The Yomiuri Shimbun
The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun's April 15 issue.
* * *
The hiragana character "ku" seemed to have been dropped. What sounded like "fukuan ga aru" (I have a prepared plan), seemed to be more like "fuan ga aru" (I'm concerned).
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama returned from the United States after failing to present President Barack Obama with what he described as "fukuan" (prepared plan) on where to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station.
According to the latest Yomiuri Shimbun opinion poll, the approval rating of the Hatoyama Cabinet plunged to 33 percent. In addition, 49 percent of the respondents said the prime minister should step down from his post if the Futenma dispute could not be settled by the end of May as he had pledged.
Demands for his resignation are expected to increase as the deadline approaches.
The Democratic Party of Japan may be able to replace the prime minister with someone else in an emergency, given that the party boasts an abundance of human resources. However, there is no alternative to the Japan-U.S. alliance, which can be called a lifeline for protecting this country's people and their assets.
The Hatoyama Cabinet has told both the United States and Okinawa Prefecture, "You won't be sorry," igniting expectations on both sides. But after the blaze of optimism hit bottom, the Cabinet was in panic. Given such a terrible outcome, both figures in the survey--33 percent and 49 percent--are totally unsurprising.
I wonder where "ku," which dropped out of "fukuan," is now. My goodness! It has stuck onto the end of the word of "shiryo" (consideration), what little the administration has, transforming the word into "shiryoku" (financial power), which the prime minister enjoys thanks to a monthly allowance of 15 million yen he receives from his mother.
Unfortunately, this is no joke.
(Apr. 19, 2010)
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