Bye-Bye Tahara-Junichiro (?) !

The most focused-on TV discussion and interview program in Japan has finished its last round this Sunday morning. The leading program of politics in Japanese private TV channels has ended.

It is called "Sunday Project." The naming was fresh when it started in 1989 with Mr. Soichiro Tahara as moderator.

Japanese do not go to church on Sunday mornings but watch this TV program, since various politicians, economists, leaders in various fields, and persons who are much talked about are invited to this two-hour broadcast.

I have not been an intent watcher of this program, though people who are interested or involved in politics watch this program every Sunday to discuss contents later.

Yet, after the 2005-9-11 general election where P.M. Mr. Junichiro Koizumi risked his political life over postal reform and before the 2009-30-8 general election where the conservative LDP lost power, I sometimes tuned in to watch Mr. Tahara's performance in this program.

The most impressive scene was when Mr. Junichiro Koizmi was invited to this program while he was prime minister.

The next scene was when Mr. Tahara quarreled with very veteran politician Mr. Hajime Ishii of the DPJ, during a live discussion.

The attitude of Tokyo Governor Mr. Shintaro Ishihara (born in 1932) facing Mr. Tahara (1934) over a table was also impressive. It is, probably, because Mr. Ishihara is older than former P.M. Mr. Yoshiro Mori (1937) of the LDP and incumbent minister Mr. Shizuka Kamei (1936) who have been powerful guests to the program.

Today, top leaders of major parties were invited except P.M. Mr. Yukio Hatoyama to the studio of TV Asahai in Tokyo.

A female assistant of Mr. Tahara looked happy to have made TV appearances in "Sunday Project" for two years or so till this morning. It was half a year after she was employed by TV Asahi that she made the first TV appearance in this sober program of politics.

Now, "What would you do for this issue and that agenda, Mr. Tahara?"

Somebody also said, "Bye-Bye Tahara-Soichiro! Bye-Bye Tahara-Junichiro (?)!"


(Most critical political or economic incidents happened on Monday. So, "Sunday Project" planned based on information till Friday became sometimes out of date, losing influential power and connection, since the next day the situation often drastically changed to different directions leaving discussed contents of "Sunday Project" far behind.

Indeed, on most Mondays, "Sunday Project" having been broadcast one day before turned to be history...

In other word, before Mr. Tahara's performance on Sundays started to influence society, things abruptly changed in Japan on Monday mornings. Mr. Tahara cannot be responsible, ironically.

Anyway, President Mr. George W. Bush was a nice guy for Mr. Soichiro Tahara in the White House interview held in November 2008.)




(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSkWli9NykQ&feature=related

You know she was not born in Paris?...)