"2010 Otoshidoma", Japan will not drown her sorrows!

A kimono dressed female diver holds a cash envelope,

an “otoshidama” envelope during an event in a famous aquarium in

Tokyo.

“Otoshidama” are monetary offerings given to children

at the start of each year. Cash is certainly an issue

for Japanese and they look right at their elected

prime minister to address the Great Recession.

"He is out of the reality, he should do something,

they say, but not destroy what Japan achieved." I

heard this comment from lots of Japanese during the

new year holidays.

Here is an interesting opinion from the Mainichi

shimbun about how 2010 starts. Quotes:

The public's expectations that the Democratic Party of

Japan (DPJ) could revive Japan brought about a

transfer of power last year. It was a fact that the

economy remained sluggish, there were various social

problems and the social security and medical programs

were beginning to crumble prior to the August general

election. Rural areas in particular had been hit hard

by the economic downturn. Moreover, Japan's influence

in the international community had declined

considerably.

Under these circumstances, it is natural that the

administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama

declared that it would carry out the Heisei-Era

Reform.

There is a glimmer of hope in the prospects for

people's livelihood and the social security system.

However, there appears to be a long way to go before

Japan puts the economy on a recovery track. The

fiscal 2010 budget draft has raised questions about

how the government will secure financial resources for

its policy measures.

The Hatoyama administration's poor handling of Japan's

relations with the United States, the core of Japan's

diplomatic policy, has caused friction between the two

countries. The government has failed to show a clear

national strategy, due to his preoccupation with a

political funding scandal in which two of his aides

have been indicted.

...

Considering Japan's current situation, it is natural

that the government tends to be inward-looking. There

are numerous urgent tasks to be addressed. At the

same time, however, Japan is required to proactively

work on global issues to fulfill its role as a

developed country in the age of globalization. Even

though the economy remains sluggish, Japan has

potential power. The country is expected by the world

to play an important role not only on environmental

policy, but a wide diversity of issues.

If Japan improves its ability to send influential

messages to the international community and draws

attention from the world, it will vitalize Japan. It

will also attract excellent human resources to Japan.

The government is required to have such a long-term

strategy to revive Japan.

End of quotes, here is the article http://tinyurl.com/yzc9e9r