Weak Japanese Leadership Prompts Calls for Stronger Ties with United States

Policy Alert #2 | November 29, 2010

Despite hosting the APEC summit this month, Japan’s leadership in the region is looking shaky. In this Policy Alert, we summarize what the Japanese press is saying about Japan’s diplomatic difficulties and the future of Japan-US relations:

Commenting on President Obama’s meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan in Yokohama, The Daily Yomirui says it was “unfortunate that Japan and the US missed a golden opportunity” to issue a joint declaration on the bilateral alliance’s 50th anniversary, and blames this on the poor diplomacy of the current Japanese administration, led by the Democratic Party of Japan.

Earlier in the month, the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Kunashir Island had also focused attention on Japan’s relations with the United States:

It is widely agreed that the DPJ government is weak. Editorials note that Japan’s recent troubles underscore the poor diplomacy and weak leadership of PM Kan and his predecessor Hatoyama.  A poll by the Asahi Shimbun shows that PM Kan’s approval ratings are at 27%.