Japan leader under fire over pricey nightlife

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has a light moment prior to the start of lower house budget committee at parliament in Tokyo Monday, Oct. 6, 2008. Aso is coming under fire for his frequent nighttime visits to high-end bars and restaurants. Aso, the nattily dressed scion of a wealthy family, has dined at posh Tokyo bars and restaurants nearly every night since he took office on Sept. 24, going straight home from work only four times, according to newspaper tallies Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008.
(AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081023/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_pricey_premier_2

By SHINO YUASA,
Associated Press Writer –
Thu Oct 23, 4:47 am ET AP –
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has a light moment prior to the start of lower house budget committee … TOKYO – While much of Japan is grappling with deepening economic turmoil, the country's dapper prime minister has come under fire for enjoying a lavish nightlife.

Since taking the helm a month ago, Taro Aso has spent all but four nights out on the town at posh bars and eateries, according to tallies in leading newspapers.

Aso's haunts include an upscale hotel bar where coffee is poured out at $15 a cup, and a ritzy restaurant where the plates of grilled eel start at $175 a serving.

The opposition has seized on Aso's nights on the town, claiming the 68-year-old political blueblood and scion of a wealthy family is out of touch with the people.

"He won't understand the real concerns of people by going to such places," Susumu Yanase, a lawmaker from Japan's largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, said Wednesday.

Aso, who is well-known for favoring cigars and meticulously tailored suits, has defended his nocturnal habits, saying visits to less exclusive places would be a security headache for others.

Besides, he said, he's not charging the government for his fun.

"Don't you know bars at hotels are not so expensive?" Aso told reporters on Wednesday night. "Fortunately, I've got money, so I'm paying the bills myself."

Still, he's making efforts to develop a common touch. He visited a supermarket in downtown Tokyo on Sunday to see how shoppers were being affected by price increases.

Since taking office Sept. 24, Aso has been under pressure to boost the popularity of the ailing ruling party before he calls snap parliamentary elections.

The economy, however, is sputtering. Automakers are cutting production and stocks are nose-diving. The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average fell 2.46 percent on Thursday