LDP elects Suga as leader to succeed Abe

Wow. Shocking news.

Well that was not a surprise, guess he will soon be hated by the everyday people when he ups the consumption tax, while letting his buds at softwank avoid every tax known

Gasp.

Politician and a Gentleman.

YOUNGBLOOD!

PM Suga! Yes!

The Liberal Democratic Party. That always gives me a chuckle.

common dude, smile a bit, you just won an election

A face that radiates joy, happiness, and good times.

Youthful, dynamic, charismatic and bursting with innovative ideas to reform Japan's moribund institutions; sadly, he's none of those. If Keizo Obuchi was cold pizza this guy's the last bit of chikuwa in the pot: soggy, beige, bland and tubular.

Go GO GO print the money!

I'm so torn on this. On the one hand this was a very opaque backroom process with very little public participation by which a bunch of insiders appointed an extraordinarily boring candidate to be leader. Which seems wrong.

On the other hand, I can't deny feeling comforted but the fact that unlike leaders in other countries who are anything but boring, this dull leader is very unlikely to declare Covid a hoax, or start Tweeting conspiracy theories about the deep state being out to get him, or any of that kind of stuff.

Sometimes boring is good.

Not a fan of Suga... not because he's incompetent but because he comes from a similar agenda / background as Abe. This means the fundamental and systematical issues in Japan will most likely not be addressed or resolved.

I fear Japan may even go backward under his leadership.

Foregoing conclusion.

A process even less democratic than the CCP! Wow.

Its gonna be a cold winter for Japan, but he will never let you now. The tight grip on news & reporters will be even worsen. (except for the usual copy&paste wine & dine buddies )

Although unlikely, I hope the LDP get a toweling at the next election.

Never saw that coming, a political thunderbolt event out of the blue.

Whilst LDP Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai 81, and his horrendous faction lead ruling government continues to be afforded the role of appointing the next in line to dutifully kowtow to a hidden faceless political unelected bureaucracy.

Then these unaccountable elite will continue to incompetently drive J economy, health and social welfare into the dust.

The guy has yet to make a single decision and the virtual axe has been wielded by JT commentators.

Bravo!

I think I lean left but when folks have clearly no inclination to listen to any other opinion, I lean the other way.....

only to find full-blown right wing zealots.

Can't win either way.

The guy has yet to make a single decision and the virtual axe has been wielded by JT commentators. 

Bravo!

I was thinking something similar.

Give him a week.

The guy has yet to make a single decision....

Actually, his decisions have guided government policy for years. The Furusato Nozei, for example, was Suga's brainchild. A senior bureaucrat who fell out with Suga over the policy was packed off to some backwater post.

You are probably right. He is not very attractive.

He looks exactly like the guy you put into a management position when you know the news is bad and need someone to take the fall.

Keeping personal opinions of Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga in check.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga is the chosen replacement.

No more, no less.

So the consequences, well that my future huff puff.

OracToday  04:03 pm JST

PM Suga! Yes!

I can't imagine getting quite that excited over a septugenarian with a comb-over.

Let us hope for the best from Suga sensei. However we may prepare for the worst as well owing to the pandemic and global difficult situations.

Congratulations to Suga Sensei.  He will be a good representative of the Japanese people.

Oh well, let's see how he fares. Economy and Covid-both domestic and global, and short on diplomatic skills. Not going to be an easy job. Good luck to PM Suga.

Looks like another „Holdout“ this time in politics.

already talking about raising taxes

I hope he would make his new cabinet , refraining from the existing vertical Relationship.

Whatever you say, he was an ambitious baseball player during his school days...lol

Suga, farmer's son of the sad countenance, now fits Abe like a glove ready to do his bidding except that Covid hovers in the air threatening to thwart Abe's best laid schemes for the LDP. Let's wish Suga well when he gets to meet an enraged lame-duck Trump who will be in too foul a mood to play the gracious host to "low-energy" Yoshi.

After looking at all the available options, I'd say... "whatever"

He looks like a Sith from Star Wars LOL!!!

Looks like the rot will continue, please NO stupid snap election for some BS mandate I am SICK of that crap!

Cheerful looking sod, isn't he!

We have a leader!!!..... I thought we were an automatous collective!!!???

What a Dinosaur lol

The old 'boys' club. Nothing to see here. Thanks for asking who the people want. lol

Already considering raising taxes? This has been proven time and time again to NOT work... when will governments learn?

You cannot tax your way to prosperity.

One thing is certain and that is we will all be paying more tax in the ...near future.

Alfie Noakes:

Youthful, dynamic, charismatic and bursting with innovative ideas to reform Japan's moribund institutions

That's not going to happen in Japan. Preservation, not innovation, will be upheld as they have been doing for centuries. Innovation, if it ever happens, happens gradually and almost unnoticed. Even when they reach a dead end, they will find an innovative way to revive old ways.

Go GO GO print the money!

Deja vu

I've just been in this economic situation before

Higher on the Wall Streets

And I know it's my time to QE

Calling you and the search of my profit

Standing on my money printer

It's so hard when I try to be me uoooh!

Suganomics will fix Japan in six year.. cross fingers no tsunami or earthquake will push back

this plan.

@Farmboy you said it! And he’s willing to meet with Kim Jong-un directly. Between that, and his opposition to the Asian NATO that was proposed by one of his opponents, makes me very happy as to what is foreign policy is going to be.

If that’s a photo of him rejoicing, Japan is in real trouble. He did state he would need help from Abe with diplomacy. Who’s going to help him with a personality?