Aso Named Japan’s Next Finance Chief as Abe Primes Fiscal Pump

Akio Kon/Bloomberg

An electronic stock board displaying the Nikkei 225 Stock Average figure, alongside other stock indices in Tokyo, Japan, on Dec. 19, 2012. As finance minister, Taro Aso's first task will be to deliver on his party’s pledge of a “large-scale” supplementary budget to stimulate the economy, which is forecast to shrink for a third straight quarter.