Japan's Strongest Candidate For Prime Minister

*Since the unexpected annoucement of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's resignation, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) concern shifted to the race for "Post Fukuda". The secretary general Taro Aso stated that he believes that he is qualified to take over Fukuda and the administration's agenda, and indicated his will to run for the party's presidency. Taro Aso was raised in a noble family with former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida as his grandfather and also served as president of the Aso Mining Company from 1973 to 1979. Aso was also a member of the Japanese shooting team at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Aso is known to be forte in speeches and gained popularity from his witty and sharp tongue comments in his wayside speeches. Aso is a manga fan that always carries the latest weekly comics in his car. When he was the Minister for Foreign Affairs, he established the International Manga Award for non-Japanese manga artists in 2007, and even says that he wants to assemble a "Noble prize" in manga. ニュースアニメ特別編２「次期総理大臣の本命はマンガ好き」 福田康夫首相の退陣表明を受け、自民党内の関心は「ポスト福田」レースの行方に移った。有力候補の麻生太郎幹事長は「首相がやってきたものを引き継ぐ資格はあると思っている」などと述べ、総裁選出馬を表明した。名門一家に育ち（祖父は吉田茂元首相）、麻生財閥の社長でもあった麻生氏は、本人は「生まれはいいが、育ちは悪い」と語るなど、べらんめえ口調の軽妙な語り口と毒舌も織り交ぜた発言が街頭演説などで人気を博し、演説上手と言われている。モントリオールオリンピックのクレー射撃日本代表選手で、マンガ好きとしても知られ、自分の車内には必ず最新の週刊コミック誌を置いているほど。２００７年に海外の漫画家を対象とした「国際漫画賞」を創立することを発表し、「マンガのノーベル賞のようなものを作りたい」と語っている。