Topic: Democratic Party of Japan

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After robots fail, Kan sends 25,000 troops to search for Japan tsunami victims

Prime Minister Kan sent troops, helicopters, and planes to the northeast coast to recover bodies still missing from the Japan tsunami. Kan has come under attack for his handling of the disaster.
As Japan nuclear crisis unfolds, a small town questions government reassurances

Few in Japan, however, are placing blame for the unraveling nuclear disaster directly on the Democratic Party of Japan, which has wrestled with crises since taking over from the Liberal Democratic Party in 2009.
Moves to rein in child pornography meet resistance in Japan

Faced with mounting pressure, Japan’s government has been forced to confront the country’s huge market in child pornography, raising hopes for a ban on possession of the material. But there's plenty of resistance.
Why Japan has a problem with prime ministers

The straight-talking Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan inspired 'Yes we Kan' T-shirts when he took office last June, but he's now in trouble. The past four prime ministers have lasted less than a year.
Japan's economy in deep trouble? Look again.

Standard & Poor’s cut its rating on Japanese sovereign debt one notch last week, strengthening the naysayers. But with falling unemployment, large reserves, and rising corporate profits, 'Japan is punching well above its weight,' says one analyst.
What's behind North Korea's offer for unconditional talks?

US envoy Stephen Bosworth ended a tour to northeast Asian capitals Friday without any definitive response to North Korea's offer for talks without preconditions. Japan and South Korea rejected the proposal.
North Korea tests limits of South Korea, Japan cooperation

US envoy Stephen Bosworth arrives in Tokyo Thursday after visiting Seoul and Beijing. Implicit in his talks is a push for Japan and South Korea to cooperate for mutual defense against North Korea.
Japan's 'scientific' whaling season delayed, Sea Shepherd claims responsibility

Financial pressures, clashes with the Sea Shepherd antiwhaling activists, and a drop in the demand for whale meat are contributing to the delayed whaling ship departure.
Japan's response to North Korea takes on a sharper edge

Prime Minister Naoto Kan is finding his nation dependent on the US in responding to North Korea, even as public opposition to the US base on Okinawa remains high.
Okinawa election eases pressure on US military base location

Okinawans reelected the incumbent governor, who is less opposed to US military bases than his challenger. The US wants to move ahead with a 2006 deal to relocate Futenma air base within Okinawa.
Japan abandons bid to make China a key pillar of its foreign policy

China's recent aggressive behavior over disputed islands spurred Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan to turn his back on earlier efforts to rebalance ties with China and the United States.
Opinion: US-Japan alliance is ripe for renewal

President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan are poised for progress when they meet this weekend.
Opinion: Obama in Japan: what a difference a bad year makes

Since the US president met with his Japanese counterpart last year, Obama has been belittled by voters, and Japan has been humiliated by his neighbors. Today, Japan and America need each other badly, and maybe more than ever.
How a minor China-Japan fishing dispute blew into a diplomatic hurricane

The confrontation in disputed waters between a Chinese fishing boat and Japanese Coast Guard vessels have quickly soured China-Japan relations. Neither governments appear ready to lose face in the standoff.
Japan PM Kan sends signal to Asian neighbors by shunning Yasukuni Shrine

Japan Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered his cabinet to avoid the controversial Yasukuni Shrine on the Aug. 15 anniversary of the end of WWII. It underscores his shift toward improving relations with Asian neighbors.
Japan's Naoto Kan promises fresh start with new cabinet

Japan's new Prime Minister Naoto Kan unveiled a cabinet Tuesday of six new members and 11 from the Hatoyama administration. Polls show 63 percent of Japanese have high hopes for Kan's administration.
The rise of Japan’s new Prime Minister Naoto Kan, and lessons for China

Unless China shifts its policies toward more democracy and tends to the interests of the rising urban middle class, it risks ending up in the same cul-de-sac as Japan.
Populist Naoto Kan promises to 'rebuild' Japan as new PM

The first PM in more than a decade not to hail from a political dynasty, the populist Naoto Kan hopes to boost his party's standing ahead of July elections.
Why Hatoyama - and many Japanese prime ministers - stumbled

Yukio Hatoyama is Japan's fourth prime minister in a row to last for less than a year, and the 14th to hold the post in 21 years. Many PMs have risen as part of a political dynasty without having to hone leadership skills.
Japan's Hatoyama resigns, dogged by Okinawa base dispute

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Wednesday he would resign after coming under fire for weak leadership and reneging on a promise to move a US military base off Okinawa island.
Japan's Hatoyama, weakened by Okinawa base decision, sacks deputy

North Korea tensions are reportedly behind Japan Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's unpopular decision to keep the US base on Okinawa. But the move will damage his party's prospects in the July election.
In reversal, Japan's Hatoyama says Marines can stay on Okinawa

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama backtracked from a campaign promise to close a controversial US Marine base on Okinawa. He said he was bowing to strategic reality, but the reversal is costing him support at home.
Gallery: Babies in politics
Labor reforms? Japan limits on part-timers please no one.

In Japan, labor reforms approved last Friday to protect temporary workers – now about one-third of the workforce – were met with criticism on both sides. Firms say they need a flexible workforce, while laborers say too many loopholes remain.
Japan’s growing attachment to China over the US

Japan’s foreign minister has said that, “This will be the age of Asia.”