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...alien," the genesis of which has been credited to his often cryptic turns of phrase that leave Japanese guessing about his true opinions. "He's a very mysterious guy," says Masatoshi Honda, a professor of Japanese politics at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. "We still don't know who Hatoyama...
...Matters won't get any easier. Economists worry that Hatoyama's social-welfare programs will only increase the government debt ratio, which is already more than twice that of the U.S. His reforms are also likely to face stiff resistance from the still powerful elements of the establishment, especially the government bureaucracy, which won't readily surrender its influence. Just like so many other Japanese politicians, Hatoyama has already been tarred by an alleged scandal, this one concerning campaign finance. (Hatoyama has publicly apologized for the scandal, though he has said he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing.) His Cabinet...
...fellow for Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. "They're working it out as they go." Nowhere has that been more apparent than in Hatoyama's handling of the status of American bases on Okinawa. That southern Japanese island, a famous World War II battleground, still hosts roughly 25,000 troops, almost all of them Marines, and the local Okinawans have long resented the heavy military presence. In 2006, the U.S. and Japan reached an agreement to move a Marine air base on Okinawa to a less populated part of the island and relocate...
...Defense Secretary Robert Gates bluntly told Japanese officials that the original 2006 arrangement is "the best alternative for everyone," adding that "it is time to move on." Though the frustrated Obama Administration has since softened its approach - stating that it's willing to listen to Japanese proposals - it still sees the 2006 pact as its preferred option. (See pictures of President Obama visiting Asia...
...Despite the strides in aid, there is still insufficient focus on these two issues in the development debate - and in particular recognition of the importance of political leadership. Even with outside support, governments still need capacity at their center capable of taking and implementing big strategic decisions. Without it, even the greatest visionaries find it hard to turn aspirations into actions...