[지금, 이 사람]
“I can’t say she’s that beautiful.”
Despite a series of abusive remarks, the Vice President remains powerful.
When the Minister of Finance said, “Elderly people should die quickly.”
Former Prime Minister Taro Aso (麻生太郎, 83, photo), who has caused controversy several times with his foul language and is known even in Japanese political circles as an ‘absurd remark maker’, has come under fire this time for calling his country’s foreign minister “ma’am.” She even did not hesitate to make comments that carelessly evaluated the appearance of female ministers.
According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 29th, former Prime Minister Aso said about Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa at a lecture held in Fukuoka Prefecture the day before, “A new star is growing. Even when we look at her, we think, ‘This lady is good at it,’” she said. The Japanese word ‘Oba-san (おばさん)’ written by former Prime Minister Aso means ‘aunt’ in Korean. If you look at the dictionary definition, it is an honorific term, but in reality, it has a strong nuance of belittling middle-aged women. In Japan, there was also an assessment that “this is something that no person with common sense would say.”
Former Prime Minister Aso did not stop here. He even said at a lecture, “I can’t say he’s a very beautiful person, but he speaks confidently and speaks English properly.” Moreover, he mistakenly said her trauma’s name, Kamikawa, as ‘Kamimura’.
This is not the first time that former Prime Minister Aso has been controversial for his abusive language. In 2013, during his time as finance minister, he brought up the issue of medical insurance for the elderly and said, “We need to allow the elderly to die quickly,” and received national criticism. Regarding constitutional amendments, he said, “We must learn the tricks of the German Nazis.” In 2003, when he was a foreign minister, he caused a stir by saying about the Japanese name change, “It started because Koreans asked for their last name.”
Nevertheless, far from being expelled from politics, former Prime Minister Aso still wields enormous power as vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Because Japan elects its prime minister through internal elections within the ruling party, he still exerts great influence on the decision of the next prime minister. In fact, despite this statement, there are no significant issues raised within the party.
Some point out that this trend clearly shows the backwardness of Japanese politics. This is because even the highest-ranking politician, who was a 7-term member of the National Assembly and served as a minister several times, is openly discriminated against and despised because she is a woman, and no action is taken. In Japan, there is criticism that former Prime Minister Aso’s outrageous remarks are a more serious problem because they contain disparagement and discrimination against the weak, such as minorities and those from invaded countries, rather than simple statements.
Tokyo =
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.