Japan Gets a New Prime Minister

[Frodo]

Moderate Is Chosen as Japan’s Next Premier

By NORIMITSU ONISHI
Published: September 23, 2007

TOKYO, Sept. 23 — Yasuo Fukuda, a mild-mannered political moderate known for his ability to build consensus behind the scenes, was chosen Sunday by Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party to become the country’s next prime minister.

Facing one of its deepest crises in its half-century grip on power, the Liberal Democrats settled on Mr. Fukuda, 71, to steady a party wobbling from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s troubled one-year government, his abrupt resignation 11 days ago and a surging opposition.

Mr. Fukuda — sometimes described as a foreign policy “dove” who has long emphasized the importance of building strong ties with China and the rest of Asia — represents a break from the nationalist Mr. Abe and his predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi. At home, experts say, Mr. Fukuda will be pressured to slow down the political and economic changes undertaken by Mr. Koizumi so that his party can try to shore up its traditional rural voting base.

“Today’s Liberal Democratic Party is facing grave difficulties,” Mr. Fukuda said in a short acceptance speech. “First of all, I will work to revitalize the Liberal Democratic Party. Then I would like to regain the people’s trust and remake this into a party that can steadily carry out policies.”

The party’s national lawmakers and prefectural chapters handed Mr. Fukuda 330 out of 527 valid votes. His only rival, Taro Aso, 67, the party’s secretary general who shared Mr. Abe’s right-wing views, won 197 votes.

In reality, the party’s bosses had already picked Mr. Fukuda a week earlier after a day and half of intense negotiations in Tokyo’s exclusive restaurants and over cellphone calls. Although Japan’s news media had crowned Mr. Fukuda the country’s next leader more than a week ago, the two candidates last week toured the country in joint appearances before general audiences that had no ballots in the party election.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

"Moderate" in this context meaning "not actually an out-and-out fascist". Aso is a racist idiot; glad to see him lose so badly.

[Silent Hunter]

How do you pronounce the new PM's name?

[minionofmidas]

How do you pronounce the new PM's name?

Probably Yasu-O Fukuda.

[John Dibble]

How do you pronounce the new PM's name?

Probably Yasu-O Fukuda.

I know some Japanese, and I'd agree with that.

[Silent Hunter]

I meant his given name.

[John Dibble]

I meant his given name.

Yasuo isn't his given name?

[Silent Hunter]

In Japan, it's surname first, but it appears to have been done in the English way for that article. I meant his surname, Fukuda.

[Hatman 🍁]

In Japan, it's surname first, but it appears to have been done in the English way for that article. I meant his surname, Fukuda.

The media almost always does given name, then surname for Japanse names but the opposite for Chinese and Korean names.

As for his surname, his name is pronounced "fuck you duh" (j/k)

[ottermax]

In Japan, it's surname first, but it appears to have been done in the English way for that article. I meant his surname, Fukuda.

The media almost always does given name, then surname for Japanse names but the opposite for Chinese and Korean names.

As for his surname, his name is pronounced "fuck you duh" (j/k)

sorry, the japanese u is pronounced differently more like oo in moo.

[John Dibble]

In Japan, it's surname first, but it appears to have been done in the English way for that article. I meant his surname, Fukuda.

The media almost always does given name, then surname for Japanse names but the opposite for Chinese and Korean names.

As for his surname, his name is pronounced "fuck you duh" (j/k)

sorry, the japanese u is pronounced differently more like oo in moo.

Right. His family name would be pronounced Foo-koo-da.

[Hatman 🍁]

In Japan, it's surname first, but it appears to have been done in the English way for that article. I meant his surname, Fukuda.

The media almost always does given name, then surname for Japanse names but the opposite for Chinese and Korean names.

As for his surname, his name is pronounced "fuck you duh" (j/k)

sorry, the japanese u is pronounced differently more like oo in moo.

jk means just kidding by the way, obviously I was not being serious.

[Silent Hunter]

Thank you.

[minionofmidas]

I meant his given name.

I gave both names. I just came from a German rather than an English perspective - the name is about as uncomplicated as Japanese names get for a German.