08/04/09 Interview with Oraizan

Day 622, 23:15 Published in Japan Japan by Faeyas
Hello and welcome to the interview, my name is Fae. Before we begin with the questions could you please introduce yourself to the readers.

My name is Oraizan. I am a long time eJapanese citizen, congresswoman, and running for President of Japan. My most recent article you can see here http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/more-into-o-residency-881938/1/20

Thank you for that introduction. I will now begin to ask you a series of general questions. As to not favor one candidate over the other in responses I will not be asking any follow up questions to your reposes. Furthermore, I will simply ask the questions already prepared, all you have to do is reply. Since this is the case, I ask that you try to be as clear as possible when answering the questions I have for you today. Thank you.

The first series of questions have to do with you as a player. Let’s begin with our first question:

Why did you decide to run for president?

I have been in Japan for awhile and witnessed many things. From the very beginning I wanted to change things, and I have been able to do it on a smaller scale. I want to expand what I have done, what I have changed, and do more. From the beginning of my career I set out to learn as much as possible to help Japan in the long run. Now that I have learned a lot I want to use this knowledge in a better and more productive way. A few people in the past gave me criticism on what I lacked. After changing those flaws, I finally want to achieve my goal and better Japan in all aspects.

Which is more important to you - supporting a friend or ally that is doing something wrong, or staying true to your values and fighting for what is right?
It would really depend on the situation. If the wrong can be justified or is not very terrible, I would definitely help my friend. If it was dealing with one person, I would definitely tell them their faults. People can always better themselves and being honest is important in friendships. Allies for a country are a lot more important. They determine if a country survives or falls. If the pro's for supporting them out-weight the cons, I would definitely support my Ally. Should it be something terrible that I will never forgive myself for, sticking to my values and not self-sacrificing them would be the right thing to do.

How do you intend to prevent personal matters (friendships, emotions, popularity, etc.) from affecting your ability to make decisions for this eCountry?
Initially I can be a brutally honest person. When a friend is doing wrong, I let them know (usually in private). In my campaign one of my important aspects is that I want to bring back the old Japan. In the past Enemies were able to work together. I want my government to be able to do that, and in-turn I will as well. So to answer the question, yes I promise to prevent personal matters from affecting my decisions.

What experience do you have in eRepublik and how does this affect your candidacy?
Ah, tons. It may sound big-headed, but bear with me. As in many of my articles (look to my recent one) I have done a lot for Japan up until now. I have set out to gain as much experience as possible, and I have achieved that goal. I learned as much about the game mechanics as possible, and also read books In Real Life that relate to eRepublik and will allow me to be much more effective. I have taken part in just about every aspect of Government, and I do believe this is very important in a president. If I want to be a leader, I have to understand what I am leading! Sorry for sounding like a bigot, I hope none of you hold it against me!

How are you helping your country right now?
The most important way I am helping Japan is by being active. I have always been active from day one, and plan to continue it. I participate in every aspect of eRepublik. I retain good relations in other countries. I have participated in re-working the army and Foreign Affairs aspect of government. On a daily basis I try my best to answer questions to citizens. I write articles every 2-3 days (though when I was ill I lacked a little). Well, there is tons more...

People say the President is usually the face of the country when the country is engaged in the diplomatic relations with other country. What will make you the good face of the country?
Of course! I have recently been making other countries open up to Japan a lot more. I have friendships all-over the globe. I will be able to keep Japan with a positive image if elected. But I will not let these friendships get in the way of my decisions! Japan will always come first.

What do you plan to do should you not win?
This is a hard question to answer. I may stick around, or I may retire. I have been working In Real Life with my fathers company (as many on IRC know) to fund a hospital for a new playground for children. I may decide to come more active in the company In Real Life, should I not win. It is not that I don't love Japan, I just really enjoy seeing children smile. If I win, I will definitely give Japan my usual 200%.

Should the masked vigilantes who call themselves the 'Sparkling Justice V' give themselves up to the police?
I will hold a giant party for all of Japan! What else am I supposed to do? xD

If there's something strange - Godzilla, for example - in your neighborhood, who are you going to call?
GHOST BUSTERS! Nobody. I will be the president, so I will initiate the discussion and give out the orders along with my MoD. Then we can capture Godzilla and he can become our pet!

