2003.09.24

Japan-DPRK (Kyodo)   NGG commentary: Japan's Foreign Ministry, desperate to regain what little standing and credibility it had among politicians, bureaucrats and the public, now has a vice foreign minister this evening leaking to the Gaimusho kisha club that Pyongyang is "studying" a proposal it sent to North Korea. Rather than giving us real news from this disaster of a ministry, the kisha club reporters merely parrot what these vice foreign ministers dole out. The fact that delicate negotiations are left in the hands of such a disgraced institution and its spineless bureaucrats has been noted by some of the other ministers in the Cabinet.  U.S. President Truman's sarcastic quip about the "boys in the striped pants" at the State Department fits perfectly as a label for the Gaimusho professional diplomats who, also, seem to feel foreign policy would run just fine if they could do away with the politicians, the public and the media. Some pundits are puzzled that  Prime Minister Koizumi did not replace Foreign Minister Kawamura in his Monday cabinet shuffle. The reason is that she was slated to give a speech Tuesday at the United Nations. We predict that after the national elections before the end of this year, if Koizumi holds on to power, he will, at that time, bring in a new foreign minister who will truly attempt to reform the ministry and take a harder line with Pyongyang as is the sentiment of the public and the majority of those in government. 2003.09.24

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DPJ-LP Merger   It's official -- the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the Liberal Party (LP) have signed their merger agreement. The parties philosophically have only one thing in common -- ousting the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from power in the national election that will be called before the end of the year. 2003.09.24

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Disney-Japan (Hollywood Reporter)   Disney is to shutter its Japan animation unit. 2003.09.24

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Grand Canyon Crash (AP)   In the Grand Canyon tourist chopper crash in which three Japanese died (including the pilot), among others, it appears that the helicopter's rotor blade hit the side of a cliff. 2003.09.24

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U.N-Japan (Kyodo)   Japanese Foreign Minister Kawaguchi devotes her speech at the United Nations to a soft attack on North Korea. 2003.09.24

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Okinawa-Marine Rape Case (Stars & Stripes)   Judges in the case of a U.S. Marine on trial for rape examine the scene of the alleged crime in Okinawa. 2003.09.24

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Japan-Child Abuse (Japan Times)   Child abuse cases at record high in Japan. 2003.09.24

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Tokyo loses patience with Pyongyang. Tokyo loses patience with Pyongyang "Enough is enough", concluded the Japanese government last week, announcing that it would take its grievances with the erratic regime in Pyongyang to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. NK has stated it will not accept having any disputes being taken to the UN, hattip tfisb [The Agonist] 2003.09.24

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