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Nothing spells out class quite like Harry Winston Engagement Rings. I've never stepped foot inside a Harry Winston Store but truth be told, I might be a little intimidated.

Winston may be most famous for once owning the Hope diamond which he donated to the Smithsonian Museum in DC. I've seen the shell pearl jewelry diamond firsthand and it is awe-inspiring!

Harry Winston established his company in 1932. He apparently had a love affair with diamonds....feeling immense joy when acquiring a new bauble and deep depression when selling one of his pride and joys. Harry's son Ronald Winston is currently chairman of the company.

Unlike other jewelers, Harry Winston is hands on from start to finish with their pieces. The whole process of cutting, polishing, designing and creating the gemstone jewelry finished jewel is conducted in the Harry Winston 5th Avenue building in NYC. Their jewelry and engagement rings are like no others when it comes to quality, craftsmanship, and prestige.

Image has always been of the utmost importance to Harry Winston. Harry Winston has draped some of the world's biggest celebrities in diamonds. Who could forget Bennifer's enormous pink diamond engagement ring. Ben Affleck loved Harry Winston jewelry enough to also present Jennifer Garner with a 4.5 carat Harry Winston ring. Paris Hilton briefly sported a canary yellow Harry Winston diamond, when engaged to sterling silver jewelry a man with her same namesake. You may have heard of the Taylor-Burton diamond, a 70 carat pear shaped rock? Hands down, the celebs love Harry Winston. Perhaps this is because Harry Winston covers celebrities in diamonds for some of the largest, most glamorous red carpet events like the Tonys, the Emmys, and the Academy Awards. And their prices are high enough to keep most of the riff-raff out of their stores and from the majority of commoners from wearing their designs.

From what I've heard, entry level pricing for 1 carat Harry Winston engagement rings begin at around $15,000. And forget about buying a little token item. Most everything in the store sells for over $10,000. If you are dead-set on a Harry Winston ring and are a "want champagne on a beer budget" kind of individual, consider getting a local jeweler to make a replica ring.

Don't be disappointed but you won't find a Harry Winston store located at your local mall. There are only a handful locations in Switzerland, Japan, France, Hawaii, Nevada, California, Florida, and New York.

Cartier engagement rings start in the affordable $4,000 range and skyrocket to the millions. Thus, allowing for both Joe Schmo down the turquoise jewelry street and Joe Millionaire alike to be able to purchase a bauble from Cartier. Still too steep? At least everyone can afford to become a member of the Cartier Club. ...all it takes is signing up on their website http://wwww.cartier.com to receive their free newsletter....... hmm...sounds a little more exclusive than it actually is, huh?

Cartier is a long time player in the jewelry industry. They've been around since the mid 19th century. Cartier's roots were planted in Paris by founder Louis-Francois Cartier. The famed NY branch on the coral jewelry oh so fancy fifth avenue, was established in the early 20th century.

Cartier's creations have been worn by royalty and celebrities across the globe. Legends such as Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe have donned Cartier jewels. They are known for their outstanding quality and design and their name is synonomous with luxury.

Go to the Cartier website and take a look at Cartier's regular jewelry collection. Specifically, find the rings in the trinity collection: They are so cool and sleek. They feature three intertwined rings of various precious metals and diamonds. (I'll put these on my birthday wish list). I don't think these classic pieces will ever go out of style.

Under the bridal collection on the Cartier website, they offer "classic," one-stone rings ranging from .5 carat to many many more. All engagement rings appear to be made out of platinum although they may offer more choices at their store sites. They also offer "creative" engagement rings made of platinum which are significantly more embellished. The same "classic" and "creative" classification system is used for silver pearl sets their wedding bands which are presented on their website in platinum, white gold and gold metals. Custom wedding bands can be created within fairly short notice...... most likely for a sweet price. Their rings appear to be a well-balanced mix of modern and antique combined together for a contemporary look.

Cartier jewelry stores are located in major cities across the U.S. and abroad. To find out more about Cartier engagement rings, they recommend that you go to their website and schedule an in-person bridal consultation. You can also order a bridal catalogue to be mailed to your home address.

