Mr. Taro Aso was chosen as the nation's 92nd prime minister by the Diet and immediately formed his Cabinet on Wednesday. For Mr. Aso, a grandson of the late former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida and a son-in-law of the late former Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki, this should be an auspicious occasion.
Deviating from tradition, Mr. Aso read out his list of Cabinet members himself and answered questions from reporters in an effort to impress a fresh image of his Cabinet on people. But Mr. Aso should not forget that he has taken power at a time when the nation finds itself in difficult straits.
Mr. Aso's ascendancy to power comes as people's trust in the Liberal Democratic Party has fallen after two successive LDP prime ministers suddenly stepped down within a span of about one year. People's worries about their lives have also deepened because of such problems as the government's sloppy handling of pension records, pressure on the social security system due to the graying population, a shortage of doctors, especially obstetricians, the economic downturn, and the financial crisis in the United States.