[War] Japan: "Gearing Up Again"

[Ian Martell]

(ooc: I know... took me forever and not that good, but RL got me for a bit 
there.)

"Gearing Up Again"
Prime Minister Hiroshi Sakai
Japan
January 21st 2013

----

There was very little fanfare to welcome Hiroshi Sakai as the 93rd
Prime
Minister of Japan, or his Cabinet. The usual attestation ceremony was
held
at the palace, and the traditional cabinet photo was taken. This time,
in a
nod to the more conservative nature of the people they served, in
traditional kimono instead of the usual buisness suits.

Then quite simply it was down to buisness.

Hiroshi looked at his cabinet, freshly clothed in buisness attire, they
looked back at him with an expectant eye. He was standing next to a
white
board, with the Cabinet at a long rectangular table infront of him. The
veterans were used to this, the rookies, mostly Independent Clubers,
were
looking to the rest for cues as how to take this. Didn't the Cabinet
have a
round table? It was on the website's photo tour.

"Thank you for indulging me," he said with a bow. "Again," he said to
some
of the older ones who smiled and laughed.

He took the cap off a pen and wrote in percise strokes June 7th 2013
and
next to it, 137 days, and circled it.

"Everyone, this is the life span of this cabinet as it sits today if we
do
our jobs poorly," he said. "Achiba-san, Mori-san, Tsukawa-san and
Deputy
Prime Minister Fujisawa are all up for re-election in the House of
Counsellors that day, and if we do not succeed in visible changes in
the
state of our nation by then, the outlook is bleak."

"Misato," he looked to his Director of Public Affairs.

She nodded and steped forward. "We are still on a downslide in the
polls, we
are still percieved as a weak government at the mercy of the unions and
our
civil service and they are looking to the LDP as being able to provide
strong traditional leadership despite their years of mismanagement."

Misato took a pen and began writing on the board. "However they do
identify
these two strengths. First, they see us as the diplomatic government,
they
are aware of our victories in securing the end of the DPRK's nuclear
weapons
program, the Sino-Japanese trade agreement, and the Russo-Japanese
peace
accord, which they aquate to national strength. The second strength is
related to the first is that they see us as the pro-trade party and the
buisness interests especially would like to see more agreements made,
especially with Russia and a new agreement with China."

She wrote down, diplomacy and trade.

"What they don't like is that we've yet to deliver on any serious
policies
about the declining population and declining workforce."

Hiroshi took over from there.

"As you can see we're strong on our foreign policy portfolio, but are
lagging behind in others. I would like to see that change in the next
137
days."

"While I expect all of you to provide meanigful policy in that time,
our
main focuses will be."

He wrote on the board. "The declining population and workforce," he
said.
"Adding a further amendment to Article 9 to include the Emperor as the
ceremonial head of the JSDF and allowing mutual defence treaties, and
securing a greater level of trade with China."

Hiroshi looked around the room. There were nods from the proper
ministers.
They were all old DPJ hands who had been with him through most of
Yakano's
time as Prime Minister and at least one of Hiroshi's cabinets prior to
the
election. He'd discussed everything with them already.

"That aside, there are two things I also wish to discuss before we move
on
to general buisness. Firstly, barring losses in the House of
Councilor's
election, this Cabinet will remain as it is for the duration of this
government unless any of you resign for personal reasons or there is no
alternative but to ask for it. The cabinet room door does not revolve,
and I
will work hard to keep you here. What I ask in return is the same
efforts on
your part, and for those of you in the DPJ to help me with my petition
to
change the length the DPJ party president serves, from two years to
four
years in order to give some continuity to government often missing in
our
politics."

They nodded approvingly.

"Second I am asking you to join me in a little display of concern for
Japan's ecconomic situation and for the Japanese salaryman. I intend to
reduce my salary to the 4,235,000 Yen, (36,000ish or so USD) the
current
average yearly income. I hope you will all join me in this."

They nodded, perhaps a little less approvingly.

Hiroshi bowed. "Thank you," he said. "Now, Minister Achiba, would you
like
to tell us about your ministy's plan for the workforce problems."

Actions:
1> Introduce (finally) the 2013 Japanese gov't.
2> PM and Cabinet publicy reduce their salaries for the duration of the
gov't to 36,000USD the average income for a Japanese citizen.

_________________________________________________________________
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