November 17, 2006. Volume 02, Number 41.

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Click here for a transcript of this program.

This is it! Our First Anniversary Program. Thanks for tuning in again. Or, for those of you who have found us for the first time, a hearty South Carolina welcome. Each week on this program we consider the longer-term significance of events in the news for Japan's domestic politics or conduct of international relations.

This week, we hear the very beginning of the first program from last year's November 18th program. Then we follow up on last week's consideration of the Town Meeting flap that continues to give the public relations officials in the Kantei fits.

From there we move to consideration of the recent prefectural gubernatorial races, and what they can tell us about change in Japan's domestic politics. We note the DPJ's win in Fukushima, and then look at the arrests of prefectural governors under suspicion of bribery and bid-fixing.

Finally we return to the DPJ's decision to boycott Diet debates over the revision of Japan's basic education bill. Why did they do it? What did they gain? Or lose?

And we close with a stirring clip from a new bluegrass band, the Infamous Stringdusters. You can listen to more of their remarkable sound on their My Space page. Just click here to go there.