Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is sticking to his guns in supporting the United States, even on the contentious Iraq war.
One predecessor, however, believes he should diversify more on the diplomatic front.
Although giving high marks to Koizumi's strong friendship with U.S. President George W. Bush, former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said: "Currently, Japan's ties with other nations other than the U.S. are like dotted lines. We should at least try to make those dotted lines into solid ones as well.