from the inside, looking in

From the Yomiuri

With ex-foreign minister Taro Aso seen as the odds on favorite to become the next PM, manga/anime stocks were up today. Aso is a self-proclaimed manga otaku. Stocks which rose today include Mandarake - the manga and related goods retailer, Production I.G, the anime production company (who was the 2003 Entrepreneur of the Year Japan - quick plug for the EOY JAPAN programme…), and other related stocks such as Sotsu, the animation licensing company, Toei Animation, and Bandai Visual.

Also up was Aso Foamcrete, the only company within the Aso Group which is traded on the markets. (Taro Aso was the President of Aso Cement (now Aso Lafarge Cement), the keystone company within the Aso Group. The Aso Group was/is a regional zaibatsu based out of Fukuoka.