As the news services are reporting, the Hatoyama Government was inaugurated today, and the cabinet members spoke.
I was so happy to see that Akira Nagatsuma, who is “my guy” in Tokyo’s Seventh District (even though my real vote is back in New Jersey) was named as the “Kousei Roudou Daijin” 厚生労働大臣 or Health and Labor Minister.
Here is a picture by Yuriko Nakao of Reuters:
This is so great. All the indications I could get from the internet was that Nagatsuma would be appointed to some minor cabinet role as a matter of course—some specially created “minister of pensions”, which would mean he would only get to be a “one issue wonder” But Health and Labor is big news. It means that the Democratic Party of Japan is serious not just about the pension screwup in this country, but a lot of the other employment issues that are floating out there.
Now it’s clear why Mizuho Fukushima didn’t get the employment ministry. Because they got Mister Nenkin instead.
It is also, to me, the clearest sign of Seiken Koutai or regime change.
Here is the full cabinet list, in Japanese:
http://ameblo.jp/ehimesr/entry-10344114559.html
Nagatsuma is the second youngest member.
So, what’s so good about Mister Nenkin?
Sugari-san, it’s because of his great reputaton on the issue of the pension scandal. He was the person to put the issue out front-and-center in Japan.
My feeling is, if you want someone to run something well, put the person with the passion in to do the job. Or drive.
In Nagatsuma’s initial comments, he mentioned about getting rid of the grime and pus within the Ministry. That sounds about right.