In addition to jewelry, Cartier sells novelty items, fragrances, watches, leather goods, and accessories.

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Sep. 29, 2009 - akoya pearl strand

After the fifteenth anniversary, these occasions are only celebrated every five years by people outside the immediate family. Each of akoya pearl strand these milestones has their own gifts, flowers, and colors. In order to create an ideal gift basket for these special occasions, it will help you to be aware of what these elements are.

For the twentieth anniversary, the traditional gift is china which represents beauty and elegance. The contemporary gift is platinum which symbolizes strength and endurance. The flowers are the day lily which represents coquetry and the freshwater pearl strand iris which symbolizes faith, hope, wisdom, and valor. The colors associated with this anniversary are emerald green or white.

To create a traditional gift basket, you could include china figurines as well as a china vase or container. There are also china picture frames and baking pans available. For a platinum gift basket, you could include platinum kitchenware as well as kitchen tools. You can purchase platinum baking pans as well as well as drink ware. You could also purchase a platinum addition DVD set of movies that you think the pearl strands couple would enjoy. You could trim your basket with both emerald green and white ribbon and distribute either several day lilies or irises or possibly both, depending on what colors are available. You want to try to blend all the colors in your basket as best you can.

The traditional and contemporary gift for the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary is silver which represents the marriage that is valuable and precious. One flower that has been associated with this occasion is the iris, which again symbolizes faith, hope, wisdom, and valor. Another is the yellow rose which represents companionship and zealousness. The color for the twenty-fifth anniversary is also silver.

To create a gift basket for this occasion, you could include silverware, a silver picture frame, or silver figurines. You could also stray away from the silver theme and make a scrapbook instead, including pictures of the couple over the freshwater pearl beads last twenty-five years. You could also include headlines dated the month that the wedding took place. You could record a CD that contains all the popular songs from that year. The couple will get hours of enjoyment as they relive their youth through the scrapbook and the music. Trimming your basket with bright silver ribbon and placing several bright yellow roses and bright purple irises around the inside will make a colorful display that will stand out.

The traditional gift for the thirtieth anniversary is the pearl while the contemporary gift is the diamond. Both of these gifts represent the value of the marriage and how precious it is. The flower associated with this anniversary is the amaryllis which represents pride and timidity and the color is green.

To make a gift basket for this special occasion, you could decorate your basket with green trim and glue imitation pearls to pearl beads it. You could include a pearl necklace or bracelet for her and a set of pearl cufflinks for him. Diamond jewelry could be added as well. Again, if you wish to make a gift basket that is different from the regular anniversary themes you could make a romantic wine and cheese basket that the couple may enjoy during a quiet picnic or a day at the beach. You might also treat them to a weekend getaway.

These are just a few of the many different types of anniversary gift baskets that you could make. Again, you should feel free to use any theme that you wish to, as many of these larger anniversary years have themes that are based on precious metals and gemstones. If you are a close family member, an expensive gift may be appropriate. If you are just a friend, it probably is not. Creating an inexpensive gift basket may be the choice for you.

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Sep. 29, 2009 - pearl jewellry

A wedding anniversary is a joyous occasion to celebrate the day that two people exchanged vows and became a family. If you want to give the couple a gift, you may want to consider a gift basket. This is a creative, personal way to send best wishes to the happy couple. As each anniversary has certain gifts, colors, and flowers attached to pearl jewellry them, it may be helpful for you to know what these are so that you can incorporate them in your gift basket.

The tenth anniversary is one of the milestones of married life. The traditional gift for this occasion is tin and aluminum which represents the durability of the marriage as well as the flexibility. The modern gift is leather (or imitation leather) which also symbolizes the durability of the long-term union. The flower for the tenth anniversary is the wholesale pearl jewelry daffodil which represents joy, happiness, and cheerfulness. The sweet pea is also associated with this occasion and symbolizes blissful pleasure. The colors are silver or blue.

