Is Japan’s Government on the Brink of Collapse?

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The Japanese government, led by PM Fumio Kishida, is embroiled in a financial scandal involving underreported ticket sales. As the scandal continues to unfold, Kishida's political future remains uncertain, with public dissatisfaction already rising. In this video, we take a look at what's going on in Japan, and whether this is the end for Kishida and his government.
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1 - time.com/6344573/fumio-kishid...
1 - www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15...
2 - www.japantimes.co.jp/news/202...
2 - asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japa...
3 - www.japantimes.co.jp/news/202...
4 - japantoday.com/category/polit...
4 - www.reuters.com/world/asia-pa...
5 - www.asahi.com/articles/ASRDC6...
6 - www.japantimes.co.jp/news/202...
6 - www.reuters.com/world/asia-pa...
7 - www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15...
8 - asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japa...
9 - www.sankei.com/article/202312...
9 - www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ne...
10 - www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15...
11 - asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Defe...
11 - www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...
12 - www.sankei.com/article/202312...
13 - www.sankei.com/article/202312...
14 - mainichi.jp/english/articles/...
15 - www.nhk.or.jp/senkyo/shijiritsu/
15 - oohamazaki/status...
15 - www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/2023...
16 - apnews.com/article/japan-kish...
17 - time.com/6094995/japan-prime-...
18 - www.nhk.or.jp/senkyo/shijiritsu/
00:00 - Introduction
00:58 - The Scandal Explained
03:04 - Kishida's Reaction
04:48 - Will It Bring Down Kishida?
08:06 - Sponsored Content

[@KatInHerKat]

1:40 As an American, hearing that $1.5M is considered a substantial amount for political fundraising is jaw-dropping. It really puts into perspective how much of our politics here are intertwined with moneyed interests in an open, unobscured way.

[@therealzizmon1748]

Maybe that's because the US is much richer and everything is more expensive in the US?

[@AntiNazi1945]

@therealzizmon1748 No, it says the US is more corrupt than you think,

[@bakedtatochips2728]

@@therealzizmon1748 Jesus I just googled it and the GDP of the US is 5 times more than JP. Even with that in perspective however I still believe we spend way too much on campaign funds, though there's probably an explanation besides of course the obvious money pocketing for certain groups/people.

[@KamiInValhalla]

​@@therealzizmon1748 No billions in politics is never a good thing

[@Emerald_Forge]

​@@therealzizmon1748 Japan's gdp is only about a 7th of the USAs, obviously gdp isn't the best measurement ij this case but it's rough enough. Considering a hundred+ million or even billions dollars is a frequently brought up and changed hands whe corruption is brought up, 1.5 mil is very low.

[@rbm2337]

6:08 It’s impressive that he could say 202012 without realizing how wrong it sounds.

[@thatoneguy7191]

I get the feeling that they’re running on autopilot half the time because of the pace at which they make content. Slow down fellas! 🤣

[@BiggestCorvid]

​@@thatoneguy7191to be fair, they are already late, purge happened between shooting and posting

[@jiffy17]

Had to rewind to make sure I wasn’t crazy

[@IIITheDeadGamerIII]

But it SOUNDS so right! 202012. Like, I know what he means but still, it sounds correct to say it like that! (I Know it's wrong, but that's how I'm saying years now).

[@user-kk4sj4ih3e]

Good luck to the LDP party trying to cling to power all the way to 202012

[@ORO323]

I’ve lost count as to how many governments are failing or are close to collapse.

[@Pyxlean]

Don't worry, this is completely normal for the LDP

[@silveriver9]

Every 2 years a new leader.

[@asdv-gm4yy]

Russia's government and China's government are unshakable and the people there are happy. The world should look and learn

[@Joe13313]

It's been going on since Shinzo Abe resigned again in 2020 due to health issues, I expect Nobuchiyo Abe running for the LDP Leadership. and I refuse to associate the Name Kishi to the Abe family because Kishi is the war criminal!

[@tbk2010]

In a healthy democracy that is not ncessarily an issue. There are laws on what happens if a government is no longer able or willing to function, and if the the population is overwhelmingly in favor of the democratic process itself, they will be followed. It may be a bit of a scuffle, but it's far from the end of the world. The real trouble begins if the population looses trust in deomcracy itself or the constitution is so badly designed that the scuffle does not end.

[@ouwejongen7526]

I swear every few times I see this channel it's like every government in the world is about to collapse

[@justinjames8706]

Government as in the people in them get voted out not necessarily Japan itself

[@ToneyCrimson]

I was thinking the same thing lol.

[@user-eq8uj8rs8n]

Negative things bring more attention on social media

[@Blueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

Yeah this channel is stressful. Negative news gets more views. I suggest not binging this lol

[@chengmunwai]

Nothing wrong with people in power losing said power. Unless you are one of those among them or you have vested interest.

[@Paranoid_Found]

When a party cannot lose power no matter what, the accountability of the political system is questionable.

