A Half Year Test for or in 2001
Mr. Souichiro Tawara, a Japan's famous TV program host, interviewed the prominent policy secretary of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, and published the dialogue in a special edition of a magazine.
(As Mr. Tawara is also a busy author and political analyst, his TV appearance is usually once a week unlike "Larry King Live.")
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When Mr. Isao Iijima was employed 35 years ago as secretary by a young Diet lawmaker named Junichiro Koizumi, he could not see his new boss for half a year.
But, in the meantime, Mr. Iijima in his late 20's was going about various chores in a Mr. Koizumi's humble office in Tokyo.
Mr. Iijima everyday took a seat at a desk in front of his only colleague, a senior female secretary called Ms. Koizumi, who seemed to be a remote relative to Mr. Koizumi or so; but she was the very person who had actually recruited Mr. Iijima.
But, one day at last, Mr. Iijima met young Diet lawmaker Mr. Koizumi who came back to his office for the first time in half a year. But Mr. Koizumi just passed by Mr. Iijima to his own room almost without saying anything.
(Mr. Koizumi seems to have worked in a series of local elections of his colleagues in the party in his election district, just 30 miles west of Tokyo.)
Ms. Koizumi, the veteran female secretary, told Mr. Iijima to go and greet with his boss. So, Mr. Iijima knocked on the door and went into the boss's room, expecting some substantial conversation. But, young Diet lawmaker Mr. Koizumi, then 30 years old or so, just said a word or two; and their first meeting ended.
Later, Mr. Iijima found that the veteran secretary Ms. Koizumi was actually his boss's elder sister (in steps of whose deceased father her younger brother followed).
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Twenty-eight years later, namely in 2001, Mr. Junichiro Koizumi became Prime Minister of Japan.
Still today, Mr. Iijima, after having served Mr. Koizumi as Political Secretary of the Prime Minister, is serving his boss, a House of Representative member Mr. Junichiro Koizumi.
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This kind of stories is not so common in Japan: half a year's no-see of one's own boss while being supervised by a boss's sister without knowing who she is.
But, without this half year, there could not have been 28 years later Japan's Prime Minister Koizumi, a friend of US President Mr. George W. Bush who seems to have been also tested in 2001, and Prime Minister's Secretary Mr. Iijima and Ms. Koizumi.
In other words, if young Mr. Iijima had felt in that half year unbearable pains or given up young Mr. Koizumi as hopeless and moved to another Diet member's office, there would not have been Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his chosen successor Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
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The US President sent troops to Iraq; but Mr. Koizumi sent off himself to North Korea twice for restoring diplomatic ties in which his secretary Mr. Iijima was highly involved.
We cannot fail in dealing with North Korea that has long-rage missiles and nuclear bombs.
We really need right persons to deal with some critical issues. But, we cannot know beforehand what fate and test built such persons.
"AMONG THE GREAT POWERS NEAR AND FAR"