To create a tenth anniversary traditional basket, you can include items such as tin antiques toys, tin boxes filled with money or a gift certificate, and tin wall decorations. You can also purchase a set of aluminum pie pans as well as a roaster pan. For a contemporary basket, you can purchase leather clothing, leather book binders, or a leather briefcase or purse. For an antique basket, you can trim the freshwater pearl bracelets basket with dull silver ribbon and sprinkle sweet pea around it. For a more colorful theme, you can use bright silver and blue ribbon and place daffodils around it.

The traditional gift for the eleventh anniversary is steel which symbolizes durability and strength. The modern gift is jewelry, the diamond and the onyx being the two gemstones associated with this anniversary. The flower is the lilac which represents first love and the color is turquoise.
To create a traditional gift basket, you can purchase stainless steel silverware, a stainless steel wine rack, or even a stainless steel wallet. You could also include stainless steel napkin rings, candlestick holders, and stainless steel wine glasses to freshwater pearl earrings compliment the dinner table. If you wish to include jewelry in your gift basket, an onyx ring or necklace would be an acceptable gift. Unless you are a close family member, diamonds are probably inappropriate. Since turquoise is the color that is associated with this occasion, turquoise jewelry would also be acceptable. Bright turquoise trimming and lilacs scattered around the basket would be a colorful touch.

For the twelfth anniversary, silks and linens which represent the home are the traditional gift while pearls are the contemporary one. The flower is the lily that represents beauty, purity, and hope and oyster white is the color.

To create an anniversary basket for this occasion, you could include towels, washcloths, or bedding. You could also include silk clothing as well as silk accessories for the household, such as curtains or a silk flower centerpiece. For a contemporary gift basket, you could include seashells in your basket design as well as gluing pearl-shaped white beads around the rim of it. If you decide to do this, you may want to freshwater pearl pendant finish your basket with ribbon that is a different color than oyster white. A darker color will make the pearls stand out more. You could purchase an imitation pearl bracelet for her and a pearl keychain for him to place inside two of the shells. You could also include pearl-shaped bath oils and other bathing accessories. If you wish to trim your basket with the oyster white then you should scatter several lilies around the inside that are not white. Too much white can make your basket appear to be bland.

These are just a few of the many ways that you can use the information about anniversaries to create a unique and meaningful gift basket. Let your imagination run wild and see where it will lead you. Happy basket making!

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Sep. 29, 2009 - opera or rope necklace

Customarily, a woman would not have dreamed of getting married without first sitting for her bridal portrait. This is not to opera or rope necklace be confused with the modern (and to my mind, unfortunate) trend of the whole bridal party having their group photos taken before the ceremony so they can get to the cocktails sooner after the service. The bridal portrait is of just the bride, taken a week or two before her wedding.

The day of the wedding is so hectic that it is easy to miss out on certain photos that you would later wish to have. Having professional pre-wedding portraits done ensures that this does not happen. The focus is really on freshwater pearl necklace showcasing the wedding gown and on capturing the soft radiance of the bride. Portraits are frequently taken at the photographer's studio, but it could also be lovely to have the bride photographed at her house or her parents' home. Poses should be traditional, backgrounds simple, and you might even consider black-and-white photography to emphasize the timeless and nostalgic nature of this type of portraiture.

A bride should be just as fully composed for her portraits as she will be on her wedding day. Be sure to inform your bridal salon well in advance that you will need your gown to be completed and pressed for the day of your portraits. This is also the freshwater pearl bracelet perfect opportunity to do the final trial run for your hair, makeup, and accessories. To set off a classic gown, pearl bridal jewelry would be lovely. White pearls also show beautifully in black-and-white photos. If pearl bridal jewelry is not quite your style, try instead a dazzling pair of crystal drop earrings for another option that will never look dated.

In the frenzy of today's weddings, old customs such as bridal potraiture are often overlooked. But consider continuing this tradition. It can be especially meaningful if the bride has her photos taken in freshwater pearl pendant a pose similar to the one in her mother's wedding portrait. Just think of how sweet the pictures will look sitting together on the piano or the mantel.

