Word: koizumi
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...Washington-where his poll numbers are slumping and his second term is mired in a swamp of scandal-for a week's swing through Asia, he could at least be assured of a warm welcome at his first stop. In Kyoto, Bush was to meet Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Bush loves Koizumi, and the feeling is mutual. More to the point, it has become conventional wisdom on both sides of the Pacific to assert that the U.S.-Japan alliance is now closer and stronger than it has ever been-an assessment strengthened by the rapid-fire conclusion...
...Washington's interest in bolstering the alliance is plain, so is Tokyo's. Koizumi has made a strategic decision to yoke his nation ever more tightly to the U.S. as a buffer to the seemingly inexorable rise of China, measured not least by the rapid modernization of its armed forces. During his four and a half years in office, Koizumi has pushed Japan and its so-called Self-Defense Force into a much higher profile on the world stage. In 2002, the Japanese destroyer Kirishima set sail for the Indian Ocean to help refuel U.S. and allied ships involved...
...neither frustration among defense analysts nor Koizumi's undoubted energy are likely to get Japan moving at the speed the U.S. would like. Japan's constitution, written for it by Americans after 1945, assured that it would "renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation." For good reason, many Japanese remain deeply conflicted about the use of force. The grand bargain struck at the end of World War II-in essence that the U.S. would protect Japan in return for diplomatic support for its endeavors-served Japan well. It allowed the Japanese to concentrate on building the most sustained...
...slack on offense. Prized goalie recruit Brittany Chartier will need to be every bit as good as advertised for Minnesota to make it back to the national title game. MINNESOTA-DULUTHThe Bulldogs feature two of the most electrifying scorers in the country on their top line in Jessica Koizumi and Noemie Marin. Sharing the ice with these two juniors is standout freshman Michaela Lanzl, rounding out perhaps the most potent unit in the land. Between the pipes for Duluth is Swiss giant Riita Schaublin, who sported a .942 save percentage a year ago. Both offense and defense were clicking...
...APPOINTED. SHINZO ABE, 51, as Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, and TARO ASO, 65, as Foreign Minister; as part of a cabinet shuffle by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi; in Tokyo. Abe, a former secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and Aso, a veteran lawmaker, are both political thoroughbreds and the grandsons of former Prime Ministers. The elevation of the pair, each known for their assertive stances on Japan's relations with its Asian neighbors, sparked concerns in China and South Korea, whose relationships with Japan have soured over recent border disputes and lingering bitterness about Japan's past...