Approximately 50 days have passed since the Cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was sworn in. Various opinion surveys have shown that its public approval ratings have climbed to nearly 90 percent from around 80 percent at the time of its birth, defying the usual pattern of approval rates declining as time goes by.
At the same time, however, we are beginning to see some dark clouds and difficult issues on the horizon.
I see three areas where Koizumi may face difficulties: (1) the words and deeds of Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka; (2) resistance or lack of cooperation from the conservative members within the Liberal Democratic Party, notably the largest faction, Keiseikai; and (3) the continued economic slump.