[@Hjernespreng]

True, but it's more complicated than that. The LDP is basically a congress unto ITSELF, containing a wider spectrum of politics. The reasons things ended up like that are complicated and annoying, but essentially it means that voters of the party are basically voting for *factions* inside the party itself, and getting off the ground with an independent party (and succeeding) is really difficult for the hinted complicated reasons.

[@user-saraswatidevi]

Japan is a dictatorship the ldp is controlled by the American colonialists the japanese must fight for freedom

[@KangaKucha]

In my opinion, this is where communism works. Have just 1 party as it divides into factions as all large parties do.

[@eruno_]

LDP often replaces their politicians when old ones get caught in the scandals. So saying that they don't face consequences is just inaccurate.

[@Pyxlean]

@@KangaKucha The problem with communism is that the factions within the Communist Party don't have a lot of freedom when it comes to ideological differences. They all have to usually follow one doctrine. There can't be a more pro-capitalist faction in a communist party for example, that obviously wouldn't be allowed. Edit: The way the political system was set up in Communist countries in Eastern Europe and Communist countries existing today, allows for dictators to easily seize power, Stalin and Mao are great examples here, there aren't enough checks and balances to prevent one person from taking all the power for himself.

[@misterx1342]

I find it so odd that Japan has had ruled by one single party almost since the end of WW2

[@JuanDeLaRosaTV]

@@thatcatayata6779everything people needed according to who? People need a home, food, internet, and a comfortable life. Does Japan provide this? Yes. This news is important but not that important

[@newstation795]

@@JuanDeLaRosaTVa joke it is

[@stevenhenry5267]

Elective authoritarianism

[@thastayapongsak4422]

​@@thatcatayata6779providing what people need should be a bare minimum for a decent political party. A great party is one that provides what people need AND want.

[@potato_nugget]

Because just like the US and UK, japan uses the first past the post system, which doesn't allow any real competition. The difference is that they went an extra step of making a broad coalition party that's has so many members that it's just always garunteed to win, and finally, young people don't vote. Ever. People in their 60s have a turnout around 75%, whereas people in their 20s have a turnout around 30%. So the party only needs to focus on the voters that matter and they're garunteed to win

[@Adyen11234]

Kishida's purge is probably to prepare for a new leader. It's a smart move and will cement Kishida's reputation as someone who removed corruption for his successor and protect his own future... at least, it would if that's what he's planning to do.

[@stevencontreras84]

He is a politician lmao. Ofc he is doing this to save his ass 😂

[@farhanatashiga3721]

He denny having meetings with unification church leaders even in the face of a prominent church spokesperson confirming as such. If you still have delusions of him actually being a competent leader you're better off tossing those delusions out of the window sooner rather than later.

[@ayoCC]

People should be demanding legislation to strengthen anti corruption so that the courts have more power to do something against this.

[@nvizible]

Bruh hes just another crony in Japans like 50+ year one party dictatorship. No corruption is being purged period, just integrated and legalized.

[@asscheeks3212]

People forgot Xi existed to get rid of corruption in the CCP as well, Mexico also got rid of its one party rule, but it just makes Mexico even worse. It makes me question if democracies are effective at all. We seen Libya, Afghanistan, ans Iraq all failing with American influence

[@kuboo8356]

Unfortunately, a change in government from the LDP is unlikely to happen unless there is a significant impact on daily life. Most people in Japan are not interested in politics and have no expectations from it. The young have already given up on politics. Even those interested in politics think that voting is futile because the LDP, which is in coalition with the Komeito Party, has strong support from the economic sector, and Komeito, a religious party, has the votes of its followers. Opposition parties are burdened with baseless negative images, and this leads most of the public not to support them, nor are they interested enough to learn about their policies. Political scandals might capture public attention momentarily, but like previous scandals, they are soon forgotten, and people do not take any action. The future of this country is bleak.

[@valorzinski7423]

The CIA also cracked down real hard on the Japanese communist party since the end of ww2 till present day

[@tauceti8060]

It happened in 2009 I think so its not impossible

[@kingmasterfilip2965]

​@@tauceti8060That was a miracle that happens twice a century, look at the facts, Japanese politics have always been dominated by LDP, and the fact that boomers are majority in Japan means that they will continue to do so indefinitely

[@nny2055]

The reason why LDP has been able to stay in the ruling party for a long time is because it has a good organizational election and has chosen Komeito as a coalition. They have created support organizations such as "KOUENKAI" and have created mechanisms to win elections. Several opposition parties have joined the coalition government or seized power, but each time they do not last long because they cannot run the government. They simply don't know how to do it. The LDP's remaining in the ruling party is, of course, unhealthy. And while the public is not satisfied with the LDP, they also see that the other opposition parties, which talk only about ideals, are not really capable. The problem with Japan's national politics is that there is no opposition party capable of holding a parliamentary debate on realistic and constructive legislation. Or that there is no party with an eye on running the government. The former Democratic Party of Japan and left-wing parties have not different much in their policies other than national security, roughly saying... They are critical of LDP anyway. They are comfortable with the righteous opposition. Personally, I think it would be best for the two parties, the National Democratic Party or the ISHIN Party, to increase the number of seats in the Diet and end the LDP system. We can see a lot of problem with LDP. But we can't see good alternative. The essence of the problem is that the opposition parties have been pretending to be righteous politics all along. Sorry for my shitty half ass baked engurishu. thanks.

