HONG KONG — Has Prime Minister Naoto Kan finally woken up to the fact that the world is changing rapidly and Japan risks being left behind? In recent days he has spoken of a fresh fleet of "black ships" off the coast of Japan, and has noted nostalgically that he comes from Choshu (now Yamaguchi Prefecture) whose rebels were crushed in 1864 when they tried to prevent foreign forces from reopening Shimonoseki Strait to shipping.
Poor Kan — and poor Japan — the prime minister has realized the threat and the opportunity, but lacks the guts to take action that might seize the chance and actually do something to start the revival of the Japanese economy.
The specific problem, identified by Kan as the modern black ships, concerns a proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, currently being negotiated by nine countries, including Australia, Chile, Malaysia, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. Kan wants to join the talks but is scared of the backlash from powerful agricultural interests, so has decided to ask questions but postpone joining until at least the middle of next year — when it may be too late for Japan to influence the negotiations.