The country's presumptive new Prime Minister Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Hatoyama - has called for a review of the bases agreement and the closure of the Futenma facility altogether.

VOA: standard.2009.08.31

In the land of lifetime employment (at least for many workers in big companies), Mr Ghosn shocked Japan by announcing the closure of five factories employing over 16, 000 people in Japan alone, cutting capacity by 30% to bring it more into line with sales and boosting utilisation rates to around the 75-80% rates at which car makers begin to make money.

ECONOMIST: On the rocky road to marriage | The

After the 1997 financial crisis, reformers were temporarily put in charge of cleaning up that sector in Japan, resulting in the closure of several prominent banks and securities firms.

FORBES: Japan's Dirty Secrets

While the accident has generated huge safety concerns about Japan's nuclear industry, by forcing the closure of other nuclear reactors, it has also sharply reduced Japan's energy-supply capabilities.

WSJ: Japan Marks One-Year Anniversary of March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami