Outrageous Tanaka

The steps of Japan`s former Foreign Minister Tanaka Makiko are hot issues in the Japanese political circle. Right after she was dismissed from her office, she clarified that she "will help Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro in the shadow." And she denied any possibility for her to leave the party, saying "I am the Liberal Democratic Party." but only few people believes the word literally since she has showed very independent stances recently.

She is leaking information about the conflicts with Kawaguchi Yoriko, Japan`s Foreign Minister, that are raising suspicions on the reformation of the Koizumi administration. Previously, she denounced Prime Minister that Prime Minister "cannot budge an inch due to the political factions." after the Prime Minister made an administrative policy speech on 4th.

Another target of Tanaka is the countermeasure committee of the LDP, which blocked her visit to the U.S. under the pretext of the Congressional timetable. She has raised her voice right after her dismissal, saying "to carry out the structural reformation properly, the politics centered in the Countermeasure Committee. The opposition parties including the Democratic Party of Japan are eager for the cooperation with her, who is harshly damaging the Koizumi administration."

The opposition parties overwhelmed by the high approval rating of the current administration are seeing a possibility to take the power from Koizumi when they might be able to bring her over to their camp.

However, it is not likely that former Foreign Minister Tanaka makes an organized cooperation with the opposition parties or establishes a new party soon, considering that the defectors from LDP such as Ozawa Ichiro, the president of the Liberal League, suffered the shrinks of his political power.

Former Foreign Minister Tanaka is recently preparing to publish a book about the corruption of the Foreign Ministry, rejecting the interview requests from the press companies.

Young-Ee Lee yes202@donga.com