Is Japanese Internet Tycoons Political Debut an Omen?

The Land of the Rising Sun has become the Land of Political Assassins as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has tapped 32-year-old dotcom blockbuster Takafumi Horie to run against an especially difficult political opponent in September's elections. If successful, Koizumi's internal coup could switch on light bulbs in the heads of political strategists (strategerists) everywhere. Horie, the founder of Livedoor, agreed to Koizumi's plea to use his wealth, youth, and celebrity status in an attempt to drive out 68-year-old Shizuk Kamei, a thorn in the Prime Minister's side who opposes privatizing the national post office. Japan's post office doubles as a savings and insurance institution, which makes it the world's largest financial institution with three trillion dollars in assets, according to the