Yukio Hatoyama news stories on Newser

Japanese PM Quits Over Okinawa Base

Rob Quinn — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:41:19 CDT

Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is stepping down after just 8 months in office. Hatoyama—whose plunging approval ratings ahead of an election expected to be held in July put him under intense pressure from his Democratic Party of Japan to step down—said he was quitting because of a...

Obama Arrives in Japan to Shore Up Relations

John Johnson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:18:16 CST

President Obama arrived in Japan today to open his weeklong summit in Asia. At a news conference with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Obama acknowledged that relations with Tokyo have been strained and agreed that it's time to modernize the nations' 50-year-old treaty. "Our effort will be focused on revitalizing that...

Obama to UN: US Can't Solve World's Problems

Jason Farago — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:54:04 CDT

Barack Obama told the UN today that the global community has too long been "defined by our differences and outpaced by our problems." He said he was aware of the high expectations for his presidency, and he acknowledged US failings, but said solving the world's problems is not "solely America's...

4 UN Debuts to Watch

Jason Farago — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:26:06 CDT

This week the world's heads of government gather in New York for the annual UN General Assembly, and attention will be focused on four leaders—two new to office, two long in power—making their debuts at the green marble lectern. NPR outlines who to watch: Hu Jintao : He'll be...

Hatoyama Confirmed as Japan's New PM

Rob Quinn — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:50:16 CDT

Japan's parliament formally voted in Yukio Hatoyama as the country's new prime minister today, ending an almost half-century of rule by the Liberal Democratic Party, CNN reports. The LDP's Taro Aso and his cabinet resigned en masse earlier in the day. Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan won a landslide election...

Japan's First Lady Boasts of 'UFO Trip to Venus'

Rob Quinn — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:40:56 CDT

Japan's quirky new first lady boasts years of colorful experiences, including time as a dancer in the famed Takarazuka troupe—and a trip to space aboard a UFO, according to a book she wrote last year. "While my body was asleep, I think my soul rode on a triangular-shaped UFO...

New Leader Hails Japanese 'Revolution'

Jason Farago — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:28:30 CDT

Japan's incoming prime minister hailed a democratic "revolution" as more complete results confirmed a sweeping victory for the center-left Democratic Party. Yukio Hatoyama will lead a bloc of more than 300 parliamentary members, more than three times its previous representation, after what the Times of London calls the most decisive...

Defeat All but Certain for Japan's Aso, Ruling Party

Nick McMaster — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:00:00 CDT

Sunday will likely mark a milestone in Japanese politics as voters dump the Liberal Democratic Party after more than a half-century in power, the Washington Post reports. Even senior LDP leaders acknowledge that Yukio Hatoyama will probably trounce incumbent Prime Minister Taro Aso, and polls predict a staggering turnout with...

Japan Faces Historic Change as Election Opens

Jason Farago — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:16:00 CDT

Japanese PM Taro Aso dissolved parliament today to begin a watershed election that could break his party's 50-year grip on power, Reuters reports. In a nationwide TV address, Aso apologized for his shortcomings as a leader and for internal squabbling that cost his conservative party at recent local elections. Opposition...