The re-election last Sunday of Shintaro Ishihara as Tokyo governor has demon- strated once again that the people of Japan's capital city remain attracted to the policies of this outspoken author-turned-politician.
Ishihara benefits from what might be called the "chutzpah factor" in Japanese politics. Many voters -- on the national level as well -- have ceased to support politicians who appear meek, bumbling or apologetic. They may not agree entirely with what a politician advocates, but they like uncompromising, blustery rhetoric: The message is in the delivery.
It wasn't always so. It is crucial to bear in mind that there was once another school of politics in Tokyo -- and today is the perfect day to recall it.