Yoshiro Mori

When new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori arrives in Russia today for the first leg of a whirlwind trip to meet world leaders, he'll be returning to the nation where half his father's ashes are buried. Shigeki Mori, mayor for decades of a small city in Japan, loved Russia so much he requested that his remains be split between the two countries so the ties he had established would never be forgotten.

Voters, economists and political analysts gave Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi generally high marks Monday for his first address to the nation, in which he outlined his vision of a Japan that would address problems head-on, be more open and stop wasting money on ill-conceived public works projects. "I want to establish an economic and social system suitable for the 21st century," the 59-year-old Koizumi said. In a speech laced with the word "reform," he also vowed to fight special interests.

As Japan's leader lay comatose, parliament today voted hastily to approve Yoshiro Mori, 62, a Liberal Democratic Party warhorse, as the nation's 27th postwar prime minister. Mori won 335 of 488 votes cast in the vital lower house of parliament, with the support of the LDP's two coalition partners, the New Komei Party and the Conservative Party. He carried the upper house a short time later.

Less than three years ago, Ryutaro Hashimoto--renowned for his slicked-back hair and hard-line fiscal reforms--resigned as Japan's prime minister after his party's humiliating defeat in a parliamentary election. Several members of his own party said then that they resented his autocratic ways and poor listening skills. Well, Hashimoto's back. Today, he became the odds-on favorite to replace unpopular and gaffe-prone Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, one of Japan's most unpopular post-World War II leaders, told his Cabinet today that he will resign, but he set no date, the government's top spokesman said. Though Mori has long been expected to quit, this was the first time he said he would directly and publicly. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is planning an election this month to choose a successor. The apparent top-runner to replace Mori is former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto.

Just days after apologizing for calling Japan a "divine nation," Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori was criticized again Sunday for using language associated with the country's militaristic past. During a campaign speech Saturday night, Mori referred to Japan as a kokutai or "national polity"--a now-archaic term used in the decades leading up to World War II to connote a Japanese nation-state ruled by a divine emperor.

Hoping to give his government a renewed sense of legitimacy, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori named a new Cabinet on Tuesday that includes two former premiers and reduced the number of posts. But with his popularity plummeting--it has been below 20% in recent polls--and deep divisions in his Liberal Democratic Party, doubts remained over Mori's ability to lead the nation. Two weeks ago, he barely survived a no-confidence motion.

In a move that could spell more trouble for beleaguered Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, the top lieutenant in his ruling party resigned today. Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiromu Nonaka, the eminence grise of the long-dominant party, told reporters that he had met with Mori and tendered his resignation, which Mori had accepted.

Japan's new prime minister, Yoshiro Mori, has a huge credibility problem. His Cabinet is plagued by financial scandals, his "Japanese renaissance" plan--aimed at boosting the information technology sector--fell flat in the parliament and public approval of his policies is plummeting. Mori must come up with genuine reforms and sever his Liberal Democratic Party's cozy ties with business if he wants to gain public support.

The Japanese parliament voted Tuesday to let Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori keep his post, ensuring the continuation of his party's public-spending policies to turn around the economy. Mori appointed a new Cabinet later in the day but kept three key ministers in place--foreign affairs, finance and economic planning--in a move that appeared aimed at maintaining political stability as Japan resuscitates its economy. There was good news Tuesday on the economic front.

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, one of Japan's most unpopular post-World War II leaders, told his Cabinet today that he will resign, but he set no date, the government's top spokesman said. Though Mori has long been expected to quit, this was the first time he said he would directly and publicly. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is planning an election this month to choose a successor. The apparent top-runner to replace Mori is former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto.

President Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Monday, but the leaders did not come up with any specific measures to revive growth in the world's two largest economies. Senior U.S. officials said Bush advised Mori that Japan should not try to stimulate its economy by increasing exports--an approach that might harm American industries, such as automobiles, that compete with Japanese firms.

When is Japan's beleaguered Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori--who was reported Saturday night to have signaled his intention to resign--actually going to step down? That's the question that has obsessed the media in the world's second-largest economy for the last few weeks in an ongoing soap opera about whether the gaffe-prone and widely unpopular Mori is in or out.

The verbal abuse came fast and furiously, but Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori easily survived a no-confidence motion in parliament Monday despite gaffes, scandals, desperately low popularity and a stock-market nose dive. "You don't feel ashamed--that's the most shameful thing," opposition lawmaker Yukio Hatoyama told Mori, who has been in office for 11 months. "You can't make a good omelet with rotten eggs.

Perhaps the United States was lucky that Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori continued his golf game after being told that a nuclear-powered U.S. submarine had sunk the Ehime Maru in Hawaii. For it is Mori who appears to be bearing the brunt of this nation's anger over the crash that left nine Japanese on board the high school teaching vessel still missing a week later.

Hoping to give his government a renewed sense of legitimacy, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori named a new Cabinet on Tuesday that includes two former premiers and reduced the number of posts. But with his popularity plummeting--it has been below 20% in recent polls--and deep divisions in his Liberal Democratic Party, doubts remained over Mori's ability to lead the nation. Two weeks ago, he barely survived a no-confidence motion.

A leader of Japan's ruling party tried Sunday to quash a mutiny by its legislators, threatening to expel party members who support a vote in parliament to remove Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. The tough stance by Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiromu Nonaka signaled that the party leadership had given up on attempts at compromise to heal the deepening rift ahead of the no-confidence motion, expected today.

As expected, new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Friday named his chief Cabinet minister, Mikio Aoki, to act in his stead if he is incapacitated. What was unexpected, however, was the rest of the batting order that Mori laid out for succession, in a move aimed at averting the confusion that occurred earlier this month when then-Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi fell into a coma.

In a move that could spell more trouble for beleaguered Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, the top lieutenant in his ruling party resigned today. Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiromu Nonaka, the eminence grise of the long-dominant party, told reporters that he had met with Mori and tendered his resignation, which Mori had accepted.

A no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori failed early today by a vote of 237 to 190 after rebel factions within Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party abruptly abandoned plans to join the opposition in seeking his ouster. The vote means that Mori could limp along in office until July, when elections are scheduled for the upper house of parliament, or even until his term officially ends in September.