TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's repeated use of the word "doubling" has exposed a lack of attention to detail, brought on public scrutiny and revealed a leader prone to making missteps.
At the very least the reiterations have caused some confusion. This was on display on Feb. 15 during a lower house budget committee meeting that was taking up a proposed allocation meant to help lift Japan's sagging birthrate. Kishida suggested doubling the ratio of "family-related social expenditure" to gross domestic product.
