Japan's new PM takes power

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TOKYO, Sept 16: Japan's new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama (seen here) named his ministers Wednesday and was due to convene the cabinet for the first time. — AFP

TOKYO, Sept 16 (BSS/AFP) - Japan's new centre-left Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama took power Wednesday in a fresh start for Asia's top economy, which had been under conservative rule for almost all of the post-war era.
Hatoyama, head of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), was voted in by parliament two and a half weeks after his party's stunning election victory changed the country's political landscape.
"I'm thrilled with the joy of creating history, and at the same time I feel the very grave responsibility for creating history," Hatoyama earlier told reporters as he left his house in the morning.
Japan's usually risk-averse voters, tired with a stagnant political system and years of economic malaise, took a chance on Hatoyama's untested DPJ when they threw out the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on August 30.
"It will be the start of a new era," Hidekazu Kawai, political science professor emeritus of Gakushuin University, told AFP.
"But that is not to say the public is euphoric. Voters are very cool and keenly watching whether the DPJ can pull off their agenda. The people are dissatisfied with the LDP. They are also anxious about the DPJ."
Defeated prime minister Taro Aso and his cabinet earlier resigned en masse.
"I did my best for the sake of Japan, in a very short period... but unfortunately, I am stepping down halfway through," said Aso, who took office about a year ago, only to see his approval ratings quickly slip.