With Tuesday's passage of a new special antiterrorism bill by the Lower House, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda can breathe a sigh of relief before he meets Friday with U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington in their first bilateral summit.
But with the two countries still facing a number of thorny diplomatic issues besides the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, a task incorporated in the antiterrorism bill, the upcoming summit may require more than just the reconfirmation of solid ties.
Among the problematic issues are Washington's possible removal of North Korea from its list of terrorism-sponsoring states and Tokyo's plan to reduce the so-called sympathy budget that helps fund U.S. bases in Japan.