As the opposition Democratic Party of Japan begins to smell victory in the late August general election, it has also stepped up conferences with the US on security issues. Just how different would a DPJ government be in the long run? It's relationship with the Social Democrats, its partner in the upper house, could be a clear indicator, as Mr. Morita points out in a recent article from Asia Times:
"The DPJ is already increasingly exchanging views on security issues with the US government officials, and it is reviewing its previous stance," Minoru Morita, a noted political analyst in Tokyo, told Asia Times Online. "The alliance with the DPJ and the SDP would be fragile if the DPJ succumbs to pressure from Washington. Pragmatism is a double-edged sword for the DPJ for sure. The more the DPJ becomes pragmatic, the more the SDP aggravates a grievance."
The author of Curing Japan's America Addiction (Chin Music Press) offers insight and commentary from Tokyo.
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