To begin our series of domestic questions, we will start out with questions pertaining to your Cabinet.

So your first domestic question is: Who will you put in your cabinet and why?

I personally don't believe in giving out that information. I want to win based on my ideas and who I am, rather then who I bring along with me into my cabinet. I will say that I plan to branch out and include people from all parties. I want more aspects to government, and I want to revive some of the old and bring in some new people.

Additionally, which government organizations (National Bank of Japan, Japanese Interior Service, Japanese Imperial Army, Japan Election Commission, Sempai-Kouhai Program ect) will be controlled by which members of the cabinet?
I plan to have one person who has access for no real reason beside me. That way if nobody is around with access, there is a backup person. Then the organizations will go along with the regular jobs. MoD will have access to the army organization, finance to the bank of japan, etc.

Should Cabinet members keep quiet about matters that do not fall under their responsibility?
Granted there is not a lot of power anybody actually has. I will definitely make it known who spread what, and the consequences will probably end up in that member not being re-elected. I would also ask them to step down, depending on the seriousness of the information leaked. Trust is important, and if somebody cannot be trusted Japan should know.

If people in your Cabinet were acting inappropriately or not doing their job, how would you handle the situation?
First approach them and let them know that they are doing wrong. Once that it known there will always be a second chance. If it is continued, as 'the boy who calls wolf' I will probably find a replacement. Thankfully Japan is much better then that and I have faith I will never have to do such things.

Do you feel there is a conflict of interest if Cabinet members are also members of congress?
No, it is perfectly fine. Cabinet members should have some experience in their area of field, and for some positions that requires debating and proposal experience. Though it is not important to be in congress, it definitely does not conflict anything.

Your Cabinet isn’t the only aspect of government that affects a presidency. The role of Congress is also important so we shall move onto Questions concerning congress.

Do you believe that members of congress are given the will of the people, or perhaps just the privilege to represent some of the people?

Initially Congress supports those who voted for them. Which would mean a select few, and for some just themselves. If you win by only voting for yourself, you represent yourself. If you win with 10+ votes, you speak for many people. Congress can always go against the will of the people though.

Should members of congress be held liable for what they say in public?
Of course they should. People are always liable for their actions. That does not mean they won't be forgiven. Once you are in government you are responsible for what you say and do.

Should a president be held liable for the words and actions of congress members?
To an extent. We cannot control people, but if we do not make an effort into letting them know when they are doing wrong, we should be held liable as we are the leader.

Do you believe the President has the final decision to attack a country, or is that a role of Congress?
Congress. Despite my beliefs, if something is voted on then I must oblige by that decision. Congress are voted by the citizens, they make the decision, and as a president I should always give the citizens what they want once final. Even if I am against it.

What is the role of the president, in your opinion, in comparison to Congress?
To lead. Push for things, keep people active, take most of the drama. Presidents are responsible for being around, being actively part of everything. Negotiations. They have to put people onto certain tasks, and watch over those tasks and people.

Now let us discuss your role in all of this, the role of the president:

What would you say are the three biggest accomplishments of our current president, Kokawayoshi Makoto?

His initial unity, and being able to have everything reformed and improved. He started with very little that was not functional and turned it functional. With exception to the Army of course. Under his term a lot changed and many attacks were countered.

What is your opinion on allowing presidents to get elected 3 times in a row?
No problem, as long as they stay active. If they are active and still making changes and helping the country, they can go on for a fourth term if they wish. If they dwindle down and become inactive and secretive, then they should step down earlier.


I want to say Foreign Affairs, because it is something that has greatly improved since it was taken over. Japan has actually become known as important on the map, we are not just another Asian island over here. When Kokawa became president Japan was definitely not well known.

What aspect do you feel needs the most work and why?
The army. It is the only part of Government that is not functional, even though it has funding.

What will be your goals in your one-month mandate?
I wrote them in my article (though some are long-term)
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/more-into-o-residency-881938/1/20

If you could only be sure of completing one thing during this presidency what would that one thing be?
Educating the citizens. In the long term this will benefit Japan greatly. Although it would be nice to have the army functioning, without people educated on game mechanics and such, we cannot go very far as a country in general. This would be the number one project I would pursue.

