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A Change In Japan

The people of Japan were stunned by the news last Monday. The day before, the nation's Prime Minister, Keizo Obuchi, 62, suffered a stroke--the result of a blocked or broken blood vessel in his brain. By last Friday he was still in a coma. It was clear that he would never completely recover.

Other Japanese officials moved quickly to install a new leader. Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki acted as Prime Minister until a new one was chosen. On Wednesday the ruling Liberal Democratic Party chose its second in command, Yoshiro Mori, as Prime Minister. Japan's lawmakers approved the choice.

Mori and Obuchi attended college together and have been friends ever since. The two have similar ideas.

"I must continue to keep Prime Minister Obuchi's thoughts in mind," said Mori, 62. "That is very important to me."

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