The world faces a double threat posed by Iraqi and North Korean weapons of mass destruction and missiles, a peril no less serious than the terrorist scare following the 9/11 attacks. According to the Chinese zodiac, this is the year of the sheep, a nonviolent animal, but past years of the sheep have been far from peaceful. In 1991, the Persian Gulf War broke out; in 1979, Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan; and in 1967, the Middle East War broke out and China conducted its first hydrogen-bomb test.
In his New Year's Day statement, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Japan will engage in active diplomacy that will "contribute to world peace and stability." He also mentioned three keywords regarding diplomacy: Japan will take the "initiative" on the basis of "international cooperation," along with "national interest." The important thing is action, not rhetoric.
After 9/11, Japan, under Koizumi's leadership, swiftly enacted special antiterror legislation making it possible for the Self-Defense Forces to provide logistic support to allied forces pushing a military campaign in Afghanistan. Japan was praised internationally for its unprecedentedly speedy action.