How do you plan to pay for all the projects or plans you are proposing?
Many of them do not need funding. If it did it would be up to congress to decide if it were donation or government funded. Depending on the plan there would be pro's and con's to each side. Things like the military will always be government run. Others (like the Kokawa Jinja) will run better on donations.

Now let us move onto questions will be concerning the Army:

What do you consider the purpose and mission of the Army?

Home defense. I want Japan to be able to defend itself. In the future it would be nice to branch out, but realistically home defense is all we can afford for the time being.

How much do you think the government should spend on the Army per month?
After reviewing the taxes and such, currently we can afford 50G per month. Right now the 25G is adequate for testing, but in the future I would like to see it raised. With the changes of taxes in the future and more citizens and more war-games, I hope we will be able to grow this amount even further.

How should the Army be funded?
Government funded through taxes, and maybe some congress milestones.

The final sets of domestic questions are concerning eJapan’s citizens, economy and culture.

What role do you think Japanese culture should play in our nation?

I am Buddhist so I will probably run my decision making in a similar fashion. Culture is important in keeping citizens active. I believe many citizens come to Japan FOR our culture, so to keep them here and satisfied we should be very proud and respecting of it.

What is your stance on national security versus the public's right-to-know?
If it is something that can cause chaos, it must be kept secret until the problem is over. If it is not a big deal and the citizens can know, then they will know. National Security problems do not come along very often, that is for sure.

How would Japan handle citizenship requests under your administration?
I planned on opening a cabinet position for immigration. Somebody who can set guidelines for accepting people into the country, and also watch over them closely and contact these immigrants.

Do you believe that all citizens are equal, that we should not elevate one citizen higher than another?
This could be taken in many ways. I do believe in people being recognized for their accomplishments. Thus, they would be elevated to a higher position in government. I do not believe that any citizens are not equal though. We all have the same rights, and we should all be treated the same, respectfully.

How are you planning on insuring the growth and strength of Japanese citizens, and Japan as a whole?
I hope with myself as a president I am able to unify Japan and move it back to what it was, respectful. The country is split, it needs to come back together. I hope that as a person of neutrality I will be able to accomplish this over my terms, and bring people back together again. I also hope to be able to grow the more eyoung population in the same way, that way the future of Japan can stay neutral and inevitably strong together. As long as we work together, we will succeed, grow, and strengthen our country.

What do you want to do to increase the activity within the country?
Create more activities for everybody to take part in. I want to bring regular citizens and government together, and throw away the 'elitist' way of working. Many of my ideas are yet again in my articles! Read them! 🙂

Should citizens keep quiet about things they don't understand?
No! They should ask questions, as long as they are not controversial questions. It is important that if they do not understand something, that they can learn and understand. They are our future!

What do you want to do to prevent the departure of people like Inferno, Origineel, and Gabriel Lavanche?
Initially everybody has the right to do what they want. Personally I want to make it clear that I hope people will not just give up on their country. Sticking to your country is one of the best things you can do for it. Through thick or thin, we stand together unified. Though in Lavanche's case, I am glad he left. He is now running for president in Finland, and he will probably do very well in the country. Although I will miss him (I really really wanted him on my cabinet) and he would have done Japan well, he can really help another country as well. As his friend I believe he made the best decision. As a member of Japan Congress, I wish he would come back!

Is there anything you want to do against monopolies in the Japanese market?
I believe in free market. I only wish to step in should there be a serious problem. For example, too much food on the market. I would then push to have it taken out and sold. I made a cabinet position to watch over these situations as well!

Have you got plans to have more active governmental companies?
Not officially. I want to see the Kokawa Jinja become active again. Other then that as I said, free-market.

Will there be increase on tax? if so, in what areas?
Currently I like where our taxes are at. If we change them the country markets will become unstable. In the future as the markets change I would like to see a slow increase in some areas such as food and other regularly used products. Mainly I am for decreasing taxes, though right now with our population we cannot afford it.

