The shattering defeat results in the DPJ scrambling for coalition allies, leaving the current leadership of Prime Minister Naoto Kan increasingly vulnerable. If the Democrats fail to join forces with another party or two to gain a majority in the upper house – a prospect that looks unlikely – they will likely have difficulty moving ahead on their agenda.

Taking office a month ago after the resignation of the deeply unpopular Yukio Hatoyama, Kan pledged to restore the nation’s vigour after two decades of economic malaise and tackle a public debt nearing 200 percent of GDP.

Official results will be released later today.

Sources:
Big election losses could hinder Japan ruling party attempts to tackle debt, revive economy [TODAY, 12 July 2010]
Election defeat erodes hope for strong leadership in Japan [Channel NewsAsia, 12 July 2010]
Japan braces for gridlock after ruling party loss [Associated Press, 12 July 2010]

Japan’s new Prime Minister Naoto Kan, riding high on opinion poll ratings above 60%, was to unveil key posts in his centre-left party Monday, the eve of the formal launch of his government.

Japanese newspapers have touted Kan as the “son of a salary man”, contrasting his ordinary background to the privileged roots of recent prime ministers, who have hailed from rich political dynasties. Mr Kan, who previously served as finance minister and deputy prime minister, is expected to gather his cabinet for its first meeting on Tuesday morning.

Sources:
Japan’s New PM Enjoys 60% Support in Polls [Channel News Asia, 7 June 2010]
Japanese PM Naoto Kan and Cabinet to be Sworn In [BBC News, 8 June 8 2010]
Japan to Inaugurate New PM [The Straits Times, 8 June 2010]

This announcement comes after Hatoyama held a meeting with DPJ party members where despite calls by his members to resign, he vowed to continue in his post.

Sources:
Japan PM Hatoyama Pledges to Stay On, but Future Uncertain [The Wall Street Journal, 31 May 2010]
Hatoyama Resigns over Base Row [The Wall Street Journal, 2 June 2010]

Mr Wen emphasises that the more important matter at hand is to dispel the impact of the Cheonan incident and place a large effort into boosting peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

South Korea has accused North Korea of torpedoing the Cheonan, which sank on 26 March with the loss of 46 lives. The North denies involvement and has responded to the reprisals with threats of war, insistent that Seoul faked evidence to incite tensions and boost its support before local elections this week.

Sources:
China Fails to Censure North Korea at Warship Summit [BBC News, 30 May 2010]
China Balks at Criticism of North Korea [The New York Times, 30 May 2010]
S.Korea, Japan fail to persuade China to censure N.Korea [AFP, 30 May 2010]

Japan has vowed to work with South Korea, US and China to deal with the rising tensions. Ever since North Korea conducted nuclear and missile tests, Tokyo has imposed several restrictions against North Korea, such as travel bans, trade bans etc.

The Korean tensions have given the Prime Minister Elbow room to resolve a controversial task of relocating the Futenma airbase in Okinawa. Masashi Nishihara, president, Research Institute for Peace and Security, said: “Mr Hatoyama in the past said he has to pay more attention to the wishes of the people. Now he’s shifted his position to argue that Okinawa’s deterrence capability or functions can be more important. This issue of Korean peninsula has helped Mr Hatoyama very much.”

Clinton commends Hatoyama over US base decision [Channel News Asia, 24 May 2010]
Japanese PM: U.S Military base to stay in Okinawa [CNN, 24 May 2010]

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell arrived for a closed door meeting on Wednesday to discuss possible relocation areas, a month ahead of Hatoyama’s self-imposed end-of-May deadline. Under a 2006 agreement still backed by Washington, Futenma’s facilities were to be shifted from a city center to a less populated part of Okinawa.

Resistance to the airbase has burgeoned steadily in Okinawa, where resentful residents consider it an unfair burden for maintaining the 50-year-old U.S.-Japan security alliance. They also cite much dislike for the crime, accidents and noise associated with the bases.

Sources:
Japan PM Keeps Party Kingpin, Plans Base Trip [Reuters, 28 Apr 2010]
Japan PM to Visit Okinawa over US Base Row [AFP, 28 Apr 2010]

Photographs and images used on this website are obtained from publicly-accessible resources. No copyright infringement is intended.

Protestors signaled warnings toward Prime Minister Hatoyama by dressing in yellow, reminding him of the promise he made during elections to move the busy base off Okinawa altogether. Hatoyama’s efforts to find a new location for the base have not appeased Washington. The original 2006 deal calls for moving the base from its current location, in the center of the city of Ginowan, to Camp Schwab, an existing Marine base in less-populated northern Okinawa.

Japanese have long been resentful of the massive US base on the island, which is home to more than half the 47,000 American troops based in Japan. Hatoyama has given himself till end May to resolve the issue.

Sources:
90,000 Protest U.S. Base on Okinawa [The New York Times, 25 Apr 2010]
Japanese Islanders Stage Mass Rally Against US Base [ChannelNewsAsia, 25 Apr 2010]
Mass Rally in Japan Against US Base on Okinawa [BBC News 25 Apr 2010]

Photographs and images used on this website are obtained from publicly-accessible resources. No copyright infringement is intended.

Since last year’s election, there have been a flurry of diplomatic visits between China and Japan. The Yoimuri Shimbun even cited an anonymous diplomatic source that said there could be reconciliation over historical issues, which would include a visit by PM Hatoyama to Nanjing to apologize for the 1937 massacre. Though both sides dismissed the report, onlookers have speculated that it may have been a trial balloon.

Meanwhile, conflict has escalated in the row over the relocation of US bases in Okinawa. Today, candidate who opposes the base won the mayoral election of Okinawa, increasing pressure on PM Hatoyama.

For more on relations between the Asia-Pacific’s three largest economies, see below.

Martin Fackler, “In Japan, U.S. is Losing Ground to China,” New York Times, January 23, 2010.

Martin Fackler, “Mayor-Elect of Okinawa Opposes U.S. Base,” New York Times, January 23, 2010.

In his talks with Yang, the Japanese foreign minister said that Tokyo would take “action” if China violated a 2008 agreement over developing natural gas fields in the East China Sea.

In the 2008 agreement, China and Japan said (after years of negotiations) they would share the potentially valuable gas resources.

But Japan has reportedly observed that China has built a drilling plant in the area and appears ready to start pumping. This prompted the comment from the Japanese foreign minister.

On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Chaoxu said that China would firmly uphold its due rights in the East China Sea. He pointed out that according to the principled common understanding reached between the two countries, the Japanese side could participate in the cooperative development, but that the cooperative development is different from “joint development”.

Both sides agreed to continue to discussthe issue.

Sources:

Reuters, “Japan threatens action on China gas project: report,” January 17, 2010, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60G06220100117

Xinhua, “Chinese, Japanese FMs meet on further advancement of bilateral ties,” January 17, 2010, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/17/content_12825623.htm

Xinhua, “China upholds due rights in East China Sea: FM Spokesman,” January 19, 2010, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-01/19/c_13141492.htm

Agence France Presse, “Japan vows ‘action’ if China violates gas field,” January 17, 2010,