[@alexlehrersh9951]

Nope Japan is one of the best countries and stays a t the top of the peopel dont betray their culture

[@BionikleFG]

It is crazy how the assassin of Shinzo Abe caused condemnation of Shinzo Abe rather than his killing.

[@vanhoras3082]

Japan has a strong victim blaming culture.

[@max3446]

@@vanhoras3082 That's incredibly reductionist. It's not that people are blaming Abe for his own death, it's just that his death brought to light the very strong links between Abe and other senior LDP politicians to a very sketchy religious organisation. Why is it 'victim blaming' to discuss that?

[@Adam-326]

Beyond all of the corruption that Shinzo was involved in, when people die, you tend to see the waves of criticism form and grow.

[@vanhoras3082]

@@max3446 True it's reductionist, but the point is that people are looking into those links in part, because they are looking for a reason for his death. In western countries the instinct would be more to send thoughts and prayers and to honour the dead. Criticism post death tends to be seen more in poor taste.

[@rushatyadav9135]

Did you even look at the reason or did you just assume?

[@20quid]

The idea of formalised party factions split on ideological lines is just silly. They should just be their own party's operating independently.

[@icouldntthinkofaname379]

That's the nature of the LDP. It was the marriage of multiple political parties into one anti-communist umbrella in 1955. The main ones being Shigeru Yoshida's Liberal Party and Ichiro Hatoyama's Democratic Party. The LDP almost broke apart multiple times in the 60s and 70s but was held together by a new system created by Kakuei Tanaka. The existence of the factions and these ridiculous ways of raising money is a necessary compromise to keep the LDP functional, and every member of the LDP profits from the consistency (or stagnation) of politics. This has been a problem for literal decades. It caused Ichiro Ozawa to split from the LDP back in *1993* and very little has fundamentally changed. I highly recommend you read Shadow Shoguns by Jacob M. Schlesinger. It's older (from around 2000 I believe) but it covers the birth of Japan's true political machine and it's very good. Gives you a lense on the inner workings of the LDP.

[@paranoidrodent]

Japan borders on being a de facto one-party state. The LDP has been that dominant since the end of WW2. These formal factions are de facto parties within a larger ruling coalition.

[@dashiellgillingham4579]

Japan is a one-party governing system in which one can only receive the training needed to even contact the proper people to administer the state if one joins the LDP. As a result, people who want to govern join the party, and form internal factions to perform the same role parties do in multi-party systems.

[@rizkyadiyanto7922]

@@paranoidrodent so japan is de facto one party state... and de facto multy party state.

[@petergray2712]

Dutch journalist Karel von Wolferen once wrote that just as the Holy Roman Empire was Holy, Roman, or an empire, the Liberal Democratic Party isn't Liberal, Democratic, or even a political party. Rather, it is an authoritarian, conservative patronage machine established in 1955 by Japanese politicians linked to the old land holding and industrial elite that supported the expansion of the Japanese empire during WW2. The LDP has its base mainly among rural and suburban voters that receive generous subsidies for their support, and the party has maintained its majority status thanks to a lopsided electoral system that weighs the votes of rural voters more than urban voters. Aside from a few months in 2012, the LDP has ruled in the majority continuously since its founding. The party's success has also been abetted by other conservative and even far right religious and nationalist parties that align with them on spending allocations and ideology. They are the Energizer Bunny of political organizations.

[@davidray6962]

I feel it's important to note this huge scandal over public corruption is over an amount of money which would amount to a rounding error for the amounts American, European or Australian politicians regularly pocket. This literally wouldn't even make the news in most countries.

[@OriginalPiMan]

It's on the same scale as got George Santos booted from Congress.

[@captainbritish3385]

That’s what happens when one party is in charge for to long

[@silveriver9]

Nothing gets done when parties keep changing every 4 years 🤦‍♂️. Hardly any change in UK in the last 2 decades.

[@scoopityboop]

@@silveriver9wtf are you talking about? I think you’re confusing having different Prime Ministers with having different parties in charge, there has hardly been multiple changes in political parties in the UK in the past 20 years. The first half was Labour and the other half was Conservative.

[@GamerCracked]

@@silveriver9 Not shit nothing gets done when the tories have 12 years of uninterrupted power.

[@scoopityboop]

Oh wait the 4 years mean they’re talking about the US not the UK. Which is also not entirely an apt comparison considering the US uses a presidential system where the head of government can belong to a different party than the party that controls the legislature, while Japan uses a parliamentary system. So how much is it because of multiparty democracy or just the way that multiparty democracy is structured?

[@dahut_]

This is happening everywhere. The corruption is all things considered pretty minor. The LDP ruled rather well over the years, with the hands they got dealt.

[@alt_zaq1_esc]

LDP fractions used to be parties within a party when the polling system was 1st to Nth past the post (ie. multiple MPs in single constituence). In those days, fractions with diverse political spectrum were backstabbing each other and there were ruling fraction and opposition fraction in a single party. Things changed since 1996 when the polling was reformed to first past the post with listed PR. Abe's fraction became the sole ruler and decline in infighting made LDP a party of one party state. Other non-LDP oppositions seemingly became parasites to LDP by winning anti-LDP votes to enjoy MP privileges...