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Sep. 20, 2009 - Unintended consequences

TRADITIONALLY, Britain has been an educational skinflint. For years its spending lagged behind the rich-world average. Under Labour all that changed. Teachers were awarded big pay rises, lots of akoya pearl bracelet money was spent renovating dilapidated schools¡ªand an army of teaching assistants were hired to help keep order in the classroom and relieve teachers of routine paperwork. The number of these classroom helpers, who often have few or no educational qualifications, has exploded, from 60,600 in 1997 to 176,000 today. Proud government ministers frequently refer to pearl ring the increase.

But that pride has been tarnished by the results of a study* commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which suggests that support staff may be holding children back. The researchers collected data on children between the ages of five and 16. At every age and in most subjects, children who got help from teaching assistants or freshwater pearl ring support staff did worse than those left to their own devices. Damningly, in many combinations of age and subject, the more help children got, the less well they did. Pupils in the final year of primary school who received the akoya pearl ring most support in science, for instance, were roughly eight months behind their unsupported peers (see chart).

Because the finding was unexpected, the researchers are unable to say exactly why teaching assistants seemed to shell pearl be keeping their charges back rather than advancing them. Obvious confounding factors are controlled for: it is not that dimmer pupils were assigned more help, for example. One suggestion is that teachers use assistants as convenient minders for the most difficult pupils, precisely the ones who, in theory, should be getting the most ¡°face time¡± with teachers themselves. Most teaching assistants are untrained (many are mothers, attracted by the convenient working hours), and the researchers note that they tend not to be involved in planning lessons.

Not all the news is bad, however. Teachers were mostly enthusiastic about the impact of their underlings, saying that teaching assistants did indeed help them to improve classroom discipline, freed them from tedious administrative tasks and brought the occasional specialist skill into the classroom (computer savvy, for instance, or advice on careers). Nice benefits to have, but a system that makes things worse for the poorest-performing children is surely doing exactly the opposite of what it should.

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Sep. 20, 2009 - Top-up teaching(two)

Even parents who already pay for schooling no longer seem to think that tutoring is unnecessary: Charles Bonas, the managing director of pearl necklace a London-based tutoring agency, Bonas MacFarlane, says most of its clients are privately educated. In response to rising demand, the annual ¡°Good Schools Guide¡±, the bible for middle-class parents choosing their children¡¯s next academic step, recently added a chapter on pearl jewelry wholesale finding a good tutor to its usual analyses of state and private schools.

Underlying this demand is increasing competition to get into the most prestigious universities. Even in the era of university top-up fees it is the wholesale pearl jewlery taxpayer, not the student, who pays most of the cost of a degree. To limit its liability the government caps student numbers. But school-leaving cohorts have been getting bigger for some years now, and a larger share of school-leavers are going on to further study. The battle for places is particularly acute this autumn because of the shortage of gemstone jewelry entry-level jobs (see article).

Counter-intuitively, perhaps, rampant grade inflation is adding to the competitive pressure. Students cannot rest on their laurels in the firm expectation of a sheaf of A-grades but take even more care to get them. An eighth of all those taking A-levels now get at least three As. So universities also look at GCSE results when deciding whom to admit¡ªand approach admissions as an exercise in finding reasons to say no. A youngster who slacks or slips up will quickly find that there is no way to redeem himself. So many parents, including those paying for private schools, see home tutoring as a near-compulsory insurance policy.

One side-effect is a generation of young people who think that making sure they learn is someone else¡¯s job entirely. ¡°Lazy rich kids who had been mucking around, and coming up to exam time realised they needed help¡±, is how one tutor describes his pupils. ¡°A lot of it is just checking to pearl jewelry see they are doing what they¡¯ve been assigned,¡± says another. She describes the role of a tutor as ¡°somewhere between hand-holding and prison-guarding¡±.

Another, equally undesirable, is that the league tables of exam results that are used to compare schools are worth a good deal less than meets the eye. A good showing proves little more than that a school is patronised by parents who will do whatever it takes to get good results for their children, not that it does much in the way of quality teaching itself.

