The media have lashed out at the Democratic Party of Japan over its apparent backpedaling on wanting a free-trade agreement between Japan and the United States.
But experts say that regardless of the party's aspirations, an FTA between the world's two biggest economies will never come easily, given not only the expected opposition from Japanese farmers but also the Asia-Pacific "regional structure."
The DPJ, widely expected to win the Lower House election, had said Japan would seek to conclude an FTA as part of its efforts to "establish equal relations of mutual trust" with the United States.