Japan Appoints New Foreign Minister

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan appointed new foreign minister following the resignation of Seiji Maehara from that position last Sunday. Previously, Seiji Maehara resign for allegedly accepting bribes amounting to Rp 5,3 million - one more: millions, not billions.

Reporting from the CNN page, Wednesday, March 9, 2011, Kan appointed Deputy Secretary Takeaki Matsumoto to replace Maehara. "Prime Minister Naoto Kan decides this appointment because of the ability and knowledge of Matsumoto, and based on the desire (Kan) to continue the policy of diplomacy," said Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Yukio Edano.

Matsumoto, 51, is a former banker and great-grandson of Japan's first prime minister, Yasuhiro Nakasone. He is a member of the ruling party, the Democratic Party of Japan. Senior researcher of the Tokyo Foundation's assessment agency, Tsuneo Watanabe, Matsumoto said as "a diplomat who is experienced and mature."

Matsumoto in Japan's upper house of parliament (Diet) says he will continue the efforts in encouraging export Maehara infrastructure technologies, such as the power generation facilities, and high-speed rail.

"I've worked closely with Maehara. I hope (export infrastructure) will be one facet of Japanese diplomacy that we promote under the new structure," said Maehara as reported by the pages of The Wall Street Journal.

Previous foreign minister, Seiji Maehara, chose to resign from his post on Sunday, March 6, 2011, after being accused of receiving money from foreigners worth 50 thousand yen, or about Rp 5,3 million.

The 48-year-old politician was to be under greater scrutiny, because the money is sometimes a political donation from a South Korean citizen living in Japan. According to local laws, politicians should not receive any money from foreign nationals.