This past summer was rather quiescent both politically and economically. About the only big story was former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka's resignation from the Diet over allegations that she misused the state-funded pay of her legislative secretaries.
With the end of the heat wave came more shocking news. In late August it was revealed that Tokyo Electric Power Co., the nation's largest utility firm, had covered up technical problems in its nuclear power plants, further eroding public confidence in the nation's nuclear power program. The company has announced a number of disciplinary measures, including the resignations of top executives.
On Aug. 30, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced out of the blue that he was going to North Korea for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. At Tuesday's historic summit, the two leaders agreed to reopen stalled normalization talks in October.