TOKYO -- When Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida picked Hirokazu Matsuno, 59, as his chief cabinet secretary, the news surprised political pundits, and the question "Who is Matsuno?" arose quickly.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, whose sole previous experience at the top of government was as education minister, has described himself as "neither a rightist nor leftist, but a neutralist."
Lawmaker who wanted to be a film director now leads Japan's bureaucracy