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EDITORIALS
Jun 17, 2010

Hints to financial reconstruction

Lawmakers representing opposition parties on Monday and Tuesday questioned Prime Minister Naoto Kan in the plenary session of each house of the Diet over his first general policy speech he made June 11. The ruling Democratic Party of Japan has decided not to extend the current Diet session so that it...
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 17, 2010

DPJ's Diet handling gets low marks

Last Christmas, then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama led the Democratic Party of Japan into its first ordinary Diet session, telling reporters he wanted to give the public a "sense of hope" as a gift and vowing "tangible results" to improve their livelihoods.
JAPAN
Jun 12, 2010

Can Kan survive the leadership gauntlet?

Japan has gone through prime ministers at a dizzying rate — Naoto Kan is the sixth in the last four years, and 14th over the past two decades — the highest turnover among the major industrialized countries.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2010

Weak poll may spur tieup with LDP defectors: Edano

The Democratic Party of Japan may reach out to other parties if it fails to gain a majority in next month's Upper House election, the new DPJ secretary general hinted Thursday.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2010

Kan keeps the media at arm's length, scales back interviews

Just days after forming his Cabinet, Prime Minister Naoto Kan has already been faced with tough decisions, including whether to extend the Diet session and how to turn around slumping stocks.
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2010

Renho beats drum against waste

Renho, the new state minister in charge of government revitalization, reiterated Wednesday her intention to trim waste in special account budgets, saying some aspects of the spending technique call for a thorough investigation by her team.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 9, 2010

Don't count Ozawa out of the scene yet

When Naoto Kan announced his candidacy for the Democratic Party of Japan presidency last week, he told reporters DPJ kingpin Ichiro Ozawa "should remain silent" for a while after quitting as secretary general, considering how his political money scandals helped speed the downfall of Yukio Hatoyama as...
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2010

Likeable, shows promise, but Tarutoko who?

When he emerged Thursday to run against Naoto Kan for the Democratic Party of Japan presidency and hence the prime ministership, many probably asked who is Shinji Tarutoko?
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 5, 2010

Economy, debt reduction trump party pledges: Kan

Inheriting a mountain of problems from his predecessor's administration, newly elected Prime Minister Naoto Kan appears to be clear about one thing: something must be done about the snowballing government debt and moribund economy.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
May 29, 2010

Hatoyama's tenure in doubt as poll looms

With the Futenma debacle just the latest of the Democratic Party of Japan's broken pledges, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is increasingly being seen as a liability as his party faces July's Upper House election.
JAPAN
May 21, 2010

Former negotiator lays base woes on Okinawa

Every story has more than one side.
EDITORIALS
May 18, 2010

A welcome dose of transparency

In April 2001, Japan's freedom of information law went into effect. But the law has many problems. For example, it does not have a clear clause that protects and promotes people's right to know. In a welcome move, the Hatoyama administration has disclosed a basic plan to revise the law.
JAPAN
May 14, 2010

Hatoyama admits pledge is dead

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Thursday effectively retracted his pledge to resolve the Futenma relocation dispute by his self-imposed deadline, saying he will continue negotiations beyond June if his administration can't reach a comprehensive deal this month.
JAPAN
May 12, 2010

Hatoyama plans return to Okinawa

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is planning to go back to Okinawa Prefecture around May 23 and formally propose his plan for the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima, government sources said Tuesday.
EDITORIALS
May 10, 2010

Lessons for Mr. Hatoyama

After his visit to Okinawa Prefecture last Tuesday, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama finds himself at an impasse over the issue of the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa. He must learn from mistakes made so far and strive to resolve this issue.
JAPAN
May 7, 2010

Base move not party pledge, Hatoyama says

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama denied Thursday he has backpedaled on the relocation of Futenma air station, stressing the initial proposal to move the U.S. Marine base outside Okinawa Prefecture was his personal goal and not a pledge made by his party.
EDITORIALS
Apr 24, 2010

Shift gears on base relocation

In his debate in the Diet on Wednesday with Liberal Democratic Party leader Sadakazu Tanigaki and Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama reiterated that there will be no change to his self-imposed May 31 deadline to resolve the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Air Station...

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