Shinzo Abe was elected head of Liberal Democratic Party today and he will succeed Junichiro Koizumi as prime minister next week. Abe, who will turn 52 tomorrow, will become Japan's youngest leader since World War II and the youngest Prime Minister of Japan.

Abe, Koizumi's chief cabinet secretary, won 66 percent of the votes of party legislators and rank-and-file members (464 of 702), beating Foreign Minister Taro Aso and Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki.

He comes from a political family, he is grandson of former prime minister  Nobusuke Kishi (from his mother's side) and son of former foreign minister Shintaro Abe. He was born in Nagato, and studied political science at Seikei University, graduating in 1977. He later moved to the United States to study politics at the University of Southern California.

The next Prime Minister of Japan has stated his intention of revising the postwar "peace" Constitution to allow Japanese troops to take part more freely in overseas peacekeeping missions and wants to strengthen the security alliance with the United States. He has vowed to revise Japan's U.S.-drafted Constitution in about five years and promised to work to mend ties with China and South Korea.

In a Sept. 18 interview Abe said he was "committed'' to doubling foreign investment in Japan in four years and plans to submit a bill to parliament next year to promote investment from overseas.

Shinzo Abe:

http://www.abe2006.jp/index.shtml

http://www3.s-abe.or.jp/