The head of Japan's largest business organization on Thursday urged Banri Kaieda to show leadership in moving the government toward negotiations on a Pacific free-trade agreement as the two met for the first time since Kaieda became trade minister.
At the meeting with Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren), Kaieda stressed the significance of "opening up" Japan and noted his ministry is pushing hard to join talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
In a sign that Prime Minister Naoto Kan is gearing up to seek free-trade agreements with other countries, Kaieda replaced Akihiro Ohata as minister of economy, trade and industry in the Jan. 14 Cabinet reshuffle, apparently because Kaieda is more positive about joining the TPP talks.