Born July 14,
1937
The eighty-fifth
Prime Minister of
Japan elected on April 5,
2000. (
Liberal Democratic Party of Japan)
He based his
economic and
fiscal policies on promoting
economic recovery after the crisis in the
90s. The policies center around four areas including promotion of the
information-technology revolution.
Educational policy is one of his priority areas in his
campaign for a "
Rebirth of Japan." Mori chaired the Meeting of
Heads of State and
Government at the
G8 Kyushu-
Okinawa Summit leading to the creation of the
Okinawa Charter on Global Information Society,
G7 Statement on the World Economy,
G8 Statement on Regional Issues, and
G8 Statement on Korean Peninsula.
Minister Yoshiro Mori once described his nation, in a speech to a
Shintoist association, as "
a divine nation with the Emperor at its core," he set off a firestorm of controversy that outraged commentators both at home and abroad. He was accused by the
London Times of being
zenophobic. Some of the things he's said seems to try to justify Japan's
aggression during
WW II. Still his stance on
globalization has proved to be slightly more
labor-friendly than that of the
US and other
western nations so the verdict is still out on how he rates as a global leader.
"As the 20th century drew to its close, Japan, suffering from prolonged economic stagnation and in a state of uncertainty concerning the future of society as a whole, had lost its sense of confidence, and among the people was a pervasive feeling of deprivation. However, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that the 21st century is one where we will swiftly free ourselves from the fetters of such circumstances and create a 'Century of Hope' in which each and every person is able to hold and indeed live out their hopes and dreams."
sources:
www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/souri/mori/2001/0131siseihousin_e.html
www.antiwar.com/justin/j060700.html
www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/jeconomy/