’s supporters joined forces with those of Seiji Maehara, another anti-Ozawa candidate who lost in the first round (and whom we had thought would be the front-runner, because of his support among the electorate at large). Mr Noda won with 215 votes to Mr Kaieda’s 177. It is the second time this year—the first was a no-confidence vote against Mr Kan in June—that Mr Ozawa has failed to impose his will on the party, though that is not to say that he will stop making mischief for the new leader.
Mr Maehara’s performance, at first glance, was disappointing. The pro-America former foreign minister could have used his popularity among the ordinary electorate to galvanise people’s interest in politics after so many weak prime ministers. But he failed to excite his fellow lawmakers and has had funding irregularities of his own, which he admitted during a weekend of campaigning. There is some gossip that he and Mr Noda, who was his senior at the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management when they both studied politics, may have struck a deal to defeat Mr Ozawa and his allies. If true, that would make his defeat look less embarrassing.
But Mr Noda deserves credit, as much as anything, for outshining his rivals in an impassioned 15-minute speech just before voting began. In it he told a very human story about how he had come from nowhere (well, the eastern prefecture of Chiba in fact, but that, to many Tokyoites, is the same), without political connections, and how he stumped on the streets for days at a time trying to drum up political support.
Deftly, he drew attention to what some people regard as his weakest point—that he does not look like a prime minister. “There is no point in a loach trying to mimic a goldfish,” he said, comparing himself to the whiskered, mud-dwelling fish. He then promised, in a loose translation, to “stink like mud” in trying to push the country forward. Neither did he flinch from warning the Japanese that they may have to shoulder a heavier burden (ie, pay higher taxes) because of the nation’s budgetary and debt problems.
These were nice touches, especially after Mr Kaeida’s empty rhetoric. It is hard to get excited, however. A few weeks ago, Mr Noda entangled himself in what could potentially be a point of tension with neighbouring South Korea when he reiterated his long-held view that Japan’s war criminals are not actually criminals. And he has done a less-than-spectacular job as finance minister, though he has been a steady one. The problems he faces are mostly the same as those faced by Mr Kan: the need to clear up a huge natural and nuclear disaster with only a split party, a divided parliament, and no common idea of what the priorities should be. It is a relief to see that he has a flair for oratory. But what he most urgently needs to do is to make the rest of Japan’s political class shut up and get to work.
(Economist 2011/08/29)
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