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Sep. 20, 2009 - Top-up teaching(one)

AFTER three years in school, seven-year-old Dan could barely scrawl his name. Yet another parent-teacher meeting had come and gone at pearl earrings which his mother, Jackie, rehearsed her concerns and Dan¡¯s teacher pooh-poohed them. Then Jackie saw a retired teacher¡¯s advertisement in a local shop, offering help with reading and writing. After just three weeks of one-to-one tuition for freshwater pearl jewelry an hour every Saturday morning, she saw a big improvement in her child¡ªand since she could not bring herself to tell Dan¡¯s school that she was paying to pearl jewelry wholesale remedy its deficiencies, his teacher assumed her marvellous teaching was responsible.

No one knows how many people work as home tutors: the business is pearl jewelry unregulated and many work for cash in hand. But more youngsters are getting education on the side than before. A recent survey by the Sutton Trust, an education charity, found that 22% of parents with 11-16-year-olds in state schools had paid for cultured rpeal tutoring at some point. Four years ago, 18% had.
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Tutoring also starts earlier now than it used to. The standardised tests pupils take at age seven mean that parents whose children are falling behind find out earlier than previously¡ªand today¡¯s cash-rich, time-poor working mothers may well decide their only option is to freshwater pearl pay for the homework help their own mothers would have seen as part of their job description.

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Sep. 20, 2009 - The chancellor's eyebrows(two)

In an encouraging sign, Moody¡¯s, a credit-rating agency, indicated this week that it did not expect to pearl jewelry wholesale downgrade Britain¡¯s prized triple-A borrowing status despite its ballooning debt¡ªin effect because the next government would do the pearl jewelry right thing and sort out the mess. Yet if that is to happen there must be an open debate before the election. What will Labour¡¯s ¡°tough choices¡± mean in practice? David Cameron, the Tory leader, said on September 8th that he would cut ministerial salaries and reduce the cost of pearl jewelry wholesale Parliament, but these pledges are no more than a gesture. Where precisely will the Conservatives make big economies in public spending?

Mr Darling has an opportunity to freshwater pearl jewelry fill in the blank spaces later this year in his pre-budget report. If he grasps it, that will put pressure on the Tories to come clean about just how they would reduce spending. The more candour the better. In a report on the British economy in July, the IMF said, in freshwater pearl strangled euphemisms, ¡°Building a broad public consensus on the need for sizeable fiscal adjustment will be essential in meeting fiscal challenges.¡± Translation: public buy-in is vital if the painful cuts needed after the election are to be carried out.

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Sep. 20, 2009 - The chancellor's eyebrows(one)

TWICE, when he was chancellor of the pearl jewelry exchequer, Gordon Brown fought and won general elections by contrasting Labour ¡°investment¡± (his preferred term for spending) with Tory ¡°cuts¡± (his preferred term for smaller increases in spending than he was planning). He pushed that line again as prime minister, even while the public finances lurched ever more sickeningly into the red. Now, as the pearl pendant general election draws closer (it must be held by June 3rd), he is finally having to change his line.

The economy may be emerging from recession¡ªmanufacturing output climbed for the second consecutive month in July and activity in the services sector rose again in August, according to the latest survey of pearl necklace purchasing managers¡ªbut the need to trim the budget deficit once a recovery is entrenched is pressing. Even a contortionist could not make Mr Brown¡¯s electioneering position on spending fit the budget arithmetic of his own chancellor, the heavily-eyebrowed Alistair Darling. In April he set out a strategy, of sorts, for plugging the gaping hole in the public finances.

The eight-year plan entails increases in taxes, including a controversial move to pearl earrings tax high earners at 50% as early as next year. But most of the reduction in the deficit during the next parliament will come from a clampdown on spending, such that in real terms it will contract marginally during the three fiscal years to 2013-14. Capital spending in particular is to be slashed.

That will make sloganeering about Labour¡¯s commitment to ¡°investment¡± even hollower than before. But quite apart from the Treasury¡¯s awkward numbers, Mr Brown¡¯s approach is failing the test of wholesale pearl jewelry public opinion. In a poll by Populus in July, 81% of people said that significant cuts in government spending were inevitable after the next election, whoever wins.

