Currently the
controversial Prime Minister is still riding high in the polls. He has a large number of fans across
Japan - regardless of perceptible success, he has restored
hope to the Japanese political system. Recently he approved a huge slash in the Japanese
budget. Some £5.1 billion has been cut from the large budget in an attempt to reduce the
national defecit. This is the first piece of concrete evidence that he is determined to reform Japan economically. From now on, ministeries will have to justify their budgets. No reform = less funds.
He was also embroiled in controversy when he visited the Yasukuni shrine, a memorial to dead Japanese soldiers. Though nations criticised the place he made his statement, Mr Koizumi made a real effort to apologise for the actions of the Japanese army during WWII. He said, "Towards our Asian neighbours, at one point in the past, we conducted
colonialisation and aggressive acts based on a mistaken national policy and
caused unmeasurable pain and suffering.
"I wish, in light of the history of our country's regrettable history, to
take this to heart, express my deepest regret and remorse towards all of the
victims of war."
This is a big step, especially when one considers that previously very little was forthcoming in way of apology.
Quote taken from Japan Today.