The choice of Yoshihide Suga as the next leader to steer Japan might seem only natural in a nation where he has virtually morphed into a household name over the past seven-plus years, owing to his constant exposure to the media as the top government spokesman.
But his public persona belies a political career fundamentally molded by his commitment to behind-the-scenes roles.
A backroom lieutenant, skilled crisis management coordinator and bureaucracy manipulator — it is those kinds of positions that have always been at the core of Suga’s standing as a politician. Seldom has he been recognized for leadership abilities.