Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Japanese News for June 2010

6-15-10
Okinawa governor tells Japan PM U.S. base deal hard
Voter perceptions that Kan’s predecessor, Yukio Hatoyama, had mishandled a feud over the U.S. Marines Futenma airbase on Okinawa slashed government support and distracted close allies Washington and Tokyo.

Under an agreement forged shortly before Hatoyama quit earlier this month, the two nations agreed to implement a 2006 deal to shift Futenma airbase to a less crowded part of Okinawa, host to about half the U.S. forces in Japan…
Okinawa Gov Not Happy with Kan

6-6-10
New Japanese Premier Affirms U.S. Ties
TOKYO – Japan’s new prime minister, Naoto Kan, told President Barack Obama that the alliance with the U.S. will remain the lynchpin of Tokyo’s foreign policy in a call Sunday that took place while the premier was shaping his cabinet.

Two days after Yukio Hatoyama stepped down as leader following his botched effort to relocate a controversial U.S. base in Okinawa, Mr. Kan pledged his utmost effort to solve the issue in accordance with a recent bilateral agreement that led to his predecessor’s departure…
Closer with Kan

6-4-10
Why Hatoyama - and many Japanese prime ministers - stumbled
When Japan’s next prime minister takes office following Yukio Hatoyama’s resignation announcement on Wednesday, he will be the 15th occupant of the office in the past 21 years.

Take the unusually long tenure of Junichiro Koizumi (2001-2006) out of the equation, and 13 prime ministers have lasted a total of 16 years.

Mr. Hatoyama himself was the fourth consecutive leader who failed to last even a year in the job. For all the hopes of meaningful change borne in last year’s historic election victory by his opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), to many it now looks like simply more of the same: another scion of a powerful political dynasty who turned out not to have the mettle to handle the pressures of the nation’s highest office…
Why, Why, Why?

6-3-10
Japan PM Hatoyama quits
The political turmoil could delay efforts to thrash out plans set to be announced this month to cut the country’s public debt, which stands at about 200 percent of GDP, and a strategy to engineer economic growth in an aging society.

But if, as many expect, fiscally conservative Finance Minister Naoto Kan takes the helm, that could raise the chances of bolder steps to rein in debt, including a pledge to consider raising the 5 percent sales tax…
Surprised?

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