Turbulence in Japan : Old powerbrokers, old ways stymie a new prime minister

The naming of Tsutomu Hata as the new prime minister was supposed to bring Japan some measure of stability and keep the nation on a course toward reform. But less than a day after Hata was named, Japan was plunged into new political chaos as the largest party in his coalition government quit over policy disputes. With the coalition’s collapse, Hata loses his majority in Parliament, and he has delayed selecting members of his Cabinet.

The situation is as confusing to the Japanese as to Tokyo’s allies. For the United States, Tokyo’s political paralysis will stymie progress on trade issues. The destabilizing events put the spotlight on conservative powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa. Ever since the Liberal Democratic Party lost power last year, Ozawa has been a major behind-the- scenes player, pulling strings here and there, much like the shadowy puppeteers in the bunraku show. Certainly Hata’s transition was expected to be difficult. The coalition government that brought Hata’s predecessor Morihiro Hosokawa to power nine months ago was fragile at best. Bickering among the coalition members over taxes and a North Korea policy delayed the naming of a new prime minister for two weeks.

What made the Socialists finally bolt was that unbeknown to them the other coalition members, led by Hata’s Renewal Party, agreed to unite in a single parliamentary bloc that would exclude the Socialists. Ozawa, deputy of Hata’s party, is said to be behind the effort to isolate the Socialists.

So now Tokyo lurches yet again from one political crisis to another at a time when the country needs decisive action on major economic and political issues. For all the talk of reform, Ozawa’s behind-the-scenes puppeteering shows that so far the old powerbrokers and ways still reign in Japan’s domestic politics.