Before its historic landslide victory in August, the Democratic Party of Japan was considered a "lite" version of the LDP and uninterested in major change. In the span of a few months, however, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, along with DPJ shadow master Ichiro Ozawa, has already moved ahead with bold policy iniatives: wrangling power from the bureaucrats, rearranging spending priorities, abandoning postal system privatization and opening a few of the elite press clubs to outside media. Hatoyama himself has also created a new kind of persona for Japan's top politician: slightly aloof but willing to engage in pop culture without the smug self-absorption of predecessor Junichiro Koizumi. And now that Hatoyama has dodged criminal charges on illegal fundraising, he may even continue to be PM in 2010.
Ichiro Ozawa may not be Prime Minister of Japan even though as late as May of this year he seemed poised to assume the reigns of power that was until a scandal erupted involving Nishimatsu construction and illegal campaign contributions. Yet it was Ichiro Ozawa who engineered the political ascension of the Japan's Democratic Party. He matters just as much as Hatayama.
Tadashi Yanai: Clothing the nation
2008 was a standout year for the mass clothing retailer Uniqlo, but in 2009 the company took a near monopoly position in the apparel market. Economic and social conditions have forced us to demand low-priced underwear, sweaters and slacks, but Uniqlo's CEO Tadashi Yanai has figured out how to make us feel good about it. Just this year we saw the ultra-functional Heat Tech line's expectation of selling 50 million units, the Ginza flagship's doubling in size, the overly-successful 6am sale and the auspicious debut of the Jil Sander collaboration +J line. Even Fast Retailing's cheaper brand g.u. scored big news with its ¥990 jeans.
The old 90's image of the Japanese shopper being up scale brand named obsessed has been turned on its head by Uniqlo which has become an important part of Japan's economy.
Noriko Sakai: Fallen angel
The actual criminal case of Noriko Sakai was relatively unsubstantial. The ex-idol singer received a suspended sentence for possessing a tiny amount of amphetamines. Yet the wider drama absorbed the entire country's consciousness this autumn. The story of a good girl turned bad captivated a nation, and while her entertainment career may be over, the scandal did add to her super-stardom: Her song "Aoi Usagi" hit #1 on iTunes despite her label pulling all albums from distribution.
This only matters because CNN missed the reality of what happened. She was charged with having 0.08gm of said drug. An amount so small that one could barely see it with the naked eye. Completely vilified by the press and Japan's political leaders is it any wonder that she broke down on several occasions. What's even more incredible is that this case was brought to trail just to further humiliate her. Instead of ascertaining whether there was a need for treatment or just a mistake made due to peer pressure never occurred anyone.
Manabu Oshio: The dark heart of Japanese celebrity
The criminal case of bad-boy actor and singer Manabu Oshio had a tragic and explosive quality worthy of a Tarantino epic. A drug-related death of a young Ginza hostess in a Roppongi Hills apartment owned by a lingerie tycoon, reports of mysterious bail payments from a legendary business magnate and rumors of another celebrity allegedly admitting prior drug use with Oshio to police. As for Oshio, he received a suspended sentence for using ecstasy. Japan has been gripped by the case and given a glimpse into the nexus of power, fame and money in Tokyo.
Japan at its best: Manubu Oshio was accused of involvement in a far worse crime than Noriko Sakai and instead of being thrown on to the trash heap of fame is treated with kid gloves because he's male. Boy's will be boy's
Yu Darvish: The ¥330 million man
Yu Darvish is Japan's baseball superstar, and this year was his brightest yet. Despite recent trouble with his shoulder, Darvish still became the youngest player ever to sign a contract for over ¥300 million a year. Next year will no doubt see more people ask: When does he defect to the American leagues?
Unlike those who play in the Majors Japanese players are not represented by an agent. They must negotiate with them on their own accord which leaves them vulnerable to abuse by the team they play for.
Haruki Murakami: Writing for the masses
Overseas, Haruki Murakami is one of the most popular Japanese writers of all time, thanks to his highly engaging fictional explorations of the post-modern human condition. Back in Japan, Murakami's latest dark and difficult novel "1Q84" somehow became the best-selling book of the year. With the third volume expected in summer 2010, the 60-year-old writer may repeat the feat next year too. Last year was all about the barely literate "cell phone novel," so Murakami may be single-handedly preventing the dumbing down of Japanese culture.
Seishiro Kato: Driving into your heart
As if people were compensating for the exposure they suffered to the very adult lives of Japan's celeb entertainers, the public collectively fell in love with child actor Seishiro Kato. The 8-year-old has achieved fame for his starring role in Toyota's "Child Store Manager" commercial series. He may be running afoul of the Japanese work ethic by leaving the office to eat apple pie, go swimming -- or attend elementary school -- but he's adorable in so doing.
Nobutada Saji: Whiskey baron
In July, booze group Suntory announced a merger with rival brewery Kirin, with Suntory Chairman Nobutada Saji taking the lead. Both companies have the same mission to tap into overseas markets, requiring greater economy of scale, and the tie-up fulfills that objective. Although the merger still has some hurdles, we give temporary points to Suntory now for its successful resuscitation of the "highball" after a long period of ridicule as an old man drink.
These fools once tried to make artificial Tequila and no Suntory Whiskey isn't that great
Hideki Matsui: American hit
Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui has long been a baseball hero to the Japanese nation, and he has even been beloved in America for his hard-hittin' work for the New York Yankees since 2003. His World Series MVP this year, however, took him up to legendary status. Matsui is now the first Japanese-born player to ever win that accolade.
When it was announced that Hideki Matsui would be playing for the Yankees I bet 98% of the Japanese public believed he would play center field in New York. Talk about high expectations. It was obvious that he had neither the speed or range to play center field in America.
Who Mattered Most in Japan 2009
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