As Japan Votes, Aid to Countryside Hangs in Balance.

Previews the upcoming elections in Japan. Details of prime minister Junichiro Koizumi's plan to privatize Japan's postal system and what it means for the country; How the old postal system has been beneficial to smaller towns and villages in the countryside, noting that post offices serve as banks in Japan; Discussion of the village of Hiwa and how it has benefitted from public spending projects; Comments from Japanese resident Shizue Miura regarding the importance of the post office branch in her town; Statistics indicating Japan's national debt, which Koizumi says is the result of propping up rural economies.