PM Hatoyama raises hand for karate chop on science budgets in Japan

Japanese researchers are in uproar about the drastic budget cuts being recommended for science projects by a new cabinet-level government advisory unit. Since 11 November, working groups of the Government Revitalization Unit, created in September and chaired by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, have been re-evaluating 220 government-funded programmes, including dozens of prominent science projects. The drastic shake-up will hit the SPring-8 synchrotron in Harima, a planned supercomputer that was destined to be the world's fastest, ocean drilling projects and basic grant programmes, to name but a few.The recommendations, part of an effort to trim ¥3 trillion (US$ 33.7 billion) off next year's budget, are the most concrete indication so far that Japan's new government intends to make comprehensive, long-lasting changes to the country's research priorities. Scientists are reacting with frustration and, in some cases, apocalyptic predictions. One prominent crystallographer, who requested anonymity, said: "If this goes on, Japanese scientists, including young scientists, will flow overseas, and Japanese science will die."Hatoyama's government rode into power in August, promising to shift government expenditure from wasteful projects to initiatives that will benefit the average person, such as ending highway tolls. In August, Hatoyama said that he would nonetheless increase support for science. But since then, his government has been slicing into budgets. In October, the science and education ministry reduced the total grants for 30 of the projects under the Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology (FIRST) from ¥270 billion to ¥100 billion2. - Politicians know that the ordinary Joe, or in this case, Yamamoto, wants to see the government make budget cuts. So, in order to get votes in the upcoming House elections, make the ordinary folks happy. PM Hatoyama is actually the first PhD to become PM of Japan. PhD in math from Stanford. Speedy guesses that's how he learned to do subtraction ! HI-YA CHOP !!!!