Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U.S. President George W. Bush met at a summit in the ancient capital of Kyoto last Wednesday, the first such meeting in almost a year. The two leaders shared their belief that close relations between their countries are important not only for this region but also for the entire international community. What drew special attention, however, was Mr. Koizumi's simplistic view of close ties with the United States as something of a panacea that will solve all of the important diplomatic issues Japan now faces.

At a news conference after the summit, Mr. Koizumi said: "The United States remains the most indispensable ally to Japan. And the better our bilateral relations are, the easier it will be for us to establish better relations with China and neighboring countries, and with other countries in the world."

He added: "There is no such a thing as a Japan-U.S. relationship that's too close. Some people maintain that maybe we should pay more attention to other issues, that it would probably better serve Japan's interests to strengthen relationships with other countries as well. But I do not side with such views. The closer, more intimate the Japan-U.S. relationship is, the easier it will be for us to behave and establish better relations with China, South Korea and other nations in Asia."