Limits for Japan ?
New Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is a far cry from former flamboyant PM Junichiro Koizumi. In this interview with the Washington Post, Fukuda still makes clear the desire to retain a strong relationship with the US, but it is evident there are signs of retrenchment that goes against the current of a bolder policy as envisioned by Koizumi. This means more burden for the US pure and simple. Not only that, it looks like Fukuda is a retread of the old way of Japanese politics which is lumbering, unimaginative, and prone to excessive caution. This will probably be a problem for them economically too as needed reforms can’t get pushed through without dynamic political leadership of the kind put forward by Koizumi (especially with his postal reforms). Too bad we still don’t have Koizumi. Too bad for Japan too.
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