Self-described "manga" enthusiast Prime Minister Taro Aso returned to Tokyo's Akihabara district Sunday to deliver a speech concentrating on the economy.
With a possible general election in mind, he argued that his top priority is revitalizing the slumping economy amid the global financial crisis.
"Looking at current Japan, (the atmosphere) seems kind of down somehow. When you come to Akihabara, it doesn't seem that way. But when you go to rural areas, it does," Aso told the hundreds of observers, including scores of young people, who gathered in front of JR Akihabara Station.