The past year was one of political disappointment in Japan as the government failed to make breakthroughs in resolving crucial economic and diplomatic problems. Prime Minister Naoto Kan and the Democratic Party of Japan should reflect on what went wrong, set clear goals that will capture the minds of people and mobilize every possible resource to realize them.
The nation's economic difficulties, the rapidly graying population, severe competition from emerging economies, the economic and military rise of China, and the deteriorating security environment could make 2011 a watershed year for Japan. The DPJ government must strive to improve the economy and social welfare so people can have more stable lives, and make Japan resilient to whatever economic and diplomatic disturbances assail the country from outside.
When former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama made his policy speech before the Diet in late January 2010, it seemed that Japan saw a ray of hope as he set out such ideas as an "economy for human beings," a "Japan sustained by a New Public Commons," in which people support and help one another, and reform of the "system of government through political leadership." His call for moving U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma outside Okinawa Prefecture reflected his idealism; failure to achieve this objective led to his government's demise.