Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama hit the ground running in the first days of his administration, traveling to New York and announcing to the U.N. General Assembly that Japan hopes to become a "bridge" between its Asian neighbors.
This weekend he heads to Beijing for a crucial trilateral meeting with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts, where he must try to turn his words into deeds.
There are doubters. "I feel the administration may be putting too much emphasis on its 'fraternity' slogan," said Masaru Ikei, a professor emeritus at Keio University.