And for the Japanese prime minister, the beginning of his fourth year in office turned out to be a bit sweeter as his main ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured all three seats in by elections held on Sunday. The election results came as a solid proof that the debacle that many thought the government was about to face as a result of recent incidents surrounding Japanese citizens in Iraq had less impact on voters as a low turn out rate once again proved to be of crucial help for the LDP.

During the last three years Koizumi's support rate fluctuated widely as he started his term with an unprecedented backing of more than 80 percent. At one point the rate dropped to as low as around 40 percent and then regaining a bit to hang around 50 percent. Past surveys had shown that the prime minister's support figures tend to rise sharply after a major development in the political and diplomatic arena. This was the case when he returned from a historic trip to Pyongyang in September 2002 after having a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. The visit was seen as a breakthrough in Japan's diplomatic initiative to normalise relationship with a neighbour with whom mutual distrust runs deep.

The present survey was also conducted at a time when another unexpected incident in the form of hostage crisis jolted the nation. The rise in support rate reflected in the survey, as a result, can be attributed to the peaceful solution of the hostage crisis in Iraq after five Japanese citizens taken hostage in two separate incidents in early April were set free without any precondition.

But at the same time, the respondents of the latest Yomiuri survey were also unsympathetic in their assessment of Koizumi administration's policies. Asked to list issues they believed the cabinet was able to make progress, the top two items cited by respondents were North Korean issue and the privatisation of state-run postal system. The issues cited by the respondents as problems that the government needs to address without further delay included economic recovery, reforming the pension and related social security systems, as well as unemployment.

As high as 69 percent of the respondents felt that the government should tackle the problems of economic recovery without further delay and 60 percent said they wanted the government to address the issue of social security system, while 39 percent of those who participated in the Yomiuri survey said they would like to see the government addresses unemployment first. The unemployment figure in Japan is still hanging around 5 percent rate and thus fueling doubts among many about the real impact of recent upturn in Japanese economy. The doubt was also reflected in the survey as only 12 percent of the respondents expressed satisfaction with the prime minister's action toward improving the economy.

Koizumi seems to be well aware of the occasional trend of erosion in popular support with the passage of time. As a result, he is trying to reach his supporters directly with appeals made through his e-mail magazine that he has introduced more than two years ago. His weekly e-mail magazine, 138th issue of which is just been out in time for the anniversary of Koizumi administration, is open to everyone and anyone willing to receive it regularly can subscribe free of cost. Issued initially only in Japanese, the "Message from the Lion Heart", as the weekly message the prime minister conveys to everyone is entitled, has also been published in English from early April. According to the magazine's own explanation, the expression "Lion Heart" refers to Koizumi's lion-like hairstyle and his unbending determination to advance structural reform.

In the latest issue the Japanese prime minister focuses on the hostage crisis and related debates that the problem has aroused. As the time of his administration's anniversary also coincided with the end of cherry blossom period in Japan, Koizumi also focuses on that upcoming anniversary in a rather poetic tone citing a few lines from his favourite Japanese poems on cherry blossoms. Recognising the fact that the past three years of his administration had been a time of intense pressure, Koizumi vows to keep the idea of 'the wild cherry glowing in the morning sun' close to his heart at all time, no matter what the weather is.

Anyone willing to subscribe the English edition of the e-mail magazine of the Japanese prime minister can do so by visiting the web site at: http://www.kantei.-go.jp/foreign/m-magazine/