Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi is doing a good job -- much better than expected. She has made few blunders since she assumed the post Feb. 1, aside from the trouble over the inept bureaucratic handling of the Shenyang Japanese Consulate incident involving North Korean asylum seekers.
Defying bureaucratic resistance, she has come up with a drastic action plan for ministry reform based on the recommendations of her advisory panel. She also has appointed someone from outside the ministry to direct the Economic Cooperation Bureau, breaking a long tradition of naming career foreign-service officers to high-level positions.
Using her good command of English and administrative skills developed as a trade ministry official, Kawaguchi has had a series of successful talks with foreign dignitaries. She has attended all the international conferences requiring her presence, meeting with U.S., European, Chinese, South Korean and other officials on diverse problems -- from the Mideast conflict and Afghan reconstruction to relations with North Korea.