In the latest general election, in 2005, the then prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, challenged the system by appealing directly to voters.

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It is hard to see the system being both tougher and more appealing: making difficult subjects like maths compulsory may encourage a few borderline students not to give them up.

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Smart design begins with a new, holistic design system that informs every aspect of the phone, from its visually appealing layout and motion to its function and hardware integration.

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The operating system was built for fingers, after all, and if that's appealing to you, the Air, Series 9 and non-touch Zenbook Primes might all be the wrong choice for you.

ENGADGET: MacBook Air review (13-inch, mid 2012)