Japan vaccine minister seeks to be next prime minister

Japan’s outspoken vaccinations minister, Taro Kono, has announced that he is running to become head of the governing party, who usually is chosen prime minister, and pledged to be reform-minded and gets things done

TOKYO -- Japan’s outspoken vaccinations minister, Taro Kono, announced Friday that he is running to become head of the governing party, who usually is chosen prime minister, and pledged to be reform-minded and gets things done. Kono, 58, a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., who is fluent in English, has many fans among younger people, with whom he communicates via social media. Such things are still a rarity in Japanese politics. “I will embrace your views and worries, share information with you, convey a solid message and work with you to overcome this crisis that we face,” Kono said at a packed news conference in Tokyo, referring to the pandemic. Kono's declaration comes a week after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's sudden announcement that he will not seek another term as head of the governing Liberal Democratic Party in a Sept. 29 vote. The winner is virtually certain to be elected prime minister by parliament because the party and its coalition partner hold a majority of seats.