Aso

Aso, Taro, 1940-, Japanese politician, prime minister of Japan (2008-9). Grandson of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida and son of a successful industrialist, he attended Gakushuin Univ. (grad. 1963), Stanford, and the Univ. of London. He subsequently joined the family cement business, leaving it in 1979 after his election to the Diet's lower house. A conservative, a nationalist, and a member of the Liberal Democratic party (LDP), Aso rose in the party ranks, held various governmental offices, and served (2005-7) as foreign minister under Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe. In 2008, after Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda resigned, he became leader of the LDP and prime minister; Aso was the first Roman Catholic to hold the office. He advocated increased public spending and tax cuts to aid Japan's faltering economy as well as close ties with the United States and an assertive foreign policy, but he was hurt politically by a series of policy stumbles and an economic recession. In 2009 the LDP suffered landslide losses in the Diet, and Aso resigned.

Japanese Aso-san

Volcanic mountain, central Kyushu island, Japan. The highest of its five peaks is about 5,223 ft (1,592 m) tall. It has one of the largest active craters in the world, measuring 71 mi (114 km) in circumference; its caldera marks the original crater and contains an active volcano and hot springs. The crater is inhabited; its pastures are used for cattle raising and dairy farming. The volcano is at the centre of Aso-Kuju National Park.

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Japanese Aso-san

Volcanic mountain, central Kyushu island, Japan. The highest of its five peaks is about 5,223 ft (1,592 m) tall. It has one of the largest active craters in the world, measuring 71 mi (114 km) in circumference; its caldera marks the original crater and contains an active volcano and hot springs. The crater is inhabited; its pastures are used for cattle raising and dairy farming. The volcano is at the centre of Aso-Kuju National Park.

Learn more about Aso, Mount with a free trial on Britannica.com.

is a city located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.

The city was formed on February 11, 2005 from the merger of the former town of Aso with the municipalities of Ichinomiya and Namino from Aso District.

As of October 2005, the city has an estimated population of 30,150 and a density of 91.95 persons per km². The total area is 376.25 km².

Nearby attractions

• Aso Kujū National Park

External links

• Official website