It looks like Taro Aso is the new Prime Minister. Here’s today’s BBC article on his selection as leader of the ruling party: LINK For some reason in every BBC article they talk about “Mr Aso’s brash straight-talking style and charisma – he is known for his love of adult manga cartoons”… Why does liking adult manga cartoons (hardly an uncommon trait in Japanese adult males) represent charisma? The BBC also has this interesting piece on Japanese popular discontent with the leadership selection process – the Japanese people rarely get to choose their leaders… LINK

The Mainichi quotes Aso as saying: “Is there any party other than ours that is capable of pledging to solve various problems that the people face, those involving their lives, concerns about their future and security that protects the country and its people and implementing them?” Aso said in his speech. “It’s never the Democratic Party of Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party will fulfill that duty.” LINK

Cocky, isn’t he? And Japan Probe has some interesting background information, this little snippet gave me a smidgin of hope:

He has been called a hardliner/conservative, but it isn’t exactly fair to label him just another conservative. Aso has suggested giving up the territorial claim to some of the islands Japan disputes with Russia, and he is in favor of un-enshrining Class A war criminals from the Yasukuni Shrine. He’s also said that he’s open to discontinuing the MSDF mission in the Indian Ocean. LINK

Let’s see how long he lasts then, eh?