[@gabopr]

Super interesting. Do you have any recommend reading regarding this history?

[@stephenkramer7157]

I never know the LDP had been in power since 202012---B.C.E, presumably. I always knew Japanese politics were pretty static, but for one party to be in power for 204,035 year? Truly a surprise.

[@ciello___8307]

The ldp has a lot of financial support from the us as well…

[@Clone683]

This kind of corruption always happens when one party has been in power for too long

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

Yes, Tories The Australian liberal party Both will along with the LDP be in corruption

[@Ernest0220]

LDP: (public dissatisfaction and low approval rate) Japanese: f the government. we need a systemic change : so who will you vote for in the next election Japanese: no i'm not voting : then what are you gonna do to achieve political reform? Japanese: (has left the chat)

[@yuyoshida7359]

Unfortunately every prominent party in the country is terrible, the only half-decent one was the LDP, and now it’s doing terribly

[@Sasha.Sanguine]

Basically the reason any conservative party ever wins (plus voter suppression).

[@andrewjones-productions]

Yep! That is the problem. An electorate that is indifferent as well as a very shrewd LDP that have learnt how to influence voters at the local level, ensuring their grip on government. This strategy has only failed a couple of times or so in the entire post WWII era. Typically when the LDP have just one scandal too many involving large sums of money that come to light in quick fire succession meaning that even the dimmest and most gullible of voters cannot ignore it and more importantly, don't have enough time to forget about it.

[@wbeliteofficial_01]

202012 my favourite year lol 6:09

[@kuukeli]

thank you for the video

[@byakuya98]

In between the premierships of Junichi Koizumi and Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Misnisters often only last for a year or so. Would not be surprised of Kishida’s resignation due to a scandal.

[@RegalPremium]

TIL: Kishida's party was elected in 202012

[@Supermunch2000]

Amazing! TL;DR News has adopted manga/anime years in their news from 🗾

[@michaelbeholder]

My favorite news source. I love your voice.

[@Zenzen-jw9rr]

These sums are just hilarious. I mean, it’s just pocket money at that stage. ¥40M is $270k 😂

[@duckduck4073]

Was about to say. The fact they kept the initial sums in yen is saying something.

[@stuartbh8165]

I think it's worth noting that Japanese PMs are historically very short lived. Kushida has already had a very healthy lifespan compared to most predecessors other than Abe, so if he was to leave imminently it really wouldn't be an outlier whatsoever. Not to diminish the importance of the current scandal, but a PM leaving after over 2 years is already better than most.

[@Alepfi5599]

In 202012, damn, the Japanese are truly ahead.

[@RoninofRamen]

Could he have meant December 2020?

[@BradPrichard]

500 million yen seems so quaint compared to American corruption.

[@mcboat3467]

GOP is fully paid by the Big fossil and democrats by wall street

[@joemiller947]

This is because Japan is essentially a one-party state that has stacked the deck against other parties. Generally, the kind of corruption that exists as a result of paying politicians for favours doesn't really exist, because that isn't necessary. Essentially, Japanese politics is more about cronyism, however this cronyism is much more pervasive and disastrous for Japan than the corruption in the United States.

[@asscheeks3212]

​@joemiller947 seeing how the USA'S democracy effected Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan, I think I rather prefer Japan's one party state then USA'S democracy. Mexico got rid of its One party system for the USA'S style democracy.... worse mistake they ever did. Mexico was better under the one party state, gringos keep pushing democracy everywhere

[@joemiller947]

@@asscheeks3212 In what way is Mexico better off now that the PRI has to compete in elections? The PRI was in cahoots with cartels and American industrialists.

[@asscheeks3212]

@@joemiller947 the PRI leans where ever it WANTS to lean, it's neither Conservative, Capitalist, or Communist, but can be either three to suit their people. It can be pro China, pro Europe, pro Russia, and Pro USA all at once for a SAFER status quo.

[@carstengrooten3686]

There were mistakes in the video again... 6:06 did he say 202012? That will be almost 200,000 years in the future 7:21 Jack says 1994, but the video shows 1996.

[@thewideawake1]

Jack said 1994 because the LDP returned to the government that year, although as a junior coalition partner between 1994 to 1996.

[@thematthew761]

I think he meant to say that he entered in 2012 and resigned in 2020

[@ASocialistTransGirl]

6:06 202012? TLDR news is time travellers confirmed

[@Soccerkiller86]

Can you guys please do a video on China's recent incursion in to Bhutan? I have tried to look into it but there isn't any concrete report on the reason behind it and what it would mean for the south east asian dynamics and security. As always great video!!!

[@cmecoo3109]

The year 202012 was a big one for Japanese politics, honestly surprised the events weren't talked about more here in the west

[@jogo798]

The main problem in japan is that the voter turnout is very low.

[@nnkk7742]

Sounds like the main problem is a broken system and corruption.

