This Person, Former Prime Minister, Made Another Controversial Remark Calling a Minister "Ajumma"...

During Praise of Female Minister's Ability, Slip of Tongue Occurs
"Rookism, Ageism Rampant" Faces Fierce Criticism

Tar? As?, Deputy President of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, sparked controversy after making 'appearance-based' remarks about a female minister. As? has previously faced criticism for a series of gaffes.

On the 30th (local time), local media including Kyodo News reported that As? made the inappropriate remarks during a lecture held in Fukuoka on the 28th. At the time, As? was praising the diplomatic skills of Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, saying, "It’s hard to say she is very beautiful, but she speaks confidently and properly in English, and she arranged meetings with the people she needed to see without the help of diplomats."

Taro Aso, Deputy President of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party
[Photo by Reuters]

He also reportedly said, "A new star is rising," and added, "I even thought, 'This ajumma is good at this.'" While As?’s remarks were intended to praise the foreign minister’s outstanding work abilities, the problem lies in his evaluation of her appearance and use of words like "ajumma" (auntie).

The Japanese opposition, including the Constitutional Democratic Party, strongly criticized As?’s remarks as "lookism and ageism itself." The media also pointed out the outdated gender equality awareness in Japanese politics. Kyodo News reported, "In Japanese politics, including local assemblies, inappropriate remarks based on lookism and ageism continue unabated."

As?, who served as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2009, is known for frequently making controversial remarks in official settings and is nicknamed the "gaffe factory" within Japan. In October last year, he sparked controversy by telling Japanese lawmakers that "most former South Korean presidents are either killed or arrested after completing their five-year terms."

In 2013, he caused an uproar by suggesting learning from the methods of the Nazi regime in Germany when discussing constitutional revision. Facing backlash, then Deputy Prime Minister As? retracted his statement, saying, "I regret that my remarks caused misunderstandings contrary to my true intentions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.