Under the slogan "Politics that values humans, not concrete," the Hatoyama administration is taking a different direction from that of the Liberal Democratic Party when it was the ruling party. Symbolic of the change are decisions to stop the Yanba dam project in Gunma Prefecture and to introduce monthly child-rearing allowances.

Inevitably, perhaps, the new administration's approach to achieving its goals appears confusing and incoherent at times, but that impression must not be allowed to continue for long. A conspicuous example of such confusion is the attitudes of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa on the issue of where to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, now in the southern part of Okinawa Island.

Mr. Kitazawa appears to basically accept the 2006 Japan-U.S. accord to move the Futenma base to Camp Schwab, in the northern part of the island, while Mr. Okada calls for moving it to Kadena Air Base in the central part of the island. Mr. Hatoyama sounds unclear about his preference, and does not seem to be in a hurry to make a final decision. Putting the matter off without working towards a clear decision on the new site could harm Japan's relationship with the United States.

Separately, the new administration has picked Mr. Jiro Saito, a former vice finance minister, as the new president of Japan Post Holding Co. Two new vice presidents of the company are also former bureaucrats. These appointments are thus viewed as running counter to the Democratic Party of Japan's wish to end bureaucrat-dominated politics. The government must strive to have Japan Post fulfill the difficult task of increasing its efficiency and profitability while improving services in the countryside.

Meanwhile, the governments' budgetary requests for 2010 have topped ¥95 trillion and there exists the possibility that fiscal discipline will be lost. Mr. Hatoyama should prioritize policies in earnest and cap bond issuance, to prevent future generations having to pay for benefits that only the present generation may be able to enjoy.