[@UltraVega924]

When I lived in Japan, I always preferred the LDP. Not because they’re great, but because the other smaller parties always seem too ideological and unreliable. Japan is a conservative society, so that kind of change is uncomfortable. It’s like the devil you know.

[@rankothefiremage]

the fact that the LDP has been in power so long that it's more about inner party faction politics, is strange

[@synnexLIVE]

6:09 202012? Times does fly indeed

[@mattsomeone610]

6:09 Just find it funny that 202012 is a year. Lol.

[@ThomasSpikes-sg3ye]

Last time i was this early we thought Russia was the second strongest army in world

[@matthewsarson6934]

I really wish people in the UK cared about curruption enough for this sort of thing to bring down our government. Instead i feel like something like this would barely make it into BBC coverage.

[@max3446]

Also in the UK - crazy that my initial reaction to the description of the scandal was 'oh, that's it?..'

[@RoninofRamen]

Yes but that's more to do with the BBC not wanting to draw attention to its own corruption and biases.

[@paul1979uk2000]

When one party dominants so much, that's not good for democracy and it makes you wonder if that's part of the problem Japan has been having over the last few decades. One party system isn't democratic, a two party system kinda is democratic, but grouping so many people into 2 groups isn't very democratic, something we see in the US and UK which are mostly two party systems, it under-represents a lot of the people, which probably explains much of the quality of life issues those two countries have. Voters are of multiple backgrounds and views, it's crazy to think you can group them all into one or two party system and expect it to work well, multi party systems with credible offering are that give voters a lot of choice are the real democracies.

[@HandleToBeDetermined]

The single-party LDP is actually misleading. Within the LDP, candidates can take relatively different views. Some are more conservative, while some more liberal. Majority of the voters will pick candidates from this pool, and rather than picking a party, they pick a representative that best fit their own needs and wants. This is evident by how different the PMs in the past were despite all having the same LDP label, and also why they swap them out so often. Japan does a great job at balancing democracy and societal stability. Multi-party systems can fail if two or more parties come together in agreement and become a majority government. When that happens, all the other smaller parties stands no chance.

[@almighty3946]

It’s 202012 today? Bloody hell I slept a while

[@whooll]

So me being an American, as I'm hearing this story and the conversion rate amounts into dollars, it had me feeling just like ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠⊙⁠_⁠ʖ⁠⊙⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ because I'm so desensitized and used to hearing about much much larger amounts of money that influence our politicians and despite us all being aware of it here and it being actually called out a lot by the media, it really is hard to see a way of stopping it

[@LordKalerran]

Trust me, lobbying happens in Japan to an astronomical degree. It’s just not reported in the media. The Keidanren, the corporations lobby; basically runs Japan and they are the LDP’s puppet masters. The slush fund is just a distraction

[@vedantpatel_10]

As an Indian. $1.5M is so small in politics for me. Just yesterday a random opposition party politician had his residence raided by income tax department and they found $24M in cash💀💀

[@dherekoni8054]

Yes bro even some small MLA now a days has more than $1.5M

[@Tlb.nassim]

You didn’t explain why the unification church is controversial

[@rod9829]

Jack Kelly “He/Him” 😂😂😂

[@robertsparling654]

were the graphics not finished on this video?

[@notusneo]

So Japan is like Singapore, its basically a one party state in practice

[@captainvanisher988]

Not really. Japan holds fair elections, it's just that Japanese people want stability. Unlike Western voters Japanese voters don't flip flop in every election and understand that a decent leading party being in power for long will bring more stability.

[@shaesmith2831]

@@captainvanisher988that’s also the case in Singapore so yeah the op is correct

[@captainvanisher988]

@@shaesmith2831 Singaporean elections are highly debated when it comes to fairness or freedom. Singapore is also partially controlled by China. So no, not really the same. Closer to the UK than Singapore.

[@shaesmith2831]

@@captainvanisher988 yeah that’s a fair point. I would argue Japanese elections are probably a little better than here tho just because of how undemocratic FPTP is. But that’s an electoral system problem rather than political repression like Singapore.

[@akinigiri]

Funny thing is Kishida "Spectacled Tax Raising Shit" (how he is commonly referred to recently by the public) only decided to sack those involved after people got furious that he intended to keep them in the government....

[@random-username5]

@ouwejongen7526 raises an interesting point, I dare the guys at TLDR to do a "the Singaporean government is collapsing" video

[@larkwinth_real]

Most fax comment

[@ASoundscapeofOurOwn]

I don't understand why there was no information about what the Unification church is? That would have been really useful in this video...

[@lilwater7358]

5:32 this makes me angry make it symetrical!

[@ilhamrj2599]

It is Japan they would still vote the same way 😂. Japanese would still vote the same party, thus voting the same party all over gain. However, the internal faction thing within ruling party is always the most interesting thing about Japanese government. Thus, purging "traitors" within ruling party is a real thing in Japanese politics.

