Hatoyama's resignation
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Yukio Hatoyama resigned as Japanese Prime Minister on June 2, eight month since he entered the post with gallantry.
Hatoyama's inability to act on his campaign promise regarding the US base on Futenma, Okinawa, was the primary reason for his resignation. On May 4, Hatoyama admitted he had no way to remove the US base from Okinawa. Then on May 28, he fired Mizuho Fukushima, state minister of consumer affairs. Both events doomed him politically.
Hatoyama had been a resourceful politician who aimed to improve the present situation in Japan, but he fell victim to his own weakness in personality.
Last year during the election, Hatoyama vowed he "at least" would seek to close the US base in Okinawa, and possibly the other bases in Japan.
Whereas the U.S. insisted the Hatoyama administration abide by the existing deal – to move the Futenma base from the urban area to the Henoko, an area north of the island.
Since then, Futenma has put the long-time allies at odds. Once Hatoyama began to realize the price of offending the U.S., his administration gradually withdrew the initial toughness, and eventually abandoned the promise that helped win the election. After that, Hatoyama and his cabinet gradually lost support from the public.
He also fired Fukushima to protect US relations, and subsequently ended the governing coalition. Interestingly, on the evening of May 27, Hatoyama announced that he wouldn't consider removing Fukushima, even as she continued to oppose to the joint declaration, but changed his mind one day later, and incited uproar from both the political circles and the media.
The weakness in Hatoyama's personality was a significant factor in his failure to be an effective leader. Had Hatoyama been tougher and more persistent, he might have displeased the U.S., but he would have won support within his country.
The gallant charisma needed in a prime minister has been absent in Japan for a long time. Hatoyama failed. Regarding leadership, Hatoyama has a lot to learn from Barack Obama, who persisted and won health-care reform despite vigorous opposition.
Hatoyama lost the battle in Futenma, whose complication lies in the delicacy of the US-Japan relationship. After Koizumi, Japan has been on track of what's called the Back to Asia strategy, a painful process to both the Japanese government and the US-Japan relationship.
For Japan, living in the US shadow is depressing. But even the Japanese public is split about the country's standing. In the Koizumi administration, Japan completely relied on the U.S. regarding matters like security, and sought expansion under the US defensive umbrella.
In the meantime, Japan failed to assume an appropriate attitude toward World War II issues, which stirred tensions in its relationship with its neighbors.
Other administrations modified the strategy and tried hard to balance the relationship between the U.S. and Asian countries. Washington experienced some discomfort in this shift, and Futenma added to the tension and frustration on both sides.
What's certain is Hatoyama's successor will face even more severe challenges, as Japan continues in its attempt to balance its relationship with the U.S. A likely strategy is to focus first on domestic reform and economic recovery, and then deal with the U.S. after the new prime minister and ministers have won higher support.
Regardless, because Japan has grown closer to its Asian neighbors, its relationship with the U.S. will have to undergo even more challenges and frustrations.
The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/node_7077605.htm
(This article was translated by Maverick Chen.)
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