Video News : Invest in Japan !

[Maciamo]

Check the following video on the Mainichi's site :

Koizumi uses TV to appeal for 'smart' foreign investors
The Japanese prime minister is appearing in a television advertisement urging foreign investors to look at Japan as the "smart" investment venue. (AP)

[Jean-Francois]

This is not an ad for foreign investors but for Japanese voters.

Successful investors are calculative people with business acumen. They tend to believe in the market more than politicians. Koizumi has a lot of charisma in his ad - speaking English and looking confident.

However, to turn around Japan's economy requires more than an ad, especially when the US economy is still weak. Koizumi surely knows about that but has his hands tied. (It's difficult to be a J-PM at this time). In order to win the votes from his compatriots, he has to act like he's doing something for Japan. e.g. More shrine-visiting or ads in foreign language(s) but targeting to Japanese audience.