[War] Japan: "Settling it on the Links" [Repost]

[Ian Martell]

ooc: Think I finally got these posts to format correctly. PS Chris, will 
reply tonight re: JP

"Settling it on the Links"
Japan
July 3rd 2014
--------------------------

While the Japanese civil service had downgraded their job action from a full 
on national strike to rotating strikes throughout the country, it was still 
embarrassing and terribly inconvenient for the Sato government, so it was 
decided in the last Cabinet meeting before everyone disappeared for a little 
bit of vacation, that it was time to throw in the towel.

However, the Cabinet wasn't willing to cave entirely; the cabinet had its 
pride after all and being Japan, the matter wouldn't be offered at the 
negotiating table without first having a sense of the other side's position.

Kenzo Shimada the Cabinet Secretary strolled up to the tee and set down his 
ball before taking a deep cleansing breath and visualizing a nice clean shot 
going down the length of the fairway and landing in the hole. Then with no 
other forethought swung cleanly and followed through. Reality as it turned 
out was not quite so kind as his visualization, but he nodded in 
satisfaction as he saw his ball skip once on the green a roll to a stop 
within a meter of the hole.

Hideki Nomiya a senior bureaucrat from the Cabinet office, and Shimada's 
opponent on the links smiled and nodded approvingly. "Good shot, Kenzo!" he 
applauded. The despite Shimada being a new appointee to the Cabinet 
Secretary's post, Shimada and Nomiya had, like most senior politicians and 
bureaucrats had grown up in the same environment, attending the same Tokyo 
high school, two years apart, and both graduating with high marks from Tokyo 
University and spent most of their lives moving in the same social circles. 
As such they were friends before they had even met professionally.

Shimada smiled. "I'd have liked it better a meter to the left," he joked 
mildly.

Nomiya chuckled as Shimada cleared the tee for the bureaucrat to take his 
shot. Nomiya's stile was more kinetic, as he took a couple of slow practice 
swings that stopped at the ball before he let fly, his ball fell short of 
the green but no by much, and the two men went back to their clubs, carried 
by their caddies.

"So, Hideki, I might have some good news," Shimada brought up as he handed 
his club to his caddie and walked with his friend towards their cart.

"Oh?" asked Nomiya.

"The Cabinet has decided this is the time to push for removal of Article 9 
from the constitution, as such we are concerned about government unity, and 
this strike, and so we are willing to make an offer we feel could end it in 
an amicable way."

Nomiya nodded. "What sort of offer?" he asked not quite keeping the 
skepticism out of his voice, he knew that Prime Minister Sato was furious 
with the situation and wasn't likely to make an offer worth hearing until he 
calmed himself.
"We cannot of course entirely scrap the review, but what we're offering will 
take the threat out of it."

Nomiya nodded and Shimada continued. "We'll turn the review over to the 
civil service in its entirety. You can decide how long to take, and who will 
perform the review, and in return we promise no more cut-backs than you 
yourselves propose."

"And if we propose none?" asked Nomiya.

"There must be cut-backs Hideki," Shimada says. "You know it would be 
foolish to leave the Civil Service as it is when our population is 
shrinking."

Nomiya made a non-committal noise.

"Then if we refuse this offer?" Nomiya as the pair reached the cart.

"Then the Cabinet will make the cuts themselves," Shimada replied. "With 
outside consultation."

Nomiya chewed the inside of his cheek. "How long until you make this offer 
at the table?"

"As long as two weeks," replied Shimada.

"I see," replied Nomiya thoughtfully. "Perhaps we can have lunch in a week 
or so, to discuss this?"

Shimada nodded. "Of course, I will be at my home outside Nagano, I'll 
arrange for you to come up; there is this new hot spring spa I think you'll 
enjoy."

Actions:

1>	The Cabinet offers the civil service, full control of the review process 
to end the strike, but with the condition that there must be cuts of some 
kind.
2>	Hint at Japan's plans re: Article 9.