Kasumigaseki, Tokyo's bureaucratic hub, has been in a political vacuum since Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi dissolved the House of Representatives on Aug. 8 -- and diplomacy is no exception.
Even if Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party retains its majority and he stays at the helm, diplomacy may remain low-key because the government's efforts are likely to be focused on getting his postal reform bills through the Diet.
Critics also warn that ties with the United States -- the "honeymoon" relationship Koizumi has nurtured with U.S. President George W. Bush over the past four years -- will be strained if the prime minister doesn't pay much attention to pressing bilateral issues, including the U.S. military realignment in Japan.
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