Japan: From the Cow-Walk to the Brawl

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A flying wedge of burly conservative "secretaries" smashed through, carrying the aging, anemia-weakened chairman in with them. As the vote was hurriedly taken, Socialists screamed "Fascist dictatorship!" and charged. In the melee, Chairman Nagayama disappeared, was rescued ten minutes later by Diet guards who found him bruised and bleeding on the floor. He was rushed to a hospital.

"We won't have enough bodies to go around if people get injured every time a controversial bill comes up," said Yu-taro Takeyama, head of the government party's strategy committee. "We will just have to appoint stronger men to committee chairmanships, men who won't get put out of action every time the going gets rough."