Japan has been ruled mainly by the Liberal Democratic Party for decades though the major opposition party was once the Socialist Party of Japan and then the Democratic Party of Japan.
But, following the defeat in the 8/30/2009 general election, the LDP turned to the opposition, and thus Prime Minister Mr. Taro Aso stepped down. Then, the LDP elected veteran lawmaker Mr. Sadakazu Tanigaki as its new president.
I do not think that Mr. Tanigaki, a graduate of the University of Tokyo, cannot recover morale of LDP members and their supporters as he won votes in the LDP presidential election held yesterday more than twice the votes his young rival Mr. Taro Kono got to narrowly save his face as future candidate for the LDP presidency.
Indeed, especially in 1980's when 80% of the Japanese people believed that they were respectable members of the middle class of globally growing and flourishing Japan, the LDP was the most adequate political party to entrust with power of national administration and over huge budgets.
By the way, it is a big surprise that President Mr. Barack Obama himself has decided to fly to Copenhagen and attend the IOC meeting.
Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Yukio Hatoyama may have to ask his charming wife to join his travel to Copenhagen for the 2016 Olympic venue contest.
Yet, to tell the truth, I have never been to Chicago, to your expected surprise.
SECTION I: History of Christianity in China
Nestorius died in Egypt in 451 though he served as archbishop
in Constantinople till 431.
His unique school was forbidden by the Vatican but reached Persia and finally China in 635 during the era of the Tang Dynasty.
Nestorianism was approved by a line of Chinese emperors and somehow accepted by not a few Chinese people till it was forbidden and wiped out from the surface of society in 845 when Buddhism and other foreign religions were attacked by an emperor.
It is thought that there were 50,000 or so Nestrian Christians in China when the unique Christianity was virtually terminated in 845.
The state of missions of Nestorians in Tang China between 635 and 845 is proved by a stone inscription, though it was created in 781 but has survived the history to date.
( http://www.for.aichi-pu.ac.jp/museum/z2dfol/yz2p01.html)
To put it bluntly, this special school of Christianity has left no influence on China and the Chinese people of today.
But, there is a theory that Japanese monks who learnt Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty also learnt some about Nestorianism though they seem to have regarded it as part of Buddhism. When they returned to Japan, they launched a new school of Buddhism where some spirit of the unique Christianity was embedded.
Accordingly, as the special school of Buddhism is still actively practiced in Japan, Nestorianism created in the 5th century in Constantinople is thought to have some underlying influence on Japanese people of today.
(http://www.geocities.co.jp/kmaz2215/motto/keikyo/keikyo/keikyou-daisi.htm
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/davinci/code/history/japan/index4.html)
Today, the most interesting type of Christians in China is called "Culture Christians."
They have encountered Christianity in their study of the Western Culture.
They have not found Christianity in any sort of churches in China.
But, they have discovered the Western religion Christianity while they are learning some specific subject of the Western culture or science related to their profession or personal inquiry.
So, those Chinese Culture Christians are not interested in rituals and theories performed in churches.
Other Chinese Christians do not fully accept them as members of the same religion.
But, if a revolution should be set off by Chinese Christians in future, these Christians must be those called Culture Christians, in my view.
(http://www.hmn.bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp/tolerance/tolerance_abstract16-1.html )
*** *** *** ***
To tell the truth, I did not think that the year 2009 would become a more drastic year for Japan than 2008 was.
In 2007, the year 2008 looked so far, but the planned 2008 Beijing Olympics looked somehow ominous and the planned 2008 U.S. Presidential Election looked somehow getting beyond imagination.
In fact, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were accompanied by the Great Sichuan Earthquake and the Tibet turmoil; the U.S. Presidential Election ended with the first African American President elected in the wake of the Wall Street Shock.
Then, in 2009, the most drastic regime change in half a century has happened in Japan.
As if the history of Japan had reached a climax, nobody in Japan today seems to have any idea on what's coming in the year 2010...
Or can we find any clue through observing TV reporting...
(Is Europe burning like in 1960's?
http://players.music-eclub.com/?action=player&sid[]=146748
Source:http://players.music-eclub.com/?action=search_song_detail_do&backto=&keyword=%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%83%89%E3%83%AB%E3%82%92%E6%8E%A2%E3%81%9B&exec.x=41&exec.y=13)
Joh 9:28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.
Joh 9:29 We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
Joh 9:30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
Joh 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.