After naming his new cabinet, Japan’s prime minister-elect Naoto Kan (l.) will be sworn in and begin what the United States hopes is a tighter U.S.-Japan relationship than under his predecessor, Yukio Hatoyama, who resigned abruptly after a turbulent eight-month reign. Political science Professor Thomas Berger cautions that pushing the new government too hard on issues of U.S. interest could be counterproductive and possibly trigger an anti-American backlash.
“While many in Washington clearly hope that with Hatoyama gone U.S.-Japanese relations can get back to business as usual, those hopes are likely to be dashed.”
Contact Thomas Berger, 617-353-5351, tuberger@bu.edu
