"Banzai!" the old men shouted as news of success arrived, before straightening their suits and starched white shirts, patting back their oiled hair and bowing politely to their supporters. But not even in the giddy rush of victory could anyone mistake the true victor in this week's election of half of Japan's upper house of parliament. One by one, the winning candidates—even those from rival factions of his party—lined up before the television cameras and humbly thanked their prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi. They had, they confessed, "climbed aboard the Koizumi wind". The opposition parties were left stunned by the force with which that wind had swept their votes away.
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