Jottings from the Granite Studio

It’s official. Yesterday Shinzo Abe beat Taro Aso by a landslide to become the next leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal-Democratic Party, all but assuring Abe of the PM post when elections are held next week.

A conservative by blood, as prime minister Shinzo Abe will likely look to strengthen ties with the US, take a harder line against China, and seek to modify Japan’s pacifist constitution in a way that allows the Japanese military more “freedom of action.”

Very good post on Shinzo Abe’s family background (it’s a little tangled, you might want a pencil to keep score) can be found at the Mutantfrog Travelogue, “And Kan begat Shigero: Where does a Japanese Neo-Conservative Come From?” 9/20/06.