Taro Aso

Taro Aso is Japan's Foreign Minister and the secretary-general of the country's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.¹ He is poised to succeed the post of Prime Minister after Yasuo Fukuda resigned his office on September 1, 2008. Aso was Yasuo Fukuda's main political rival within the party and is known for his conservative nationalistic views, especially towards China and North Korea.² Some of his remarks about these nations have stirred controversy but also distinguished him as a charismatic leader.¹

Fast Facts

1. Date of birth: September 20, 1940¹
2. Place of birth: Iizuka, Fukuoka¹
3. Denomination: Roman Catholic¹
4. Related by marriage to the Japanese Imperial Family¹
5. Graduated from Gakushuin University and studied at Stanford University and the London School of Economics³
6. Served as the Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy and the Minister of Internal Affairs³

Taro Aso Quotes

"From the viewpoint of the spirits of the war dead, they hailed 'Banzai' for the emperor -- none of them said long live the prime minister. A visit by the emperor would be the best."—China Daily⁴

"Japan is one nation, one civilization, one language, one culture, and one race, the like of which there is no other on this earth."—New America Media⁵

"Thanks to the significant improvement in educational standards and literacy (during colonization), Taiwan is now a country with a very high education level and keeps up with the current era."—Japan Times⁶

Related Pages on Mahalo

Yasuo Fukuda | Fukuda Resigns | Japan | Shinzo Abe | The Roman Catholic Church

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