How would you evaluate Naoto Kan's 14-month tenure as prime minister?

In a word - straightjacketed. He tried to fight for the little peopl but the bigwigs making a lot of personal wealth from the status quo were never going to allow that to happen.

Best PM Japan has had in ages made to serve in almost impossible conditions.

I thought it was fine. He could not have predicted the earthquake or tsunami so why put blame on him for mot acting as fast as others wanted so he could get a feel towards the whole gravity of the situation.

Poor chap got a bad hand. He could have done better but he felt short regarding the crisis. I still ranking him 2nd after Koizumi.

Considering all the bickering by the one million different parties in the J-Gov, all the political attacks by different parties that make it difficult to agree on anything, I think he did what he could have done. Unless all the different parties can unite and follow one leader, the next PM is already doomed.

Japan really needs to get rid of its "okay, one year's up -- time for a new guy" system and rally around someone with staying power.

Much better than Murayama who couldn't handle The Great Hanshin-Awaji' (most commonly known as Kobe earthquake).

Dignified, did the best he could. Imagine if Yukio Hatoyama had been in power when the tsunami struck? The world would have seen the incompetence of Japanese politics/bureaucracy in it's purest form.

Not long enough.

sucked

Best prime minister Japan has had since Ikeda.