Aso vows to make Japan `vibrant` in 1st stump speech in Akihabara

TOKYO, Oct. 26 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Taro Aso on Sunday vowed to work toward making Japan ''more
vibrant'' by addressing economic and other issues as he took to the streets of
Tokyo's Akihabara district, known as a magnet for anime and computer geeks.

Although the appearance was apparently aimed at drawing voters' attention ahead
of a possible House of Representatives election, Aso, known as a manga comic
lover, did not touch on the issue during his first stump speech since becoming
prime minister in late September.
In front of thousands of people gathered near JR Akihabara Station, Aso said
now is ''an important moment'' for Japan to meet the expectations of other
countries in cooperating to deal with the U.S.-triggered global financial
crisis.
Speculation is rife that Aso is close to deciding when to dissolve the lower
house, as he is expected to finish compiling an additional economic stimulus
package by the end of the month to address the financial crisis.
While stressing that the government will support small companies struggling
amid the nation's flagging economy, Aso said, ''To make lively Japan an even
more vibrant country, I would like to do my best as prime minister.''
Aso has a special fondness for Akihabara, according to a source close to him.
He drew the attention of the younger generation when he made a memorable speech
in the district in 2006, which he started by calling out to the audience, ''You
Akihabara ''otaku'' (geeks).''
Aso, a former foreign minister, is also known for arguing that Japan should
utilize its pop culture including animation, music and fashion as a diplomatic
tool.
During the speech, he drew laughter from the audience by saying he has had less
time to read weekly comic magazines since becoming prime minister.
The stump speech on Sunday came less than 24 hours after Aso, who doubles as
ruling Liberal Democratic Party president, returned from Beijing, where he
attended the Asia-Europe Meeting summit and held his first bilateral talks with
Chinese and South Korean leaders.
Among the people who gathered to see Aso, some expressed their expectations of
the prime minister while others called for an early election to break the
deadlock in the divided Diet.
Yoshiyuki Shigeta, a 26-year-old university student from Kanagawa Prefecture,
said that he would like to see ''a regime change'' as the LDP has been in power
for a long time, and that changing the ''current sense of stagnation'' could
also affect people positively.
Takanobu Ozeki, a 51-year-old public worker who visited Akihabara for shopping,
dismissed Aso's argument about placing priority on the economy as ''just an
excuse to delay the election.''
But he also said that he has expectations of Aso because of his rather
''unpredictable'' character, compared with his moderate predecessor Yasuo
Fukuda, who suddenly announced his resignation after serving less than a year.
Meanwhile, a 59-year-old part-time worker expressed pessimism about Japan's
politics, saying, ''No matter who takes office, I think the outcome is the
same.''
She also cast doubt on whether Aso understands the feelings of people on low
incomes, referring to his frequent visits to luxury hotels for nightly
meetings, which have triggered criticism that he is out of touch with ordinary
people.
Aso later appeared on a talk show with cartoonists Kenshi Hirokane and Takao
Saito in the district, which is also a popular electronics area.
==Kyodo