[@andrewjones-productions]

The Japanese Government, which is almost always the LDP in coalition with Komei, runs into these kinds of scandals with a regularity that is better than UK trains. Whilst it is true that there are those amongst the electorate that are displeased, some even angry, the Japanese population is largely indifferent to the political landscape. This particular scandal did however see Makiko Tanaka, now retired and a former Foreign Minister, come out of the shadows and berate the politicians of today. What Tanaka forgets is that she left politics herself under a dark cloud as did her father and former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, a scandal infamous in Japan and known as the 'Lockheed Scandal'. There has been talk about Kishida resigning for moths now and his low popularity ratings means the Japanese media go into a frenzy and talk about 'post-Kishida' or 'post-whoever' as the case may be. The Prime Minister is likely to change along with the cabinet lineup, which has happened to a degree already, but no, the government itself will not collapse. In anycase, the oppostion parties are in a complete state of disarray and offer absolutely no viable alternative to the deeply entrenched LDP and the LDP will always, always be the party that ultimately gets elected. Such is their grip on the country. There have been a couple of occasions where the LDP have been temporarily ousted, the last being at the time of the Tohoku earthquake when Naoto Kan was prime minister. After him, came Noda, who should have ideally been the prime minister from the outset, but was too late and the LDP were back in power. No doubt, to the relief of all the qwangos and bureaucrats that were losing out whilst the LDP were not in government.

[@kimandre336]

Don't forget that South Korea is also experiencing a severe kind of political crisis that involves a clique of corrupt prosecutors.

[@jonkornealus9604]

To be completely honest, the problem with South Korean politics is not even with the politicians, it's with the South Korean people. The South Korean people are not demanding for solutions to their current economic issues, they just cheer for and support politicians who "own" the other side. Whoever speaks otherwise is labeled and witchhunted as being unpatriotic or a tyrant-supporter. If South Korea really wants to change, the people need to get over their petty past squabbles and ask politicians for development.

[@user-yk9rd8bb7m]

Kishida probably won’t resign and the party can’t take him down now for multiple reasons (nearing elections, diplomatic affairs, and other factions being unable to move due to scandals and lack of leadership), so I assume his government will stay for a bit longer, at least for another year or so. PM Kishida has done a lot despite his bad reputation internally like the G7 Summit or attempting to cut (or mitigate by the effects of) taxes, but his intervention into taxes wasn’t received well in the Ministry of Finance, and for that reason, he’s been subject to targeted criticism and political manipulation.

[@Dafty2k]

never been so early but good video

[@PhilliesNostalgia]

I mean, I know it can still happen, but I associate a government collapsing with irreconcilable differences between coalition partners, not a country where one party either has a majority, or something very close to it, for all but about 5 or so years

[@ErumTheFox]

Anime will finally end 🙏

[@dddbbb6940]

It won't lol

[@leoapanasenko5717]

could you do a video on the japanese parties and their stance on stuff so we can differentiate them if that becomes more of a crisis and maybe even an early election if thats a thing in japan

[@ShadowwingMD]

Getting to know the japanese partys a little better and what they stand for might be helpful in regards to news storys from japan in the future.

[@johnwalsh4857]

Kishida is also trying to destroy the Japanese anime and manga industry with more taxes. on the already underpaid Japanese manga artists and animators

[@PomuLeafEveryday]

Tbf, it's not more taxes, it's catching people avoiding tax. He's trying to pass laws that requires contractors to have real names on invoices and putting those invoices on a central system. Problem is that the anime/games/creative industry already depends on avoiding taxes, and underpaying contractors. Many contractors also hate the idea of letting people know their real names as it's common to work under pseudonyms in the industry. Basically I don't think the industry itself is sustainable with the way it works now. I think studios need to scale back how many shows they make, and start paying contractors more. Perhaps more sustainable business models need to be put in place, as TV advertising and modern subscription models don't make as much money as they'd hope.

[@johnwalsh4857]

@@PomuLeafEveryday well the problem is that Manga and anime artists are already unperpaid, the guys making money here are the executives of those companies employing these guys. those are the guys avoiding tax, the manga and anime industry should be reformed.

[@PomuLeafEveryday]

@johnwalsh4857 That's not specifically a problem with Kishida or the law though, though they have a lot of other areas where they have problems. If anything, government needs to give more benefits for full time employment. You kinda need the big companies to fail and start losing money before they change anything, often would mean a lot of contractors also losing jobs as they scale back business. Like how once we came out of pandemic and the record profits for tech companies stopped, they fired so many people. But it'll be better for all the jobs that are left.

[@Noidonteatbabiesstopasking]

Lmfao this is the most weeaboo comment

[@ShadowwingMD]

@@PomuLeafEveryday Well why don't they simply allow an artist to enlist in the tax system under the pseudonyms for there work in order to be propperly registered and paying taxes whyle at the same time retaining the anonymety needed for the job?

