Time Top 100 Most Influential – Junichiro Koizumi
Koizumi Junichiro is the Prime Minister of Japan. He is also on the list of Time 100 Most Influential People.
I remember when Koizumi first appeared as a front runner for Prime Minister in Japan. Nobody thought he would make it.
The old Japanese proverb comes to mind – the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.’
Koizumi ALWAYS stuck out. He still does. And, now that is what his charm is.
He is called the “Lionheart” because of his hairdo and because of his desire to change how things are done.
He has made changes – privatized the post office, for one – and he has ruffled some serious feathers – this time overseas by continually honoring the Japanese war dead, including war criminals at Yasukuni Shrine.
What the Japanese did in Eastern Asia during WWII was horrific. But, I am not quite sure the rest of the world gets what ‘honor’ means to the Japanese. It is more like ‘remember’ for good and for bad. When the PM goes to the graveyard, he is not exalting the war criminals, but remembering what it was they did.
Is there a problem with that?
In any event Koizumi’s actions cause reactions – sometimes good and sometimes bad.
And the, hammer keeps missing this nail that is sticking out.
He will step down later this year.
I remember when Koizumi first appeared as a front runner for Prime Minister in Japan. Nobody thought he would make it.
The old Japanese proverb comes to mind – the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.’
Koizumi ALWAYS stuck out. He still does. And, now that is what his charm is.
He is called the “Lionheart” because of his hairdo and because of his desire to change how things are done.
He has made changes – privatized the post office, for one – and he has ruffled some serious feathers – this time overseas by continually honoring the Japanese war dead, including war criminals at Yasukuni Shrine.
What the Japanese did in Eastern Asia during WWII was horrific. But, I am not quite sure the rest of the world gets what ‘honor’ means to the Japanese. It is more like ‘remember’ for good and for bad. When the PM goes to the graveyard, he is not exalting the war criminals, but remembering what it was they did.
Is there a problem with that?
In any event Koizumi’s actions cause reactions – sometimes good and sometimes bad.
And the, hammer keeps missing this nail that is sticking out.
He will step down later this year.
Originally posted 2008-10-05 22:40:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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