Hatoyama tells Obama alliance is foundation of Japan's foreign policy

Thursday 03rd September, 09:45 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 33 Total Comments Show All

notimpressed at 04:37 PM JST - 3rd September

Why are people trying to sell Hatoyama so short, when he has only just won. I'm quite happy to wait and see what transpires before I go making wild predictions.
kavikahi at 04:37 PM JST - 3rd September

s.o.p. to get the formalities taken care of. Now you will see what kind of real leaders both men are.

I cant think of many who need more disappointment, including myself.

I hope they pleasantly surprise us all.
techall at 04:43 PM JST - 3rd September

@kavikahi:

Unfortunately the popular rhetoric heard on the campaign trail and the realities faced when elected do not often jibe. No matter where or by which candidate. Promising "a chicken in every pot" you better have a lot of chickens and time to go around stuffing them in pots.
gogogo at 06:11 PM JST - 3rd September

I think he should say "US" alliance, what if Obama gets the boot in 3.5 years?
IcingDeath at 09:33 PM JST - 3rd September

3.5 years is a long time
JoeBigs at 09:48 PM JST - 3rd September

Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Hatoyama, Japan’s prime minister in waiting, spoke over the telephone with U.S. President Barack Obama early Thursday morning and told Obama that the Japan-U.S. alliance is the ‘‘foundation’’ of Japan’s foreign policy.

China is screaming at this time......How dare the Japanese not bow and grovel to the mighty Chinese???LOL
LFRAgain at 11:41 PM JST - 3rd September

Hoooo-leeee crap. Just saw on the news that Ozawa pulled a fast one on the voters by somehow convincing Hatoyama to make him his No. 2 in the new government. What a dispicable weasel.

If the electorate doesn't have a major s#!t-fit over this one-step-shy-of-election-fraud, then they deserve whatever the now established morally bankrupt Hatoyama administration throws at them.

The only reason the DPJ won at all was because Ozawa The Liar/Crook/Manipulator was removed from sight. Un-frackin-believable . . .
lunchmeat at 12:12 AM JST - 4th September

Hatoyama said he told Obama, ‘‘Japan has seen its first major change in the political party in power through the democratic process. This change required courage, and it is the American people and President Obama who gave that courage to the Japanese people.’’

(See the U.S. 2006 elections.)

BTW, how's that hope 'n change working for ya?
Sarge at 12:19 AM JST - 4th September

"In the 12-minute conversation"

With or without an interpreter?
badge123 at 01:34 AM JST - 4th September

Hatoyama studied in the US, recieving a phd from standford, so Im pretty sure he speaks a decent amount.
Shumatsu_Samurai at 04:05 AM JST - 4th September

The penny finally dropped for Hatoyama - he's only just realised that if he wants to be independent of the US, he would need to increase defence spending to ensure the military wouldn't need US support. He couldn't convince the public to accept that, so he'll continue to buy US military aid.
TokyoRoughGuy at 05:45 AM JST - 4th September

Hatoyama is going to get a wake up call when the LDP trounces him in the Upper House election next year. The LDP is already rising in support, and recent polls show it to be more popular than the DPJ, which has done absolutely zilch since being voted into office last Sunday. The DPJ will most likely continue to get nothing done, if the past four days are indicative of their inability to improve the lives of the people of Japan.
LFRAgain at 10:50 AM JST - 4th September

" . . . the DPJ, which has done absolutely zilch since being voted into office last Sunday."

What exactly did you expect to happen in 5 days? A complete restructuring of the government followed by a repealing of the consumption tax, recall of all SDF forces from overseas missions, and the deportation of all US troops on Japanese soil? Overnight?

Hatoyama isn't even Primie Minister yet, and he won't be until September 16th. I'm no fan either of the circus they call politics here in Japan, but you're being more than a little -- what's a nice way of putting it? -- unreasonable.
cleo at 11:06 AM JST - 4th September

the DPJ, which has done absolutely zilch since being voted into office last Sunday. The DPJ will most likely continue to get nothing done, if the past four days are indicative of their inability to improve the lives of the people of Japan.

sigh.

How much did Obama get done between the election and Christmas? Hatoyama won't be PM until the 16th of this month, when the Diet convenes in special session to vote. Until then, officially the LDP are still in power. Dead in the water, but in power.
alphawolf at 06:36 PM JST - 4th September

Hatoyama will do fine..

aw