Japan: [PM] Kan's election greeted by yawn overseas

Japan Today ^ | 6/13/2010 | Henry Hilton

[bruinbirdman]

The appointment of Naoto Kan as Japan’s newest prime minister has been greeted by a general yawn overseas. The revolving door procession of yet another new man on the job following the quick exit of his predecessor after a mere eight months in office has inevitably left many bewildered and cynical about Japanese politics.

The observation by a former German leader that it was hardly worthwhile getting to know whoever might be the Japanese premier of the month has been thoroughly confirmed by Yukio Hatoyama’s short and unhappy experience at the top of the greasy pole. Clearly Mr Nice Guy could not hack it but to be fair to Hatoyama, no one else in recent years has put in a half-way decent performance as the nation’s supposed leader.

Against this dismal background, the rest of the world has every reason to adopt a jaundiced view of politics—Japanese style. Few but the most dedicated of info nerds are going to have anything but the shortest of attention spans when it comes to tracking Kan’s first 100 days. The public abroad is barely stifling a yawn and you can hardly blame it for reckoning that a wait-and-see ploy is the kindest approach for now.

Yet Japan, of course, still matters and what more serious readers and viewers would like to hear is some explanation for the extraordinarily brief and incomplete spells in office of all the post-Koizumi premiers. Any tentative answer must also now look beyond what was for years the mediocre performance of the declining Liberal Democratic Party and ask if the ruling Democratic Party of Japan is set to follow all too clearly in the stumbling path of the party it professes to despise.

The similarities are ominous. Both the LDP in its last years in power and the present DPJ are reliant on small coalition parties to maintain office which can only make for fudges and instability. Equally, neither of the present big two political groupings appears to be able to discover a “leader” who can actually fulfill the job description and actually take and carry through with important policy decisions at home and abroad.

The unfinished business that Hatoyama has bequeathed to his quickly-appointed successor suggests that genuine successes will be hard to find. For now, of course, its the upcoming Upper House elections that are concentrating the DPJ’s mind but even a half-way decent showing there is hardly a guarantee that Kan will walk away with the equivalent of a World Cup medal.

Merely listing the problems ahead over the relocation of the U.S. Marine base in Okinawa, getting the economy to put on some growth as Euroland and beyond look likely to struggle and discussing how to tackle Japan’s budget problems suggests it will be a tough struggle. Then, if that isn’t challenging enough, observers have to throw in continuing controversy over “shadow shogun” Ichiro Ozawa and whispers about whether to raise the dreaded consumption tax which will keep the political pot bubbling away merrily.

Pity the new man in charge, despite the recent spurt in the opinion polls. Kan is going to need all his guile and experience to keep his troops in line and then mount a concerted charge at Japan’s nasty-looking agenda. If Kan can survive his early battles, he has at least a chance of surviving a couple of years. Outsiders, though, should not bet on anything at this preliminary stage in the game.

[rickmichaels]

It seems this thread has been greeted by a general yawn as well.

[Dan(9698)]

Or snores.

It is 4:00AM

Why do you think there are many reading this?

[sushiman]

LDP ...DPJ ...they all love to raise taxes ...I hear tell they want to raise the highway tolls , too ...Now costs $ 200 + to drive from Fukuoka to Tokyo - about a 900km trip ...One way !