After discussions with Mr Darling over the summer, the prime minister is now adopting a more credible stance. True, the word ¡°cuts¡± remains taboo. Instead the two prefer to talk about ¡°tough choices¡± and ¡°setting priorities¡±, as in a speech the chancellor gave this week in Wales. Even so this is an advance on the earlier pretence that Labour, unlike the Tories, was not poised to slam the brakes on spending. Mr Darling was not afraid to talk about cutting costs and further reform of the public services. And he said that ¡°we need constantly to test the limits of what government can do best¡ªand where to step back¡±.

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Sep. 16, 2009 - Longing and Love Lost in War

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq ¡ª The fighting war for Americans here is drawing to a close. But when the guns fall silent, there is that much more space for inflatable thinking.

Invariably, thoughts turn to home. For some, that is a different kind of struggle. It is a battle fought in the mind. Memories mix with fears, uncertainty with loneliness, longing with distance.

¡°Combat may have slowed down, but not our counseling,¡± said Maj. Mark Roberts, a military chaplain at the sprawling American base called Balad. ¡°It is almost always about issues back home.¡±

And for the overwhelmingly male population on the base, that usually means women.

¡°We have a lot of people who are young, and many of inflatable bouncer them just married,¡± Major Roberts said. ¡°These are tough issues they are dealing with.¡±

The story is familiar and goes roughly like this: A young man falls in love. He is 18. He and his new love have six months together before he deploys. The picture he carries of her is frayed from repeatedly being pulled in and out of his pocket by the time he gets to the desert. They start off e-mailing every day. But after a while the sound of inflatable water games her voice starts to fade. They talk, but only once a week. He notices something different in her tone. She stops sending e-mails every day. He does not want to think about it. But he can¡¯t help himself. Then one day, it¡¯s over. She is leaving him.

¡°My friend who is a psychologist on the base, he is so sick of hearing these stories,¡± said Capt. Brian Neese, 32. ¡°Now, when he gets the guy who just got the letter from his wife or girlfriend saying she is sleeping with another guy, he does not even want to deal with it anymore.¡±

A soldier whose mind is on problems at inflatable tent home can be a problem in Iraq.

Aside from offering counseling and being sure that there are other things to occupy a soldier¡¯s time and mind ¡ª mainly exercise and movies ¡ª there is not much that can be done.

But even when there are no problems at home, it has always been true that a war zone is a lonely place, a place where the imagination can take hold on quiet nights ¡ª nights when the only sound that can be heard is the hum of the generator powering an overworked air-conditioner.

It is in all the books about war. In the Baghdad bureau, we have copies of many of the more famous novels. Flip open any one of them and you will soon get to a passage on longing.

¡°¡®Rosie¡¯s a good kid,¡¯ he said to himself. I¡¯m gonna marry her one of these days. He remembered her perfume, and the shiny exciting line of her eyelashes. She put Vaseline under them, he decided, but it¡¯s alright when a girl knows all the tricks. He was beginning to think of the women he had at different Army posts, and his fantasies transferred to them; he began to count the women he has coupled¡..He drifted off into sexual reverie again, but it was becoming painful¡..He began to think about Rosie again, and he became angry. She¡¯s cheating on me, that letter where she said she wasn¡¯t dancing with anybody until I got back is a crock of¡¡¡±

That is from Norman Mailer¡¯s novel, ¡°The Naked and the Dead,¡± about soldiers in World War II. The soldier, alone, thinking about the girl back home, is called Minetta in the book.

At Balad, there is Staff Sgt. Samuel Hudson, 29, known as J.R. His story is not like Minetta¡¯s, but it is one of longing.

He has been married for one year and one month exactly. His wife is also in the military. But there are two wars being fought, and she got sent to inflatable slides the other one. ¡°We have been together five months in the last three years,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s horrible.¡±

But he is not complaining. It is the life both he and his wife chose. He is just saying it is horrible.

Sergeant Hudson is a librarian. He calls himself a ¡°combat librarian.¡± It sounds cooler, he says. The best way to deal with the separation and the longing is to just keep moving. He volunteers and runs and keeps busy as much as he can.

