Publication

This report analyzes the underlying factors and implications of Japan's political turmoil in 2008. It notes that on 1 September 2008, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda stunned observers by resigning his post, arguing that a new leader might be better able to avoid the "political vacuum" he faced in office. The reports cautions that without coherent leadership, Japanese policy-making may enter a period of disarray, with potentially negative repercussions for US interests in the region.