Now that there is a fall election in the air, once again politicians are couching their platforms with the buzzword "manifesto."
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi took things a step further when he recently said the policy pledges he makes when he seeks re-election as president of the Liberal Democratic Party in September will be, if he wins that race, the LDP's platform in the House of Representatives election, which is expected to take place in November.
British political parties are known for coming out with manifestos in the form of a policy booklet in which pledges and goals are laid out, including specific targets, timetables and financial means.