A lot of people seem to be convinced that Shinjiro Koizumi will someday be prime minister of Japan. He's got everything going for him — pedigree, good looks, proper manners. His youth is a plus rather than a minus, probably because he's developed an understanding of his place in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and how to leverage it. The announcement of his engagement to popular newscaster Christel Takigawa on Aug. 7 in front of the Prime Minister's Office was, as the Asahi Shimbun pointed out, the kind of "theater" his father, Junichiro, was noted for when he was prime minister.
But while coverage of the engagement announcement was mostly cause for felicitations, the media has never really warmed to Koizumi Jr. The Asahi Shimbun's report focused on how well-planned the announcement was. It was intended to look spontaneous, but every detail had been worked out so that it would be covered live by the afternoon TV "wide shows."
Koizumi showed up at the Prime Minister's Office to see Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, which stimulated the curiosity of a group of press club members hanging around. There was nothing on the official agenda about Koizumi's visit and, since he was accompanied by Takigawa, it immediately became obvious to the reporters what the purpose of the visit was. While the pair was talking to Suga, the reporters rounded up any available camera crews and photographers in the area so that they could confront the couple when they emerged.