[@PAlexi-iy7xj]

There have been different historical cases where assassinations or political assassinations resulted in significant political or social consequences. However, it is important to note that each situation is unique and the factors leading to a collapse cannot be solely attributed to a single event such as an assassination. In the case of Japan, there have been instances of political assassinations throughout its history, but they have not directly caused a collapse of the country. Japan has witnessed several notable political assassinations, such as the assassination of Japanese Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi in 1932 by right-wing extremists, the murder of socialist leader Asanuma Inejiro in 1960 by a right-wing extremist, or the assassination of Japanese Communist Party leader Kenzo Matsumoto in 1961 by a right-wing group. These incidents had political ramifications, leading to heightened tensions and social unrest. However, they did not directly result in the collapse of the country. The Japanese government has demonstrated resilience in dealing with such events and has maintained stability and continuity in its political system, even amidst challenging circumstances. Japan's political structure is built on a robust bureaucracy, a well-established legal framework, and a strong commitment to democratic principles. Additionally, factors such as economic stability, social cohesion, and the will of the Japanese people have played critical roles in avoiding a collapse despite the presence of assassinations. It is important to analyze the broader context and underlying causes that contribute to societal and political collapses. Factors such as economic crises, social inequalities, corruption, internal conflicts, or external pressures can play significant roles in destabilizing a country. While individual acts of violence can contribute to an atmosphere of instability, they are usually part of a more complex web of factors that lead to any potential downfall. Therefore, it would be overly simplistic to draw a direct causal relationship between political assassinations in Japan and a collapse of the country. Multiple complex factors intertwine to shape the destiny of a nation, and the consequences of such actions can vary widely based on the specific circumstances.

[@woongah]

...is it me, or Japanese right wing groups had a habit of killing people? Not really a surprise if they did/have, to be honest.

[@mattsika8518]

6:09 did anyone else do a double take at 202012?

[@frank_1991_]

All this over $5 Million Dollars lmao 😅 in the states they steal way more that that over a 5 year period.

[@ChadSimplicio]

TLDR: "Current Japanese Cabinet is on the brink of collapse!" Beijing: "Wolf Warrriors, make Japan appoint a Pro-China PM! GO!!!"

[@Paolo830]

Has there ever been a country in the history of world that hasnt been in some form of crisis for a period of time?

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

Luxembourg?

[@Paolo830]

@@theotherohlourdespadua1131 yup. Fair enough

[@NotContinuum]

Wait. At 6 minutes, did you say 20-2012?

[@caynebyron]

I'm not familiar with the year twenty twenty twelve.

[@burburchacha]

Why does it seem like political crises are everywhere?!

[@Noidonteatbabiesstopasking]

Clickbait

[@navetal]

6:05 returned to power when?!

[@andrewklang809]

It sucks to admit that, as far as one-party "democracies" go, Japan's is still better than most. Sure, the country is slowly dying because their corporate work culture is abjectly ruining any hopes for young couples to have the time, money, or energy to form families. But they remain a pretty damn open and tolerant state. As opposed to other one-party states. Again Japan is dying (no absolutely, don't @ me), but their long-coming demographic and economic crash is nigh, ESPECIALLY if the entrenched corporate lords aren't, at least in the 11th hour, willing to release thr desperately-needed money and free hours the young need to provide for any future generation. But, if, as is typical, they just find a place overseas to stash their money, and prepare for future crises by preparing to flee to financially-greener shores, well, it seems more likely Japan will return to some sort of rustic, communal society. Not because it wants to, but because total economic collapse combined with the mass flight of the elites will guarantee no other choice

[@EAFSQ9]

Someone who gets it.

[@nononono3421]

I think more and more people, especially young people, will want to move to Japan as there will be many opportunities, and this will have a positive impact and reinvigorate the Japanese economy, becoming a great startup hub, and communities will emerge where villages were formerly abandoned. I think Japan has a bright future, as long as it is militarily secure.

[@user-uf4rx5ih3v]

@@nononono3421 And who are those people and where are the opportunities? It's very difficult to find a visa to stay in Japan, it's difficult to learn the language and culture. No jobs to speak of either.

[@my_account5603]

To be honest I don’t agree with you saying Japan’s corporate work culture is abjectly ruining any hopes. Japan has had this work culture since far more than before than you think. It’s just the globalization and western style work culture that made it sound like a heresy. These guys basically never see the context.

[@user-rl9uz6tv3f]

@@user-uf4rx5ih3v Literally tons of Vietnamese and Chinese are coming to Japan.

[@BenCG]

6:08 - We have travelled to the far distant future!

[@EAFSQ9]

it is as if they haven't changed from the MITI days during the post-war boom period of the 1960s and 70s

[@101yayo]

My sanity is on the brink of collapse.

[@mr.factoid105]

Government as in the ruling coalition of parties

[@jasonquigley2633]

To be honest, given the size and wealth of Japan, the numbers being quoted are laughably small. It's unlikely any single politician got more than 100k USD. That's chump change, in the grand scheme of things. Of course, it could just be the tip of the iceberg.

[@captaincruise8796]

I had this thought as well. I think the issue is the headlines of news outlets can make anyone look bad with simple wording and framing, even if the numbers are peanuts at the end of the day and everything is incidental to the PM. People won’t click on “Barely Significant Corruption Scandal in Which the PM Probably Wasn’t Involved”

[@ShadowwingMD]

@@captaincruise8796 Well I'd gladly take those 100k USD if they are peanuts for you to spare.