What is your stance on Tariffs?
Japan importing and exporting is important. We do not have very much materials, and I know that our country needs to import and export to grow. Therefore, I believe for most sectors of the market it is important to keep the taxes low, and allow these goods to come in and go out cheaply.


Now that we have examined your position looking inwards, let’s turn our gaze outwards and discuss international matters:

What are your opinions and policies regarding alliances?

Alliances are important for small countries. Although bigger countries could probably fair well on their own, if Japan was attacked we would need immediate and intelligent help from the stronger countries. Alliances make a country stronger.

Specifically, what are your policies towards PEACE and Sol and why?
Although PEACE has angered many, they are strong and I believe we should stick by them. They will always be there for us now, and their protection is something great that will keep Japan safe.
Sol is a great way to continue relations with Asian countries, and I think it will benefit Japan as an -under-alliance- for us to join it.


The charter was definitely well written, and those that wrote it (you know who you are) I applaud it. It is flawless and has no loop-holes to that I can see (I have studied law, so I like to believe i can notice these things..😨). Some of the countries are a little hostile, and I hope that Sol can change that for us.

In your own words, please describe PEACE and explain your reasoning?
PEACE is initially a party for defense. They protected Germany from Sweden, and in the past has protected Japan from TO's, as well as many other countries. They have proven what they can do, and what they stand for. Although recent events may lead you to believe otherwise, I will stand the same. I have relations with PEACE, and although they can be a little creepy as people, they also do amazing work and stick to most of my beliefs.

What is Japan's role in PEACE? How would you visualize their relationship?
Japan has little to no role in peace, other then to participate in war-games. I personally plan on participating in discussion on their forums, but other then that, we are just another founding member. We do not have much power to offer them, but we can offer it when needed (as we did with Germany). I believe Japan's only role is in the discussion and process, but in-game we do very little.
Our relationship is great though. Many high figures in PEACE are personally friends with me, and other people in Japan. Glados even used to be part of Japan, and they love it here. I would like to see this continue should I be elected.


PEACE will keep us safe. They will protect us from threats, small or big. That is the main thing, Japan's safety. They also make the game more interesting for other countries. I have to admit, they even made Japan a little more active with current situations. Long-term though, they will protect us.

What is your opinion on the lease of Kyushu?
It is said throughout the discussions, though I will say it again. I believe there really was no good option. Saying no and saying yes both had their faults. Giving Kyushu in return for other things I believe was the 'lesser of two evils' though. We were able to oblige and retain relations with our allies, and receive restitution for it.

I just want to say, I believe many citizens blew the situation up. It really was NOT that big of a deal for Japan, and it worked out fine. Many over-reacted to the situation, and I must admit in my own way I did too. We all could have handled it better.

What is your stance concerning the Korean refugees, North and South?
All I can do is wish them a save de-merging when the time comes. For now I hope they will span out and absorb into Japan. I welcome them all and hope they enjoy their time here.

How would you have handled the Indonesia situation as President?
Same as it is, but probably less dramatic. I was initially part of the main negotiations (although I did not step in until late) and I am part of how it turned out.


This is a pretty general question. I want Japan to continue to reach out and be seen as a great country. To do this (which we are) we need to have citizens from Japan participate in other countries. I want Japan to be able to help as many countries as possible, and retain positive relations.

Do you have any connections to anyone in country other than Japan that is part of the government?
Ah, tons. I participate in many countries forums for debates. My main one right now is Austria, I am friends with most of their congress and president. I also retain relations with most PEACE countries, indo being my number one, and UK my second. I have joined a lot of country IRC's and Forums with the intentions of getting Japan's name out there and image positive.

Lastly, the most obvious question that should conclude this interview: Why do you think you are the best candidate for this job, and why should eJapan's citizens trust you with the position?
I have experience. I have been around Japan and enthusiastic for a very long time. I will be able to guide it in the right direction. I have proven that I am responsible in my past. Everybody has seen my growth. I have proven that I am hardworking and get the job done. I will always be active. I am Neutral. I want only what is best for Japan. I want to stop selling myself, I feel big-headed. 😨

Vote Oraizan!

Thank you very much for your time. Your answers will be openly published for all Japanese Citizens to read in hopes of helping them decide their future president. I wish you good luck with your campaign and the upcoming election.