From Prime Minister Fumio Kishida "3 million yen Rolex" to "Shinzo Abe and matching" Seiko "Astron" … Appealing loyalty to the dissatisfied new "dark general"
Prime Minister Kishida is currently wearing the 2014 release model of the GPS solar watch "Seiko Astron" from the domestic manufacturer "Seiko". A middle-ranking Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker speaks.
“There were people who criticized the price of this watch as ``expensive'' because it was 330,000 yen, but from Mr. Kishida's point of view, it is ``a watch that is close to the people's eyes''. Because I'm doing..."
This magazine witnessed Prime Minister Kishida's "timepiece journey". In 2018, at an event held at the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party, the left arm of then Policy Research Council Chairman Kishida was not an Astron. When I showed the photo to a fashion magazine official, he told me this.
"This is Rolex's popular model 'Daytona'. The model was probably launched in 1988. Daytona has a small distribution volume and can rarely be purchased at a fixed price. If you are going to buy this model now, I think it will be around 3 million yen.”
Mr.
“Mr. Kishida was born in the city, and when he was young, he was in the midst of the bubble economy. It was famous within the party, and I probably bought the Daytona around that time.”
Nevertheless, if the government chooses a domestic watch to listen to the people's "earnest voice", the "distance" between the prime minister and the people may be shortened. But there is another side to this Astron.
Prime Minister Kishida served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2017 in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (67).
"This Astron seems to have been purchased at the time of the foreign exchange. In the 2020 presidential election when I lost to Mr. (Yoshihide Suga), and during the presidential election this time, I changed my watch from Daytona to Astron. There is also a reason that it will be seen by the public.
But another reason is that Mr. Abe has always loved Astron. I care about Abe. Mr. Kishida is using the exact same Astron model that Mr. Abe wore when he was prime minister."
It is a "matching watch" that shows loyalty to former Prime Minister Abe, who is now reigning as the kingmaker. There are complicated reasons for Prime Minister Kishida to go this far.
“Abe is not satisfied with the personnel decisions made by Prime Minister Kishida,” said political commentator Harumi Arima.
"Prime Minister Kishida offered Mr. Akira Amari, who supported him, the position of Secretary-General. Mr. Taro Aso went to greet Mr. Taro Aso first, and instead of having Mr. Aso's aide Suzuki get off the Minister of Finance. Shunichi was appointed as his successor.
It was a tough personnel affair that made each face of power in the party stand out. On the other hand, Mr. Abe's requests for Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda and Secretary-General Sanae Takaichi did not materialize."
Former Prime Minister Abe has taken a toll on this new cabinet appointment.
"However, as Prime Minister Kishida, I absolutely do not want to turn Mr. Abe into an enemy. Therefore, Mr. Abe often recommended me as a successor," he said. ’ I think the wrist watch shows that attitude.” (LDP official)
We asked Ms. Marie Oshima, a romance journalist, about the feeling of wearing the same watch.
“I think it’s too much for men to wear wristwatches if they’re friends, but if it’s a vertical relationship, I think you can sell them flattery by saying, ‘I imitated my seniors.’” Prime Minister Kishida also boasted about his wife's homemade okonomiyaki on the day he took office as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, showing off his common sense.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to be dissolved on the 14th. Of course, winning the general election is Prime Minister Kishida's top priority.
"The main feature of the 'Cabinet and former Cabinet minister campaign group' that will be launched in preparation for the general election is the 'Koishikawa Alliance', which was hostile to Prime Minister Kishida in the presidential election, Shinjiro Koizumi, Shigeru Ishiba, and Taro Kono. three of Mr.
In the 1993 general election, when the Liberal Democratic Party lost power, they called the three popular people, Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto, Mr. Yohei Kono, and Mr. Shintaro Ishihara, the "three arrows", and conducted a campaign tour around the country. I did. ``Koishikawa'' will also travel around the country as the ``three arrows of Reiwa'' to support the battlefields." (LDP official)
Use everything that can be used by enemies and clocks. I wonder if the day will come when Prime Minister Kishida, who won the general election, will switch back to the Daytona and part with the Kingmaker.
(Weekly FLASH October 26, 2021 issue)