Tarō Asō facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tarō Asō
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麻生 太郎
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Prime Minister of Japan | |
| In office 24 September 2008 – 16 September 2009 |
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| Monarch | Akihito |
| Preceded by | Yasuo Fukuda |
| Succeeded by | Yukio Hatoyama |
| President of the Liberal Democratic Party | |
| In office 22 September 2008 – 28 September 2009 |
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| Secretary-General | Hiroyuki Hosoda |
| Preceded by | Yasuo Fukuda |
| Succeeded by | Sadakazu Tanigaki |
| Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party | |
| In office 8 October 2021 – 27 September 2024 |
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| President | Fumio Kishida |
| Secretary-General | Akira Amari Toshimitsu Motegi |
| Preceded by | Masahiko Kōmura |
| Succeeded by | Yoshihide Suga |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Japan | |
| In office 26 December 2012 – 4 October 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Shinzo Abe Yoshihide Suga |
| Preceded by | Katsuya Okada |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 26 December 2012 – 4 October 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Shinzo Abe Yoshihide Suga |
| Preceded by | Koriki Jojima |
| Succeeded by | Shun'ichi Suzuki |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 31 October 2005 – 27 August 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Junichiro Koizumi Shinzo Abe |
| Preceded by | Nobutaka Machimura |
| Succeeded by | Nobutaka Machimura |
| Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications | |
| In office 22 September 2003 – 31 October 2005 |
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| Prime Minister | Junichiro Koizumi |
| Preceded by | Toranosuke Katayama |
| Succeeded by | Heizō Takenaka |
| Member of the House of Representatives from Fukuoka |
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| Assumed office 8 July 1986 |
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| Preceded by | Shinnen Tagaya |
| Constituency | Fukuoka 2nd district (1986–1996) Fukuoka 8th district (1996–present) |
| In office 7 October 1979 – 28 November 1983 |
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| Preceded by | Asao Mihara |
| Succeeded by | Toshio Ohashi |
| Constituency | Fukuoka 2nd district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 September 1940 Iizuka, Fukuoka, Empire of Japan |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic (Shikōkai) |
| Spouse | Chikako Aso |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Shigeru Yoshida (grandfather) Nobuko, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa (sister) Princess Akiko (niece) Princess Yōko (niece) Ken'ichi Yoshida (uncle) Zenkō Suzuki (father-in-law) Shun'ichi Suzuki (brother-in-law) |
| Education | Gakushuin University Stanford University (dropped out) London School of Economics |
Tarō Asō (麻生 太郎, Asō Tarō, born 20 September 1940) is a Japanese politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Asō also held important roles like Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance from 2012 to 2021. He was the longest-serving person in these roles in Japan's history. Before that, he was Minister for Foreign Affairs (2005–2007) and Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications (2003–2005).
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
Tarō Asō was born on September 20, 1940, in Iizuka, Fukuoka Prefecture. He was the oldest son of Takakichi Asō and Kazuko.
A Family of Influence
The Asō family was a leading business family in Kyushu. His great-grandfather, Takichi Asō, started as a successful coal mining owner. Tarō Asō's mother, Kazuko, was the daughter of Shigeru Yoshida. Yoshida was a famous diplomat who served as Japan's Prime Minister after World War II.
Asō is also related to Toshimichi Okubo. Okubo was an important statesman who helped create modern Japan.
Education and Studies Abroad
Asō first went to an elementary school linked to his family's company. Later, he moved to Gakushuin in Tokyo. This school was traditionally for children from noble families.
He graduated from Gakushuin University in 1963. He then studied overseas. Asō went to Stanford University in California but later left. He then studied at the London School of Economics in Britain.
Career Before Politics
After finishing his studies, Tarō Asō joined the Aso Industry Company in 1966. He lived in Brazil during the 1960s and learned to speak Portuguese fluently.
Working in Mining
From 1970 to 1972, Asō worked in the diamond mining industry in Sierra Leone. He represented his family's business there. He had to return to Japan because of civil unrest in the country.
Asō was the president of the Aso Mining Company from 1973 to 1979.
Sports and Youth Leadership
Beyond business, Asō was also an athlete. He was part of the Japanese shooting team at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. In 1978, he was the President of the Japan Junior Chamber, a youth leadership organization.
Political Journey
Tarō Asō was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1979. This is the lower house of Japan's parliament.
Serving as a Cabinet Minister
In 2003, he joined the Cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. He became the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. On October 31, 2005, he became the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Becoming Prime Minister
In September 2008, the previous Prime Minister, Yasuo Fukuda, resigned. Tarō Asō was one of five candidates to become the new leader of the LDP. He won the election on September 22, 2008.
Two days later, on September 24, Asō was chosen by the Diet (Japan's parliament) to be the Prime Minister. He was officially appointed by the Emperor that night. He said that Japan was facing "turbulent times" due to the financial situation.
As Prime Minister, Asō formed a new Cabinet. Some members were new to the Cabinet. One of them, Yūko Obuchi, was the youngest Cabinet member in Japan's history at 34 years old.
In February 2009, Prime Minister Asō visited Washington to meet with United States President Barack Obama. He was the first foreign leader to visit the Obama White House. This showed that Japan was an important ally to the U.S.
Asō faced pressure to call a general election. He finally announced an election for August 30, 2009. His party, the LDP, lost by a large amount to the Democratic Party of Japan. After this defeat, Asō resigned as the LDP president.
Return to Government
When Shinzo Abe became Prime Minister again in December 2012, Asō was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. He kept these roles when Yoshihide Suga became Prime Minister in 2020.
In October 2021, after Fumio Kishida became Prime Minister, Asō took on a new role. He became the Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Public Statements and Reputation
Throughout his career, Tarō Asō has been known for making various public statements. Some of these comments have caused discussion.
Remarks on Social Issues
In 2013, Asō made comments about seriously ill patients. He suggested that they should be "allowed to die quickly" if they wished. He also said that it would be hard to sleep well thinking the government pays for everything.
In 2014, Asō commented on rising social welfare costs. He said that people not having children was more problematic than an aging population. This comment was seen as insensitive by some.
Comments on Global Warming
In October 2021, Asō spoke about global warming. He said that rice from Hokkaido had become "tastier thanks to (global) warming." He also suggested that global warming could have "something good" come out of it.
Reading Mistakes
Japanese media noted in 2008 that Asō sometimes mispronounced or incorrectly read kanji words. These are common Japanese characters. Asō said these were "just reading errors, just mistakes." Some people compared his speaking errors to those of George W. Bush.
Personal Life and Interests
Asō is married to Chikako Suzuki. She is the daughter of former Prime Minister Zenkō Suzuki. They married in 1983 and have two children.
Asō is also the elder brother of Nobuko, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa. This makes him the uncle of Princess Akiko of Mikasa and Princess Yōko of Mikasa.
Love for Manga
Asō is a big fan of manga (Japanese comics). He has loved manga since he was a child. He even had his family send him manga magazines when he was studying in the U.S.
In 2003, he said he read about 10 to 20 manga magazines every week. In 2007, as Minister for Foreign Affairs, he created the International Manga Award. This award is for manga artists who are not Japanese.
He was once seen reading the manga Rozen Maiden at an airport. He admitted to reading it but didn't remember where. He is also a fan of Golgo 13, a long-running manga about an assassin.
Images for kids
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Tarō Asō shakes hands with then Secretary of State of U.S. Condoleezza Rice at APEC summit in 2005
See also
In Spanish: Tarō Asō para niños