[@captaincruise8796]

@@ShadowwingMD I wish I could spare that much money and call it peanuts! But for top politicians in one of the world’s largest economies, that number doesn’t seem overwhelming. Silly to be getting themselves in trouble over that kind of money.

[@ShadowwingMD]

@@captaincruise8796 Espetially if as far as I understand it they culd have gotten the money legaly if they had filld out the propper paperwork...

[@kingbooomer9231]

Kishida will likely to be replaced, but there is no way the LDP is going to be removed from cabinet. Too many foreign powers/wealthy clients have invested in their success to keep Japan running

[@stevenhenthorne2]

It took me a while to remember that the Unification Church is the one founded by Sun Myung Moon (of South Korea). Some audience members might want to know why this church is so unpopular in Japan.

[@seneca983]

Is it even that unpopular? That one guy who killed Abe held a grudge because his mother had donated so much to the Moonies but I've not heard of the general population having that strong views about them.

[@stevenhenthorne2]

@@seneca983 well, I don't know about Japanese opinion except from this news video, but if they aren't unpopular why is it scandalous to be associated with them?

[@ShadowwingMD]

@@stevenhenthorne2 Well sometimes the press screams scandal to make money like any other industry. I do not know that much about japanese politics, to know if that is the case here or not. So best thing to do if you are interested: Look up if you can validate these claims. However that might be hard if you do not speak japaneese yourself.

[@berzerius]

6:09 TLDR news is from the future. Talking about the year 202012 in the past tense. 😂😂

[@indefatigable8193]

Good for the Japanese finally taking their head out of the sand, taking a look around and saying “oh. We can do better”

[@sihhaoo]

is the currency correct? it seems any low ranking officials in any third world can earn much more than the sum. I am not saying it is okay to corrupt tho

[@eruno_]

LDP factions always fight between themselves for power, so the process isn't anything new.

[@ShanI3lade]

News about 202012? Did u mean 2012 or 2020?

[@MrConquer]

If the majority of the population does not get involved in voting, then of course the LDP is gonna remain in power. Last I checked voter turnout was 55%, with the majority of voters being aged 55 and older.

[@graceliu8839]

And now Abe’s faction has been disbanded

[@zoolander6362]

This channel should change the banner. Real news. Made for simple minds.

[@violenthell]

202012 was a hell of a year

[@shivanshbisht9439]

6:09😂

[@TheTurtlebot]

Government collapsing is a bit much

[@mx2000]

Coming from US elections, all of these amounts see like absolute peanuts.

[@the_washingmachine1295]

6:09 twenty twenty-twelve, who doesn't know it? 😂

[@lucycooper9149]

I have to say, given the country in question, my first thought was 'What? Again?'. Japan must have one hell of a civil service.

[@SEiiBUTSU]

Twenty twenty twelve? Man I think I overslept

[@nuur2825]

Japan really needs to kick the LDP out of government. Making Japan a one party state was really a mistake.

[@PhishyBusiness]

Kicking out a political party with a majority of votes cuz I want democracy

[@nuur2825]

@@PhishyBusiness who asked?

[@stevenhenry5267]

Majority of Japanese parties are conservative. One reason why voter turnout is low.

[@Kalimdor199Menegroth]

@@stevenhenry5267 That is because the public is also very conservative in Japan as well. Low voter turnout doesn't have anything to do with the public being overwhelmingly non-conservative. That would've spawned a political movement by now, if it were the case.

[@ToneyCrimson]

@@stevenhenry5267 Ofcourse they are, 80% of them are probably 100 years old. They dont have kids, no new innovation, or progressive ideas. Its a stagnating nation that is slowly dying...

[@Nygaard2]

That date... 20-20-12... 😂

[@jaykillxreaperofdeath6967]

I figured it would be higher the same party since 202012. Dam

[@Doogie2K3]

Graphical feedback: the red-green plot of approval and disapproval was completely unreadable to me as a colour blind person. I think a much lighter green would've helped at the least, but surely blue would be better?

[@blokin5039]

There are different types of colour blindness so you can't expect them to fix your personal problem.

[@hjalmarfreidenvall1655]

Neat

[@yukiminsan]

looks like they're in need of some *AFUERA*

[@KangaKucha]

At least Japan isn't alone, like Singapore has this for example. Russia too under United Russia but is it liberal democracy? (hence why I wonder if Liberal is a good name for a political party anymore or ever when it's used as a term for political systems)

[@Lyendith]

Eeh, he’s been PM for more than 2 years, that’s already ancient by Japanese standards.

[@lalc__]

The military build-up situation is hugely controversial too. Basically it is the kind of thing the government wants but essentially none of the people want.

[@djblackprincecdn]

In this case the people are wrong. Deadly wrong.

[@rustedgaming8224]

The redistribution of funds from the military to public works caused the Japanese economic miracle, so i can see why it is controversial

[@sencha77]

A realistic scenario would be to change the prime minister just before national elections to improve the party's image. The people will be satisfied with that and the LDP will win as usual. We have seen this scene many times.

[@shiki325]

Economy is not doing so well, and with declining population and aging one, doesn't bode well :/