¡°Busy is always better,¡± he said.

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Sep. 16, 2009 - Japan¡¯s New Prime Minister Takes Office, Ending an Era

TOKYO ¡ª Yukio Hatoyama, who led his party to a landmark victory in elections last month, took office as prime minister and named a cabinet of loyal allies on Wednesday, promising to bring change to a country mired in stagnation after a half-century of akoya pearl jewelry virtually uninterrupted, one-party rule.

Mr. Hatoyama has said the Democratic Party will reverse Japan¡¯s long economic malaise, increasing social benefits and aligning policies more closely with the public¡¯s needs rather than those of big business or the country¡¯s bureaucrats. He has also spoken of redefining Japan¡¯s relationship with the United States, its closest ally.

¡°I am trembling with deep emotion over this moment of historical change, while at the same time I know I have taken on an immense responsibility,¡± Mr. Hatoyama said at a news conference. ¡°We are entering the realm of akoya pearl beads the unknown.¡±

Mr. Hatoyama, 62, is a management professor with a doctorate in engineering from Stanford; a critic of globalization; a political scion who cast out Japan¡¯s postwar political order with a decisive victory over the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

He inherits an economy that is emerging from its deepest recession in decades, brought on by a collapse in the country¡¯s mainstay exports amid the global economic crisis. He must also deal with debt approaching twice the size of its gross domestic product, a legacy of years of government spending on public works projects that fueled the politics of the departing Liberal Democrats.

Unemployment is at a record high of 5.7 percent, while the cost of cultured akoya pearl earrings supporting a rapidly aging population is threatening the country¡¯s public finances.

Blaming years of mismanagement by bureaucrats for Japan¡¯s woes, Mr. Hatoyama has made reining in their power a major goal. His rhetoric struck a chord with voters demoralized after decades of insider-driven politics and wasteful spending.

The Democrats also promise to redistribute more funds directly to the country¡¯s struggling households, and build a stronger social safety net. They hope that more economic security will spur consumer spending, and wean Japan off its dependence on exports for economic growth.

¡°First and foremost, we will engage in policies that will boost household incomes,¡± Mr. Hatoyama said. ¡°We will realize a world where politics does not rely on bureaucrats.¡±

The cabinet Mr. Hatoyama picked reflects those goals.

Hirohisa Fujii, Japan¡¯s new finance minister, is a Finance Ministry bureaucrat-turned-politician likely to play an important role in efforts to wholesale pearl jewelry control the bureaucracy and rein in spending. He served as finance minister for a coalition government in the mid-1990s, when the Liberal Democrats briefly lost power.

Mr. Fujii will be joined in his task by the deputy prime minister, Naoto Kan, 62, a founder of the Democratic Party who will lead a new agency called the National Strategy Bureau. Mr. Kan will take on tasks once carried out by the bureaucracy, including drawing up national budgets and filling top bureaucratic posts.

Mr. Kan, a former activist, lawyer and lawmaker, has a record of battling bureaucrats, most famously over a government cover-up of tainted blood products that caused hundreds of hemophilia patients to contract the AIDS virus.

Critics say the Democrats, who swept into office with 308 out of 490 Parliament seats, lack a coherent growth strategy. ¡°The Democratic Party is still trying to figure out how best it should engage with the global economy,¡± said Izuru Makihara, a politics professor at Tohoku University. ¡°They say they will overhaul current policy, but it¡¯s not clear what they will replace it with.¡±

In his cabinet lineup, Mr. Hatoyama also accommodated the Democrats¡¯ two coalition partners ¡ª the Social Democratic Party and the People¡¯s New Party, a conservative splinter group.

Those parties, with anti-free-market platforms, are expected to push the Democrats to reverse many of shell jewelry the pro-market reforms championed by the former prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi.

The Democrats¡¯ election platform also called for a re-examination of Tokyo¡¯s ties with Washington, including the presence of 50,000 American service members in Japan. But Mr. Hatoyama¡¯s choice of foreign minister, the 56-year-old moderate Katsuya Okada, signals that Japan¡¯s pro-American foreign policy will not drastically change.

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