Yet the Kan administration may not be able to hold up its side of the Futenma bargain with America.

ECONOMIST: Friends and neighbours

Yet before it jettisons Mr Kan the DPJ should be wary of jumping to the wrong conclusions about the vote.

ECONOMIST: Japan's upper-house elections

Mr Kan's best hope must be that support for the opposition parties is too weak for them to become truly assertive.

ECONOMIST: Japan's hobbled government

And although that friendship and alliance has to continually be renewed and reshaped in light of new circumstances, the core values and the shared vision at the heart of our alliance remains strong, and I am very confident that working with Prime Minister Kan, we are going to be able to continue to build on that tremendous history over the last 50 years.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama & Prime Minister Kan at G20 Summit

This June, Third Street is scheduled to be renamed Keady Way in Larned, Kan.

WSJ: Keady Now Coaches the Coach

Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered his ministers to step up information-gathering and be prepared for emergencies.

BBC: US-Japan naval drills start as N Korea tensions rise

He speculates that, like Mr Koizumi, Mr Kan might attempt to surround himself with charismatic young politicians to be the face of the next government.

ECONOMIST: The unfathomable Naoto Kan defies both friends and enemies

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said today that plans to build new nuclear power plants should be scrapped and the nation should design a completely new energy future.

FORBES: Will Japan Move Away from Nuclear, Toward Renewable Energy?

On June 28th Mr Kan did nothing to dispel the rumours, telling DPJ politicians that energy policy was likely to be the most important issue in the next election.

ECONOMIST: The unfathomable Naoto Kan defies both friends and enemies