The funds of a nation, our imagination.

Growing up, I'm sure each and every reader of this article has heard the question, "Do you think money grows on trees?"It's usually asked rhetorically, but for Delegate Koizumi Shinjiro, this question might just be a topic for discussion.

After the pressing crisis of the city of Osaka collectively deciding to pursue nuclear power plants following what can most politely be described as a passionate riot, this delegate was the first to speak during the moderated caucus. He elaborated on the necessity of producing nuclear energy despite opposition from the USA, brazenly claiming that, "Wind and solar energy will only last us for so long; we need an energy source that is more dependable." When asked to clarify this statement—specifically, why he believed a non-renewable energy source was more dependable than a renewable one—the response received was, most accurately described, beating a dead horse around the bush. The delegate went on at length about how what he "meant" was that renewables such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power could work hand in hand, and that he did not know the technical details because he was "merely the Minister of Defence." However, his desperate clarification cannot change what was originally said.

His desire for nuclear power should have been cut short by the USA's direct threats of sanctions and nuclear retaliation. However, this delegate clearly showed no intention of stopping until the grave of Japan's economy was as deep as his hypothetical pockets, reasoning that, "I don't feel that the US can stop a country like ours." Verbatim. Because apparently that's what Japan's ministry is run on: feelings and intuition.

Never mind the fact that one of the Ministers of the Environment entered our committee room and pointed out that Japan might not be financially stable enough to undertake a full-scale nuclear power project, especially considering that the United States accounts for approximately 20% of Japan's total exports. To this delegate, what he feels is what matters most. Any and all questions regarding the practicality of his proposals "can be better answered by the Minister of Finance." His words exactly. This same Minister of Finance was mentioned four times, most notably in the quote, "The Finance Minister is a pretty close one, a close friend of mine," delivered with enough affection that even I, a press delegate with no association with the LDP, was beginning to miss him.

It also appears that deliriousness is infectious within the NDJ, because when questioned on why he discussed finance during the moderated caucus following our crisis, he responded, "Yeah, so after the crisis, of course I'll have to talk about finance, right? As Defence Minister, what else can I talk about?" ...Oh, I don't know—perhaps the defence of your people against these nuclear threats?

The icing on the cake, however, came when this delegate was questioned about his desire to relocate an entire Japanese city to make way for a nuclear power plant, and how the citizens might feel about their ancestral homes being destroyed and being forced out of the communities they had built their lives in. To my bewilderment, he responded, "If they have their ancestral homes, maybe we would not seek to destroy them, but rather to preserve them, but not with anyone living there, then obviously because that would endanger their lives." Translation: "We won't tear down their houses—we'll just force them out and make the homes uninhabitable." For someone who claims to care so deeply about the Japanese people, their livelihoods do not appear to rank particularly high on this delegate's list of priorities.

Unless this delegate truly believes that he will single-handedly fund these projects, gather the necessary resources, and persuade—or coerce—the public into abandoning their homes, a list of responsibilities that would ordinarily require the combined efforts of multiple ministers, Nikkei suggests that he wake up, splash some water on his face, and stop confusing his dreams with reality.

—The horrors persist, but so do I. Nikkei.