The Diet's Rising Son

According to Japan's spring 2004 Directory of Parliament Officials , Representative Katsuya Okada's personal motto is Tai ki ban sei , a classic Japanese proverb that means "Great talents mature late." But considering that the new president of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has rocketed from relative obscurity to what could be the golden era of his political career—all at the comparatively tender age of 52—he may want to revise that motto before the next guide is printed. With the DPJ's strong showing in the recent Upper House parliamentary election, Okada has cemented his position as Japan's newest and most vibrant major...

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