Here starts a thread on Suga's 2012 book, 「政治家の覚悟」. 
Don't skip the introductory note, which functions as a political credo. Because it was written in 2012, opens by criticizing the DPJ for mishandling the bureaucracy.
But then praises Japan's bureaucracy as the "world's finest think tank," which a politician has to be able to use, overcoming sectionalism and custom. 「官僚を使いこなす」
Then shifts to his own bio, and provides a bit of rather Abe-esque rhetoric. もう一度、政治の力によって、国民一人一人が夢、希望を持てる日本にしたい。その ために、努力した人が報われる国、失敗しても何度でもチャレンジできる活力ある社会 を作りたいそんな思いで
Ch. 1, a minister's tremendous power and political leadership: opens by praising the bureaucracy again, noting its incredible capacity as an information-gathering apparatus but also its sectionalism, its dependence on precedent create distance from the public.
Then, introduces wisdom from his mentor Kajiyama Seiroku, warning how bureaucratic expertise could lead politicians to be rushed along into suboptimal decisions. A politician, he says, has been entrusted with power by voters, receives explanations and insight from bureaucrats.
"One's own convictions and the voice of the people" have to be reflected even as bureaucrats provide expertise.
I wonder what Sir Humphrey would think of this.
There aren't nearly enough Yes Minister gifs.
But this section ends with a twist. Bureaucrats, he says, look closely to see whether politicians take responsibility for their actions; it can be demoralizing if they don't. It is necessary for the burden of responsibility to fall entirely on politicians.
Next section turns to his time as Abe's Minister of Internal Affairs in 2006-2007. Wanted to achieve decentralization going back to his time in Yokohama politics. Notes how nationwide rules prevented Yokohama from addressing daycare waiting list issue.
Relates how MIC bureaucrats tried to hem him in after taking office, wanted Suga to push decentralization leg that had been introduced under Koizumi. Suga said it was a priority for the PM and pushed them to get new legislation drafted quickly.
Next, he moves to his fight for the introduction of the ふるさと納税, the hometown tax that allows taxpayers to allocate some of their local taxes to other localities, ostensibly their hometowns in rural Japan but in practice others.
Explainer from the @TokyoReview: tokyoreview.net/2020/04/furusa….
In relating his battles with MIC bureaucrats over the issue - they naturally offered a litany of reasons why it couldn't be done - it is immediately apparent that Suga's biography matters. The experience of growing up in rural Japan but leaving it for metropolitan Japan is key.
I'm a hometown tax skeptic but in his account of its successes, Suga articulates a view that the program stitches the nation together in a more intimate way. Notes how the program was used after 3/11.
Okay, I'm not going to lie. This book gets really boring really fast. MIC might be important but it's just not a particularly "sexy" ministry.
The "chapter" on his year as MIC minister is 160 pages.
After several sections on his battles with MIC and local officials to transfer more revenue from wealthy metropolises to poorer, depopulating prefectures, we get the first reference to a foreign trip on p. 38, when Suga discusses going to Vietnam to promote ICT cooperation.
Japan's bureaucracy at work: Suga laments that even as the first Abe government was trying to boost Japan's competitiveness in IT, the ministries couldn't even agree on terms. MIC used ICT; METI used IT.
More telecom diplomacy: recounts traveling to Latin America to conclude deals for Japan's terrestrial digital television system, which, after a deal with Brazil, was tagged embraced across South America.
But the next section is on Chosen Soren and the abductees, so maybe a bit meatier than everything up until now.
So far, at the 50-page mark, Suga offers a fairly bloodless view of politics. There's some tension over the distribution of national wealth but it's deliberated about and negotiated without intense conflict. Managerial democracy.
First mention of Abe chronologically: as Koizumi's chief cabinet secretary, working with Suga as MIC's vice minister to push local governments to review any local tax exemptions for Chosen Soren.
This discussion gives way to another discussion of MIC's plans for broadcasting into North Korea about the abductees.
Actually an interesting look at how a decision made at the highest levels - recovering the abductees was a fundamental test of sovereignty and the government's ability to defend basic rights - trickled down into every corner of the government.
Suga takes a shot at the media after he came in for criticism from mass media after he used powers under broadcast law to order NHK to broadcast to NK.
「政治家が考慮すべきは国民の声であってマスコミの評価ではありません。いくらマスコミに叩かれても、国民は認めてくれるという確信が私にはありました。一部の新聞もその点は認めてくれました」
That's 60 pages of 215. Plenty for one day.
Once more unto the breach.
Now on to the bankruptcy of Yubari city in Hokkaido, which Suga dealt with as MIC vice minister and minister. He's especially exercised by the extravagant spending and bloated staff costs. A lot of this reads as Suga still seeing these issues through local councilman's eyes.
Segues into another scene of Suga riding herd on MIC bureaucrats as he wants legislation to prevent municipal bankruptcies by the 2007 ordinary Diet session and the bureaucrats naturally say it can't be done.
These scenes mostly involve Suga convincing reluctant staffers that it has to be done and they assent and do the work.
In this case, he selects "ten young officials" for a project team to work into the early hours of the morning to prepare a bill for cabinet approval in three-months time. Ends with Suga's thanking them for their work. Probably best illustration of ethos in the intro thus far.
In this sense, I imagine that Suga's work ethic probably endears him to the bureaucrats working under him.
Oh no -- six pages on reforming lending to local governments. 🥱
However, in battling with MOF and Japan Post over high-interest lending to local governments, Suga stresses that coordinating across ministerial lines usually fails because no one assumes responsibility.
