Regarding the Sept. 9 Views From the Street question "What do you make of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's decision to quit?": Fukuda showed a lack of political spirit. He made an effort domestically to improve the nation's devastating finances and, internationally, to improve the cold relationship with Asian countries. Those are very important items, but his time in office will be too short for him to realize his hopes.
Yes, improvements in these issues were good things to hope for, but he didn't really believe in them. If he had, he would have showed a stronger will by insisting on their realization at every turn and then stood up to the difficulties.
In the end, Fukuda's aim was merely to become prime minister at least once in his life. He was what you could call a "salaryman prime minister."
We must weigh our votes seriously in the next general elections so that someone with a stronger spirit has a better chance of rising to the prime minister's post.
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