JAPAN: Tokyo residents express mixed feelings of hope and apathy over sudden change of their country's Prime Minister

Record ID: 465126

  • Title: JAPAN: Tokyo residents express mixed feelings of hope and apathy over sudden change of their country's Prime Minister
  • Date: 6th June 2010
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JUNE 5, 2010) (REUTERS) TRAIN STATION PEOPLE WALKING BEFORE KIOSK NEWS STAND NEWSPAPERS AT STORE FRONT WOMAN IN PICK JACKET BUYING NEWSPAPER
  • Embargoed: 21st June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABLS71X5CUFGXBUVWK7VWGAYVG
  • Story Text: Tokyo residents woke up to a new prime minister on Saturday (June 5) after Naoto Kan was voted in following the sudden resignation of his predecessor Yukio Hatoyama.
    Kan, a fiscal conservative with an image as a challenger to the status quo, was elected as Japan's next premier on Friday (June 4), improving the ruling party's chances in a national election and raising hopes of bolder steps to fix tattered finances Many people interviewed on the streets of Tokyo expressed apathy rather than hope over the country's yet another change of its prime minister.
    "As they keep constantly changing, I feel that everyone is fed up with politics and seems to think Japan is the same no matter who becomes prime minister," said Midori Sone, a 50-year-old school employee.
    Shinta Nakamura, 20, a fire prevention equipment employee, said: "Everyone up to this point has said that they will work until the end to solve the issues, but just end up quitting. And people around them seem to be forcing them to quit instead of supporting them."
    Others had high expectations for Japan's new leader.
    "Compared to Hatoyama, he's not from the Liberal Democratic Party, and kind of stands apart from the old guard. This helps to give him a very clean image, and so I am expecting good things from that," said Yoshiyuki Hidaka, a 26-year-old public employee.
    Naoto Kan worked as finance minster under the Hatoyama cabinet.
    With Hatoyama's cabinet dealing with dismal poll numbers, Kan is seen as a chance for the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to improve their chances in a national election and also as someone who could implement bolder steps to fix tattered public finances.
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