Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has enjoyed high public support ratings since the Sept 16 launch of his government, but analysts say his policy which is based on his ‘‘fraternity’’ philosophy continues to lack specifics.
   
In his first policy address to parliament Monday, Hatoyama, 62, again advocated the creation of a society full of love and compassion in line with the philosophy, which his grandfather and former Prime Minister Ichiro Hatoyama had pushed for.
   
Hatoyama’s speech, which took more than 50 minutes to deliver, was filled with a series of episodes based on his own experiences he had during his campaigning tour for the August election with voters struggling in their everyday life.
   
Citing one old lady whom he met in Aomori Prefecture and whose son was plagued with unemployment and eventually ended his own life, Hatoyama stressed the importance of politicians paying more heed to the voices of people who are looking for places to belong to.
   
Referring to workers with handicaps whom he got to know when he recently visited a chalk manufacturer in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, the new premier said everyone feels happiness when he or she is commended, thanked and needed.
   
‘‘In politics, the perspective of socially vulnerable people and minority people must be respected,’’ Hatoyama said in his address. ‘‘That’s the starting point for my fraternity politics.’‘
 
He had been often rapped by the then ruling Liberal Democratic Party for pursuing what it claimed to be an ‘‘abstract’’ idea and failing to present any specific vision on how he would achieve the goal, even before leading his Democratic Party of Japan to a landslide victory in the general election.
   
The Hatoyama speech was indeed long with the number of words exceeding 12,000, double the roughly 6,000 words contained in speeches by former prime ministers.
   
Commenting on Hatoyama’s legislative address, LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki said it was ‘‘lengthy and sentimental with few specifics.’’ The LDP is currently the biggest opposition party.
   
‘‘There were no clear messages on which direction he would like to lead the country,’’ Tanigaki told reporters.
   
Hatoyama later retorted that he did not want to make the speech a set of policies listed by each government ministry and agency, apparently comparing the past speeches delivered by prime ministers of the LDP, criticizing them for having too heavily depended on bureaucrats in drafting them.
   
Harumi Arima, an independent analyst, said Hatoyama’s speech included more materials to help people envision what kind of state he is trying to create, but warned that the Hatoyama government still needs to flesh out the details of what it hopes to achieve and how.
   
‘‘We all know that compassion is important, but compassion isn’t enough to manage the country, that’s why we need politics,’’ he said.
   
Reflecting his government’s equivocal stance, Hatoyama spent way less time on foreign and national security in his parliamentary speech than on domestic concerns.
   
Arima said Hatoyama cannot go into details on either the Futenma issue or the East Asian community concept because of persistent gaps in opinions among his cabinet members.
   
Since the Cabinet launch, some of Hatoyama’s cabinet ministers have said different things on the relocation of a U.S. military facility in Okinawa Prefecture, despite U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Japan coming up within only a few weeks.
   
In his address, Hatoyama said the basis for peace in the Asia-Pacific region will be the ‘‘close and equal’’ alliance between Japan and the United States. He defined this as a relationship in which not only the United States but also Japan can proactively propose the role both Tokyo and Washington play in maintaining peace and security in the world.
   
But he failed to propose specifically what role the two countries should play on the world stage or what the East Asian community he is seeking to form would be like.
   
Approval ratings for his cabinet have been hovering at around 60 to 70%, way higher levels than the previous cabinet of Taro Aso, which suffered single-digit levels at one point while in office.

© 2009 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.

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7 Comments

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  bdiego at 08:26 AM JST - 27th October

  Let's pet every kitten and kiss every baby for a brighter future!

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  Altria at 09:40 AM JST - 27th October

  He should have stuck with the time honoured fraternity policy of getting wasted, listening to Bob Marley, and picking up chicks.

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  suebe36d at 01:02 PM JST - 27th October

  So tax wealth from opportunity and providence not to mention cunning and provide welfare for unfortunates and increase pay for honest labor and patient drudgery.

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  Hephatsheput at 02:01 PM JST - 27th October

  LDP comeback gaining momentum.

  The emptiness of the DPJ is becoming more obvious with every passing minute.

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  notimpressed at 02:20 PM JST - 27th October

  60- 70% approval rating, hardly looks like the LDP is gaining anything yet. Why on earth would anyone want to return to the previous establishment. doubts aside, I hope the DPJ comes through as it has to be an improvement.

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  plasticmonkey at 09:19 PM JST - 27th October

  whereas Abe's "beautiful Japan" policy had lots of substance

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  Simon_Foston at 07:10 AM JST - 1st November

  ‘‘There were no clear messages on which direction he would like to lead the country,’’ Tanigaki told reporters.

  There haven't been many clear messages coming from the LDP recently either.

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