Represented in the Cabinet

There are a lot of political interests and faction strife that go into the making of a new Japanese cabinet, but I never thought I'd see a dedicated Go player make it to the top. The author of Shisaku has composed a complete roster of Japanese Prime Minister's post-defeat cabinet. Apparently, the new Cabinet Secretary, Yosano Kaoru, is a Go player and a good one at that. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find a picture of the adept 7 dan politician playing a game. Anyone care to analyze?

I mentioned this curious find to a friend of mine, who keeps me abreast of developments in Chinese literature in exchange for news on movements in the Japanese political scene.

He replied, "Who has the time to be a cabinet secretary and an expert Go player?".

"Not sure."

"Well, I guess it makes sense. Japanese 7 dan isn't what it used to be."

Zing!

Personally I'm waiting in rapt suspense for Yosano to excercise some of his Go knowhow in the current stage of his political career. Imagine him urging the LDP to take sente during a heated campaign for the House of Representatives, or making an appearance at a tournament to curry the favor of the parochial Go community.