Words are often the strongest weapon in a politician's armory, but the slightest slip of the tongue can turn into a huge liability, as evidenced by the number of occasions prime ministers and Cabinet members have been caught out in the last six years.
So perhaps it's no wonder that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, in an effort to tread carefully, has avoided informal "burasagari" (literally, "dangling") interviews like the plague.
The short, standup question-and-answer sessions with the media have been held daily in the corridors of the prime minister's office ever since Junichiro Koizumi was in office. Noda's refusal to hold such interviews has led to a flood of criticism from the media and opposition parties, and his being branded as a "safe driver."