Streaming Yasuo
Smashing to see Japan's prime minister, Yasuo Fukuda, following the example of The Queen and getting hip to the kids' jive by promoting himself on YouTube. Also to hear him gamely speaking in English for 5' 33" - not effortlessly (though who am I to talk?), but gamely nonetheless. Anyone who makes his debut on the Interweb with a quotation from the early 20th century novelist, Natsume Soseki, also demands respect. "It seems as if everything is being destroyed, and - at the same time - as if everything is being built anew."
The LDP YouTube channel seems to be the work of the extremely likeable MP, Taro Kono, beloved of foreign journalists for his beautiful English and general friendliness and approachability. "I hope you tune in when you have nothing else to do," he says in his own Japanese language video contribution - which is modest, if realistic.
Ladies and gentelemen, please welcome . . . Yasuo Fukuda.
when i wen tto link, no comments allowed. bunk
Posted by: danny | 3 Jan 2008 07:36:00
Nice speech but didn't someone tell him to talk to the camera with the red light on? Also, what was the huge flag for? In case we forgot what country he was president of?
Posted by: Mark Bellis | 6 Jan 2008 00:55:17