Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will be required to fine-tune Japan's diplomatic strategies to deal with the reshuffle of U.S. President George W. Bush's administration. There is growing speculation that hardliners will gain more power in the second Bush administration following the departures of Secretary of State Colin Powell, a moderate, and his deputy, Richard Armitage, an expert on Japanese affairs.
Since the 9/11 attacks, Japan under Koizumi's leadership has consistently followed the United States as a loyal member of the "coalition of the willing" in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The question now is: Should Japan stick to the pro-U.S. diplomatic stance, or try to bring the U.S. back to a framework of international cooperation that includes Europe?
The question is how Japan should promote its national interest. It is up to Koizumi -- whom Bush calls "my friend" -- to prove his merit as the nation's leader.