Former Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe, who had lain low for some time, resumed his political activities in earnest late last year. Political observers now wonder what his ultimate aims are: Does he seek to create a political party of his own?
Until about a month ago, Masuzoe was relatively quiet — like other leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party following its defeat in the Aug. 30 Lower House election.
On Dec. 14, however, he organized his own study group and gave a two-hour-plus lecture to 22 political aspirants who ran on the LDP ticket but lost in the general election. Eleven were new faces in the political arena, six had been elected once, and the five others elected twice.