His visits to the Yasukuni shrine evoked international protest, and he was criticized domestically for his support of the US-Iraq war.
He climbed to power as a member of the YKK clan, and one of his more controversial policies involved the privitization of his nation's postal services, a topic dear to his heart as his grandfather had been minister of posts and telecommunications. His first cabinet position was as minister of health and welfare, a post he held again in the Uno administration. A member of the reform-wing of his LDP party, he would beat former prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto in a bid for party leadership. His government would end a lost decade of deflation by cleaning up bad bank debt and reducing rural pork-barrel spending. His visits to the Yasukuni shrine evoked international protest, and he was criticized domestically for his support of the US-Iraq war. FTP, who was this flamboyant Japanese prime minister, in office from 2001 till 2006?
He climbed to power as a member of the YKK clan, and one of his more controversial policies involved the privitization of his nation's postal services, a topic dear to his heart as his grandfather had been minister of posts and telecommunications.
Junichiro {Koizumi}